With a quarter of the world Chinese, the Koreans realize that the ability to communicate in Chinese is an asset in the job market. Last year, Korean students comprised 75 percent of the 800 foreign students registered in universities and colleges in Taiwan. The Chinese departments in over 40 institutions in Korea are popular with the students, but badly understaffed to handle the demand.

The job prospects for Korean students who study Chinese seem to justify the effort and expense. Even before graduating in June of this year from National Cheng Chih University's Chinese Department, Chan Byung-deok received a job offer from Samsung, one of the largest multinational corporations in Korea. His case, it seems, is by no means atypical.

Another factor attracting Korean students to Taiwan is the drastically lower costs of pursuing an education in the ROC compared to studying in Japan or the U.S. "I couldn't have just taken my parents' pension to buy an American diploma," said Chung Yan-sun, a junior at National Taiwan University. Cultural, social, and geographical proximity also helps to ease the psychological pressure of "going abroad."

"That pressure is clearly greater on students who come to Taiwan immediately after completing high school as opposed to those who first graduate from a Korean university before going abroad," said Jo Jin-ho, a student at Fu Jen University. "The younger students are most often 'encouraged' by their parents to study abroad, while the older students have made the decision by themselves. The older students adapt much more easily and quickly."

In addition to the psychological pressure of studying abroad, the course load and language difference also present difficulties. Many foreign students who speak Chinese fluently find that taking classes in Chinese is a different ball game than discussing a movie with friends. "I found myself spending a lot of time looking words up in the dictionary. Writing Chinese characters can be a very frustrating experience," lamented Kuk Tae-yeom, a Korean student in the ROC

The problem of language is even more acute for foreign students who study natural or social sciences, where much of the material is in English. Korean students who study Chinese literature or history need "only" to master Chinese. For the others it's a matter of reading in English, thinking in Korean, and then taking the tests in Chinese!

For students who are used to being in the upper ten percent of their class, the realities of competing in a foreign language can be rude indeed. In the first two years the frustration level is highest for foreign students struggling with the language and low grades. "I remember having a good cry the first time I saw the grades I received as a freshman," recalled Chung Yan-sun.

Insomnia, impatience, and restlessness are all symptoms of an inability to adjust to the new environment. Some think about going home, others withdraw from social interaction, while others seek comfort and reassurance from their fellow compatriots. This magnet of frustration binds the Koreans into a tight-knit group, where the grapevine can become so large and entangled that it overwhelms those involved. It's like a magnifying glass focusing on the personal lives of those who were only seeking some peace of mind in the first place. Personal relations between men and women--for the sexually conservative Koreans--can be put under great pressure by rumors that are started at a drop of a hat.

"Koreans will not reach out for help on their own," explained Ch'en P'eng-hsiang, head counselor for foreign students at National Taiwan Normal University. "They tend to keep everything inside while maintaining a calm exterior. This, of course, only deepens the initial feelings of frustration and alienation."

On what may seem to be a more trivial level, some students find it very difficult to adjust to the humid climate and oily food on Taiwan. One Korean student ate hot peppers to counter the oily Taiwanese cooking, only to end up with an ulcer. When this malestrom of psychological, physical, and linguistic problems comes to a boil the result can be explosive.

The dream of going abroad to study can quickly become a nightmare if proper preparation is not taken. If prospective students are aware before boarding the airplane of the situation they will soon be finding themselves in, they will be better able to profit from an experience that they can cherish for the rest of their lives.

[Picture Caption]

This overseas student from Korea attracted some stares when she visited the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in her traditional costume.

Among the hundred-plus overseas students attending National Taiwan University, more come from Korea than from any other country. The pair shown here are brother and sister.

Korean students studying on Taiwan often have to trans late English into Korean to under stand their text books and then translate back into Chinese to answer questions on exams.

If your language ability is up to par, then it's easy to get along with your classmates and fun to go to class.

Cooking a Korean dish helps to relieve homesickness.

Jo Jin-ho got together with his father when he came to Taiwan on business.

Studying overseas is much tougher than at home.

Among the hundred-plus overseas students attending National Taiwan University, more come from Korea than from any other country. The pair shown here are brother and sister.

Korean students studying on Taiwan often have to trans late English into Korean to under stand their text books and then translate back into Chinese to answer questions on exams.

Cooking a Korean dish helps to relieve homesickness.

Jo Jin-ho got together with his father when he came to Taiwan on business.

Studying overseas is much tougher than at home.