By Kim Jae-won
Staff Reporter
Even for Korean students, it is an arduous task to secure a job at a bank, as banking is one of the most sought-after positions. Many Korean college graduates seek to become bankers but only a few of them manage to make their dreams come true.
Two Chinese students are gaining the spotlight after listing their names on the new employees’ board of Woori Bank along with 200 Korean university graduates Thursday. They will start working at local branches in February after a seven-week new employee training course starting late this year. The two will be sent to Woori’s subsidiary in China in two or three years.
Duan Wen is one of the two Chinese students who beat the 100 to 1 odds to land a job. The 26-year-old Chinese native said she was so happy that her dream has finally come true.
``I was so pleased to hear that. My dream has now become a reality,’’ Wen told The Korea Times in a telephone interview, speaking fluent Korean from Qingdao, China.
``I had an internship at Woori Bank for two months in January and February 2008. After completing the program, I really wanted to work for a Korean bank because I learned many practical things there as well as the atmosphere of the company was so good. But at the time, no bank offered a job for foreigners like me, so I went back to China.’’
However, Wen’s love for the Korean workplace did not cool off. She applied for a job at the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Qingdao, and has been working there from earlier this year.
When she heard that Woori Bank had a job offer for foreigners in October, she did not hesitate to apply. After three intensive interviews, she was given the chance to work at the state-run financial firm.
``I like the bank. I am sure that I will enjoy my job. I am really good at mathematics, and I want to practice my knowledge,’’ Wen said.
Wen studied mathematics at Shaanxi Normal University in Xian, Shaanxi Province, western China, and got a master’s degree in statistics from Hanyang University, Seoul.
The other Chinese employee is Li Haohua. He is the third generation of Korean immigrants. His grandfather moved to Jilin Province, China, from Hamkyung Province, now in North Korea in the 1900s.
``My parents are so proud of me. They know how difficult it is to get a job at a bank in Korea. They enjoy Korean soap operas, and say it’s like a scene from a drama,’’ the 25-year-old said.
Li moved to Korea in August 2007, and studied international business at Seoul National University from March 2008.
``I think Korea is about five to 10 years ahead of China in the financial industry. I want to learn these advanced services and techniques from Korea and want to work at a local branch of Woori Bank in China.’’
Woori said that it hired the two international students as part of efforts to make forays into the promising Chinese market.
``The Chinese market is growing so fast. We hope these new employees can do a good job for us,’’ said Kim Ki-rin, deputy general manager of public relations department at the bank.