1. Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Spain Park Hee-kwon and Foreign Minister of Spain Alfonso María Dastis singed the ROK-Spain Working Holiday Agreement on December 18.

o Under the agreement, Korean youngsters aged 18-30 (as many as 1,000 annually) will be able to gain a wide range of experience through sightseeing, foreign language learning and cultural experience, and acquire work experience through temporary jobs, while staying in Spain for up to one year.

※ Official name of the agreement: Agreement between the Government of the Kingdom of Spain and the Government of the Republic of Korea concerning a Youth Mobility Programme

※ The agreement will enter into force early next year (in February or March) after domestic procedures in Spain are completed.

2. The signing of the agreement is especially significant, as Korean youth are very much interested in Spain, as demonstrated by the fact that Spain ranked as one of the top few in a survey on the most popular destinations for working holiday makers, conducted on the Foreign Ministry’s website and SNS from September to October last year.

o Today, about 500 million people in 22 countries around the world speak Spanish as their official language. Accumulating language and cultural experience in Spain with a big influence on countries in Latin America politically, economically and culturally will also help Korean youth be prepared for their entry into Latin America, the continent of opportunities.

3. The ROK has concluded working holiday agreements with a total of 22 countries. In 2016, about 40,000 young Koreans took part in the working holiday program overseas. Going forward, the Foreign Ministry will seek to provide more opportunities for Korean youth to build their presence overseas by concluding working holiday agreements with other countries popular with Korean people.


* unofficial translation