International students’ perceptions of safety level and safety education needs in Korea

Abstract

Owing to their unfamiliarity with the ecological and cultural environment of the host country, international students are considered a disaster-vulnerable group. This study was conducted to identify international students’ perceptions of safety level and safety education needs in Korea. Twenty-three safety types were used to measure safety levels and safety education needs. Data were collected from two universities in Seoul and Daejeon, and 173 responses were analyzed. According to the results, international students from developing countries, who were residing in a small-to-medium-sized Korean city, and who had been exposed to safety education in Korea had more positive perceptions about the level of safety in their host society. The higher the perceptions of safety level, the higher the demands for safety education. There was a higher learning demand for meteorological disasters, sexual violence, and fraud crimes, as well as first aid. International students preferred videos, smartphone applications, and practical experience as safety education methods, and English as the medium of safety education. It is recommended that the government develop standard safety education guidelines based on the needs of international students.