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Digital nomads refer to people who work freely while traveling the world using information technology (IT) devices. The digital nomad visa allows foreigners to stay in Korea for 1–2 years while maintaining their employment in their home countries. As environments allowing work from anywhere with just a digital device are created, the number of countries introducing this visa is increasing.
CNN reported on the 22nd (local time) that “some observers believe the digital nomad visa could be about more than just making travel easier,” adding that “it could be a way to increase the workforce in South Korea, which has recorded an extremely low birth rate.”
Seo Jung-ho, a professor at the George Washington University Institute for Korean Studies, argued in an interview with CNN that the digital nomad visa would serve as an opportunity for more foreigners to visit Korea.
Unlike other Asian regions such as Hong Kong, Thailand, or Bali in Indonesia, Korea does not have a large foreign resident population. Professor Seo’s opinion is that the introduction of the digital nomad visa could change this situation.
Professor Seo stated, “By implementing the new visa policy, the government could lead an agenda or discussion to normalize social mixing between ethnic groups, or between ethnic Koreans and non-Koreans.”
There is also an opinion that the digital nomad visa could be a starting point for decentralizing the population concentrated in the metropolitan area.
Cho Jeong-hyun, CEO of Hoppers Inc. who operates ‘Digital Nomads Korea,’ a community for foreigners living in Korea while working remotely for long periods, said, “The high cost of living, intense competition, and stress caused by the high population density in the Seoul metropolitan area influence young people's decisions on marriage,” adding, “I believe Korea’s low birth rate is related to the competitive and stressful life in the metropolitan area.”
She added, “We can alleviate these problems by decentralizing the population and creating an environment where people can live better lives in the regions, and creating communities for digital nomads in these regions can be the start.”
However, some foreigners point out that the requirements for obtaining a digital nomad visa are strict.
To obtain a digital nomad visa, applicants must earn at least $65,000 (approx. 86 million KRW) annually from a foreign company and must prove health insurance coverage and a clean criminal record.
CNN reported that in an annual analysis by ‘InterNations,’ a site used by foreigners living abroad, Korea ranked 50th out of 53 surveyed countries in terms of ease of settling in.
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