Expatriates in Korea are dissatisfied with the high education and housing costs here.

A poll of 312 foreigners living in Korea by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) released Sunday shows that only 14.4 percent are satisfied with the education environment in Korea. Respondents pointed out that expensive rent is a huge burden, and reckless driving and lack of parking space degrade quality of living in Korea.

KOTRA also polled 281 CEOs and executives of foreign firms on the business environment, and only 16.4 and 20.3 percent said they are happy with tax and the conditions for research and development, respectively.

Chung Dong-soo, head of Invest KOREA, a KOTRA agency established to induce foreign investment, said, "Foreign companies are having a hard time in Korea getting a site to build plants because of expensive land and office rents, and also suffer from high labor costs." 

Prof. Kang Suk-hoon of Sungshin Women's University said, "To lure world-class corporations and people, Korea needs to reform various laws and regulations to suit the international standard, and amend policies to make their lives in Korea more convenient."