Language is always a barrier. Without good German skills you have the opportunity of being a cleaning lady or building Autobahn here in Germany.

Visiting as a tourist with a strong passport is so much easier than actually inmigrating to another country, let alone one with a better living standard, considering SK is technically a first world country already. First, you need to be able to speak the language, then you need either the money to pay for school (if going as a student) or a job waiting for you that the destination country needs filled. You can’t just go and get whatever job you like, there are immigration restrictions on what jobs you can apply for, and the company must be willing to sponsor you. All of that costs a lot of money to top it all off.

Lots of people want to leave, but so many have never even left South Korea, let alone gone to the West.

Where will you go? China? Working conditions are even worse. Japan? Lots of Koreans go there, but it’s hardly a massive change.

Koreans go to Europe, the US and Canada, but the poorer class certainly can’t afford that opportunity.

Strong honor culture makes it hard to move, you would cut contact with just about everyone you know if you’re not moving to attend a prestigious university or taking a high end job, which is not on the table for the vast majority.

Do you subscribe to anything you could get for free?