|
SEOUL: South Korean retirees who
want to stretch their budgets and students seeking a cheaper
English-language education are increasingly flocking to Southeast
Asia, where the sunshine is an added bonus.
The region’s
cheaper living costs are luring retired Koreans who find their
savings are not enough to support them in one of Asia’s most
expensive countries. The strong won also makes it attractive to look
overseas.
The
Philippines is most favored among retirees because it offers a
retirement visa providing multiple entry and indefinite stay.
Middle-class
workers in their 30s and 40s who want a cheaper English-language
education for their children are also looking to Southeast Asia.
“A tough
life and soaring education expenses prompted me to leave South
Korea,” said Romeo Yoo, who emigrated to the Philippines in March
last year after wrapping up an office supplies business in Seoul.
Yoo, 55, lives
in Quezon City with his wife and two children. To support his
family, he relies on about 3 million won ($3,190) in monthly income
from a real estate investment in Seoul.
“My living
costs are higher than others because of my kids,” he told Agence
France-Presse, suggesting that less than 1.5 million won a month
might be enough for a retired couple with no dependent children.
Yoo said he
enjoys his leisurely life, although he sometimes feels uncomfortable
due to language barriers and cultural differences.
Agencies have
sprung up to cater to people like Yoo. They offer investment
programs in condominiums or resorts being built by South Korean
firms in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines.
The
government’s decision in March last year to lift the ceiling on
overseas real estate purchases also fuelled interest in emigration
to Southeast Asia, said Jung Ki Young of South Korea’s largest
travel agency Hana Tour.
Hana launched
a long-stay tour program last year for those interested in
investment in, or emigration to, the region.
“Our
business is still at the initial stage but we are getting many calls
from retirees as well as those in their 30s and 40s seeking better
education for their children,” he said.
Each country
offers
a different
draw card
The number of
Koreans who retired to the Philippines rose from 150 in 2003 to 372
in 2005. From January to August 2006, 505 arrived in the country,
according to the Philippine Retirement Authority.
Southeast Asia
also attracts students who cannot afford the customary private
tuition which supplements school lessons in Korea, or international
schools in Western countries.
The education
ministry said 4,011 Korean primary to high-school students headed to
Southeast Asia in 2005 compared to 712 in 2001.
Malaysia—with
moderate prices and national fluency in English—receives about
half of all Korean students in Southeast Asia, said Kim Young Jun,
who arranges educational opportunities in Malaysia, Singapore and
the Philippines.
“Malaysia is
more expensive than the Philippines but parents prefer the Islamic
country which offers relatively good education programs,” Kim
said.
Many students
who choose to go abroad stay alone or with their mothers while
fathers generally remain in Korea to work and support them, putting
strains on families.
To avoid the
stresses of separation, Peter Jang, 42, decided to emigrate to the
Philippines with his wife and two children in 2004.
“In South
Korea, I was in a difficult situation mainly because of high
education expenses. Now I and my kids feel relaxed,” he said.
He lives in
Antipolo City, earning about 2 million won a month by arranging golf
tours for Koreans.
Despite the
warm winters and leisurely lifestyle, some emigrants come back after
failing to overcome loneliness and language barriers.
“For
retirees, living abroad is not a recommended life. They cannot spend
their remaining years only playing golf,” said Kim Sun Kyung of
the Korean Association of Retired People.
 --AFP
|
