Families apart = lonely 'wild geese'
SEOUL: Mr Cho Tae Woong, 40, spends an hour every day talking with his wife and two sons over Skype, an Internet-telephone service.
It is an easy way for the Seoul-based banker to keep in touch with his family, who are living in the United States.
His wife had accompanied their sons, aged 10 and 12, there two years ago for their studies, while Mr Cho remained in South Korea to work.
The couple want to give the children a headstart in English-language skills.
'Separation from the family is difficult but necessary for the future of the children,' said Mr Cho, who remits US$6,000 (S$8,500) to his family every month.
Fathers like him who are separated from their families due to the offspring's education are called kirogi appa or 'wild geese fathers' in Korean.
The birds are known for their devotion to the family and travel great distances to bring back food for their young.
A survey by Yonsei University in Seoul last year said there were between 30,000 and 50,000 'wild geese fathers' in the country.
Popular destinations that their families head for include the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.
Last year, Koreans spent US$5.1 billion on education abroad, according to the Bank of Korea.
Some 35,000 South Koreans, comprising elementary, middle and high school students, leave for foreign countries each year to study.
The main pull factor is the opportunity to be immersed in an English-language environment and master the tongue deemed necessary to survive in a globalised world.
On the other hand, a big push factor is the low quality of local tertiary education.
In the latest survey of 55 countries, the acclaimed International Institute for Management Development in Switzerland ranks the quality of Korean university education third from the bottom.
The criterion used is the extent to which university education meets the needs of the economy.
The sacrifices of these 'wild geese fathers' go beyond the financial aspect.
'Over the past year, I have seen about 15 kirogi appa patients who suffer from depression, panic attacks and even suicidal thoughts,' said Dr Kim Min Chol, 38, a psychiatrist in private practice.
'The root cause of the problem is loneliness. Many of them turn to work, alcohol or even sex with prostitutes to relieve the emptiness in their hearts.'
The social cost has reached a stage that worries the national leadership.
Just prior to taking office in February, President Lee Myung Bak said: 'We must improve the quality of our public English education in order to reduce the number of kirogi appa.'
It is one of the reasons behind the official thrust to use English as the medium of instruction for certain lessons in two years' time.
Outside their native South Korea, the families of 'wild geese fathers' also have their problems.
Madam Park Mi Hyun, who is based in Singapore, told The Straits Times over the phone: 'I miss my husband and my son misses his father. Being a single parent in a foreign land is a doubly difficult task.'
She cited the language barrier and handling a rebellious son who lacks a father figure among her hardships.
Due to his hectic work schedule, her husband can only visit them once a year and even then only for a few days.
The 49-year-old looks forward to next year when her son is deemed independent enough to enter university.
She said: 'I cannot wait to go back to Seoul and be re-united with my husband.'
LEE TEE JONG
SEOUL: Mr Cho Tae Woong, 40, spends an hour every day talking with his wife and two sons over Skype, an Internet-telephone service.
It is an easy way for the Seoul-based banker to keep in touch with his family, who are living in the United States.
His wife had accompanied their sons, aged 10 and 12, there two years ago for their studies, while Mr Cho remained in South Korea to work.
The couple want to give the children a headstart in English-language skills.
'Separation from the family is difficult but necessary for the future of the children,' said Mr Cho, who remits US$6,000 (S$8,500) to his family every month.
Fathers like him who are separated from their families due to the offspring's education are called kirogi appa or 'wild geese fathers' in Korean.
The birds are known for their devotion to the family and travel great distances to bring back food for their young.
A survey by Yonsei University in Seoul last year said there were between 30,000 and 50,000 'wild geese fathers' in the country.
Popular destinations that their families head for include the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.
Last year, Koreans spent US$5.1 billion on education abroad, according to the Bank of Korea.
Some 35,000 South Koreans, comprising elementary, middle and high school students, leave for foreign countries each year to study.
The main pull factor is the opportunity to be immersed in an English-language environment and master the tongue deemed necessary to survive in a globalised world.
On the other hand, a big push factor is the low quality of local tertiary education.
In the latest survey of 55 countries, the acclaimed International Institute for Management Development in Switzerland ranks the quality of Korean university education third from the bottom.
The criterion used is the extent to which university education meets the needs of the economy.
The sacrifices of these 'wild geese fathers' go beyond the financial aspect.
'Over the past year, I have seen about 15 kirogi appa patients who suffer from depression, panic attacks and even suicidal thoughts,' said Dr Kim Min Chol, 38, a psychiatrist in private practice.
'The root cause of the problem is loneliness. Many of them turn to work, alcohol or even sex with prostitutes to relieve the emptiness in their hearts.'
The social cost has reached a stage that worries the national leadership.
Just prior to taking office in February, President Lee Myung Bak said: 'We must improve the quality of our public English education in order to reduce the number of kirogi appa.'
It is one of the reasons behind the official thrust to use English as the medium of instruction for certain lessons in two years' time.
Outside their native South Korea, the families of 'wild geese fathers' also have their problems.
Madam Park Mi Hyun, who is based in Singapore, told The Straits Times over the phone: 'I miss my husband and my son misses his father. Being a single parent in a foreign land is a doubly difficult task.'
She cited the language barrier and handling a rebellious son who lacks a father figure among her hardships.
Due to his hectic work schedule, her husband can only visit them once a year and even then only for a few days.
The 49-year-old looks forward to next year when her son is deemed independent enough to enter university.
She said: 'I cannot wait to go back to Seoul and be re-united with my husband.'
LEE TEE JONG
