Here in Hawaii, this really comes as no surprise at all (although Japanese students still heavily outnumber Koreans or any other group). It's very easy to meet yu•hak•saeng (유학생, 留學生; students who go abroad to study) at the beaches, in the mall, at the coffee house (gee, don't they study?!).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtOjx8AlgjpCodyGK-BkNm8AKlaCtbXmT_8hNUriS0uC5gFRce4zwk_b190JPQexxXZyeChQGHnnPAK0czyM8CJi-tMTw0uSc1DwHwrPcSUGmr7GWE4kDs0XqFm9EessgCmFeaA/s400/%ED%99%94%EC%99%80%EC%9D%B4+%EC%9C%A0%ED%95%99%EC%83%9D.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtOjx8AlgjpCodyGK-BkNm8AKlaCtbXmT_8hNUriS0uC5gFRce4zwk_b190JPQexxXZyeChQGHnnPAK0czyM8CJi-tMTw0uSc1DwHwrPcSUGmr7GWE4kDs0XqFm9EessgCmFeaA/s400/%ED%99%94%EC%99%80%EC%9D%B4+%EC%9C%A0%ED%95%99%EC%83%9D.jpg)
Such an accomplishment (if that's what it is) is due to a confluence of several things![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-QYH9l4wetPEKpmOY8y026b_a5WpO1vCMcU72t3ZWb1JLdu8SwoaCms8NNH-yt_PYGSIgBiibXaYMUzbd9U8HA4v2wLbe_KFA3iutI3VCCc-hVCi4KrCgHb5fnmVcT8qzoAbFRQ/s400/hand+models.jpg)
- A drive for English proficiency that leads to more employment opportunities, for which studying abroad seems like a natural way to achieve such a goal.
- Overheated competition for the handful of "elite" universities in South Korea, versus the relatively high number of "well-known" universities in the United States that are much easier to get into, particularly as grad students.
- A continuing perception that the United States is on top of the academic heap.
- A last chance for many young people to live a freer, less stifling experience before having to settle down with family and a job and have the life sucked out of you.
- Growing national affluence that lopsidedly favors the upper class and upper middle class so heavily in South Korea that it is immune even to a global financial meltdown.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-QYH9l4wetPEKpmOY8y026b_a5WpO1vCMcU72t3ZWb1JLdu8SwoaCms8NNH-yt_PYGSIgBiibXaYMUzbd9U8HA4v2wLbe_KFA3iutI3VCCc-hVCi4KrCgHb5fnmVcT8qzoAbFRQ/s400/hand+models.jpg)
[above: For this stock photo, these two are pretending to be a prospective yuhaksaeng and her broker, figuring out how to fill out an application form, but in reality they're two young women hoping to make it as hand models.]
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