The concentration of individuals who obtain masters’ degrees in Seoul (46.1%) reveals a serious imbalance by region.
Since some 58.8% of masters’ degree holders obtained their degrees by devoting themselves to their studies without also holding jobs, it will be necessary to retrain these individuals to prepare for the transition in order to cope with the anticipated reduction in the school-age population and for future technological changes.
Of those who obtained masters’ degrees while otherwise unemployed, a mere 18.5% advanced to a doctoral degree or prepared for such an advancement, while the majority gained employment (26.7%) or prepared for employment (40.6%). Among those who gained employment, 50.5% are employed by business establishments.
It will be necessary to establish and support a specialization policy for master’s level courses at graduate schools while taking the regional and major-related distribution imbalances of master’s degree holders, as well as the difference of career types, into account.
*The full-text is available in Korean only.