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강동삼 기자 | 입력 2024-11-18
‘Jeju Workation with Global Digital Nomads (Hoppin; Jeju),’ hosted by Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and ICC Jeju, concluded successfully. Pictured are digital nomads resting at the workation accommodation ‘Reflow’ in Jeju City. Courtesy of Jeju Province
Digital nomads refer to people who work in professions that allow them to work from anywhere using digital devices such as mobile phones, laptops, and tablets. While some are corporate employees, many are freelancers. They often work remotely while traveling the world. It is estimated that there are about 35 million digital nomads worldwide, and their annual consumption is known to exceed 1,000 trillion KRW.
When a visa is attached to this concept, it refers to a special visa for those wishing to stay long-term while working remotely from abroad. Estonia was the first in the world to introduce such a digital nomad visa, and Korea has been operating a pilot program from January of this year until the end of the year.
Previously, for foreigners to do a workation in Korea, they had to obtain a tourist visa or enter visa-free, limiting their stay to 90 days or less. Once the period expired, they had to leave the country even if they wished to stay longer.
To address these inconveniences for overseas remote workers, the Ministry of Justice established a digital nomad (workation) visa system that allows employees of foreign companies to stay long-term in Korea while touring, provided they prove their employment history and a certain level of income. As of last July, only about 60 people were known to have been issued digital nomad visas.
#High Barriers for Visa Issuance and Disconnect from Reality… Limitations on Employment Activities
However, the current hurdles for the Ministry of Justice’s digital nomad visa issuance criteria are somewhat high and disconnected from reality. Applicants must be currently employed (submit a certificate of employment) and have an annual income of 84.96 million KRW (7.08 million KRW per month). They must submit income proof documents (pay slips, bank statements, etc.), criminal background checks, proof of private health insurance, and family relation documents (if accompanied by family).
The stay period is one year from the date of entry, with a one-year extension possible (up to 2 years). If requirements are met, status can be changed to a digital nomad visa from a short-term tourist visa (B-1, B-2, C-3). The most critical point is that local employment and profit-making activities are restricted.
Regarding this, a Jeju Province official stated, "When there is a need to stay long-term after coming to Korea, for example, to engage in content development or cultural creation activities, the inability to resolve livelihood maintenance is a drawback, making it difficult to say that the true spirit of a digital nomad is reflected." The official added, "We plan to lay the foundation for visitors who entered via Jeju’s visa-free system to convert to a digital nomad visa to stay and be active when they want to do something more in Jeju."
The official emphasized, "We need to design the basic framework for the Jeju-type digital nomad visa, but we are considering a plan to extend from a basic 6 months," adding, "We will enter the research service phase next year. We expect that the introduction of the digital nomad (workation) visa will bring vitality to the local economy as high-income foreigners stay in various regions of the country."
Jeju Governor Oh Young-hun expressed in his 'Administrative Speech' regarding next year's budget submission, "We will introduce a digital nomad visa to ensure that excellent foreign professional talent can flow into Jeju's living population." He further mentioned, "To circulate money in the local community and turn the outflow of the youth population into an inflow, increasing good jobs is the most fundamental measure," noting that "18.9 billion KRW has been allocated in next year's budget for investment attraction support."
Participants enjoyed Jeju’s unique cultural experiences such as walking Olle trails, hiking Oreums, and tangerine picking at the ‘Jeju Workation with Global Digital Nomads (Hoppin; Jeju)’ event. Pictured is a commemorative photo after the tangerine picking experience. Courtesy of Jeju Province
# Digital Nomad Workation Event in Jeju… 77% of Those Wishing to Return Want "Long-term Stay of 3 Weeks or More”
Previously, from October 31 to November 7, the province invited about 30 digital nomads from 14 countries, including the US, France, and Australia, to the International Convention Center Jeju (ICC Jeju) for the 'Jeju Workation with Global Digital Nomads (Hoppin; Jeju)' event. These participants, who entered on tourist visas, worked in shared workation offices and enjoyed Jeju’s unique cultural experiences during their leisure time.
The satisfaction survey confirmed high satisfaction with the program and a 100% intention to participate again. Notably, 77% of those wishing to revisit expressed a desire for long-term stays of more than 3 weeks even after the event ended. Participants expressed satisfaction with the workation workspaces and suggested expanding exchange opportunities with local residents.
A provincial official reported to the Ministry of Justice to discuss how to design the visa as a Jeju-type model in linkage with Jeju's visa-free system, as the plan to attract overseas professional talent includes visas for professionals, international students, and digital nomads. It appears that preparation will take place throughout next year, as the research service, design, and post-management plans must all be covered by next year.
Kim In-young, Director of the Jeju Province Economic Vitality Bureau, said, "Workation, a new lifestyle of the digital era, will become a growth engine for Jeju," adding, "Through this project, we have confirmed the possibility that Jeju can leap forward as a representative workation hub in Asia."
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