SH: We are an association of Korean overseas studies consultants. We work for members and overseas study clients, we have 70 members and were established in 1992 – this year’s our anniversary. We help members by discussing with them how we can develop our industry and how we can give better service to our clients. We do this through seminars, meetings and training courses. If an agency and client have a quarrel we can also mediate and help them resolve the problem.

The PIE: Do you lobby the government?

SH: We do, but it’s not easy discussing our industry with them. I think they’re only interested in the public education side of things. At least 300,000 Koreans go abroad every year but only around 100,000 come here. They see the rate as a minus 200,000 balance. They’re only interested in the financial gains and losses. As most of our members send students overseas, I believe they think we are the enemy of public education. Nowadays you can see many universities saying “this is real” – we have to work with agencies. But the government doesn’t understand the changing circumstances.

The PIE: What’s behind this distrust? After all, the Korean agent market is huge.

SH: Education is very important thing for my country. We say that the king, teacher and father are the same. This is Confucianist philosophy. So education is not viewed under an economic category in Korea. It’s very sacred and untouchable in a way. But our business of sending students abroad is secular in this regard.

It’s not always the case: sometimes the government asks about our overseas studies market and how can they protect our students overseas, and we’re happy to give them information and discuss the issues. The fair trade offices ask us about regulations and we give our suggestions. Universities are also starting to change. We offer them membership training courses and distribute information for them throughout our network. Also the foreign diplomatic offices want to promote their countries’ education through us.

“Nowadays you can see many universities saying “this is real” – we have to work with agencies”

The PIE: What are the other challenges in the Korean agent market?

SH: There has been a lot of competition surrounding discounts. To survive in the competitive agent market small operators give big discounts. This puts pressure on other agents. Also these discounting agents often don’t give good information or high levels of service. They’re not interested in placing students in good schools, only in the financial gains.

The other issue is that many Korean universities bypass agents when placing students abroad. They already have links or exchange programmes with foreign universities. This is a big challenge. Agents have also lost some part of the public’s trust in recent years due to a minority of rogue companies, which is why some students are trying to find foreign schools by themselves, not through agents.

The PIE: Can you win back that trust?

KOSA got together and screened our agencies and advertised to our clients and universities

SH: I believe trust will increase because most weak and bad companies have fallen down already, but problems still happen. That’s why KOSA got together and screened our agencies and advertised to our clients and universities, so I’m sure trust will recover soon. [More>>]

The PIE: How are you working with Asian neighbours to increase flows of students between you? Do you see more collaboration coming up? [more>>]