South Korea is facing a serious brain drain (두뇌 유출), as many professors (교수들) at Seoul National University and other top institutions leave for overseas (해외) jobs. In 2025 alone, 56 professors started new careers abroad—many citing better research funding (연구 자금), work–life balance (일과 삶의 균형), and international collaboration (국제 협력). These trends highlight challenges in Korea’s academic system.

You’ll often hear 교수 이탈 (professor’s departure) or 우수 인재 유출 (top talent outflow) in news about academia.

Vocabulary:

-Brain drain 두뇌 유출 (dunoe yuchul)

-Professor 교수 (gyosu)

-Funding 자금 (jageum)

-Abroad 해외 (hae-oe)

Discussion questions for students:

What government policies could help reduce this talent exodus?

Would you consider teaching or researching abroad? Why or why not?