A Qualitative Study on the Entrepreneurial Experience of Han Chinese students in Korea

This study examines the motivation and experience of Han Chinese students who started a business in Korea. For this purpose, we interviewed three Han Chinese students who had experience starting a business in Korea with an investment visa and analyzed their experiences through narrative inquiry. As a result of the study, the background of Han Chinese students studying abroad to start a business were ‘not an only child’, ‘market insight’, ‘love for Korea and opportunity for high income’ and ‘being influenced by parents who run a business’, and the process of starting a business was revealed as ‘courage and persistence not to give up’, ‘good partner’, and ‘active efforts to solve problems’. Difficulties in the process of starting a business in Korea include ‘visa and legal difficulties,’ ‘cultural and language barriers,’ ‘physical and mental limitations,’ and ‘competition and betrayal.’ The meaning and growth through entrepreneurial experience include ‘the importance of employee education,’ and ‘discovering the value of sharing’, ‘regret over over-consumption’, and ‘growth after starting a business’. This study examined the unique entrepreneurship experiences of Han Chinese students in Korea, which is progressing toward becoming a multicultural society. It is significant as it promotes the activation of entrepreneurship among all foreigners and encourages the improvement of related policies and systems in the future.