Korean male nurse hired in Saudi Arabia

Park Byung-woo, second from left, visits two officials at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with Jun Lee, left, CEO of KOSAnet, a job agency working with the Human Resources Development Service of Korea, on Dec. 30. / Courtesy of Park Byung-woo

By Kim Se-jeong

Park Byung-woo, 27, has become the first Korean male nurse at King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC), a government-funded general hospital in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.

He is also one of the first-ever male nurses in the country, which previously did not allow male nurses in hospitals for religious reasons. But it recently opened its doors to men in the intensive care units, and KAMC is the first hospital to do so.

Arriving at the medical center on Christmas Day, Park is currently attending an orientation session at the hospital.

“People here are nice to Koreans and want more Korean medical staff,” Park said in an e-mail interview with The Korea Times. He will be working in the intensive care unit once the orientation is completed.

Park joins male colleagues from all over the world. “I am learning a lot from my colleagues who are from almost 50 different countries,” he said, adding that he is very happy with his working environment.

For Park, the experience in Saudi Arabia is a stepping stone. “I’ve been working to get a job in the United States, but it’s not possible because I’m not fluent enough in English.”

Park’s adventure was made possible thanks to the Human Resources Development Service (HRDS) of Korea, a public entity assisting jobseekers with finding jobs abroad. His contract includes a 4 million won monthly salary, accommodations, 30 days of vacation and a round-trip ticket home once a year.

With 1,229 beds, the Saudi medical center is the biggest hospital in the country. It employs nearly 30 Korean female nurses.

He studied nursing at Yeungnam University College in Gyeongsan, a city near Daegu. After graduation in 2012, he worked at Inje University Seoul Paik Hospital for three years.

“This could be an interesting opportunity,” he said. “You can practice English and learn about the medical system. I hope more Koreans will apply.”