Flying in Korea

[v.rodasc]

I wish you all the best, I have a question.
My wife is Korean and we have been talking about about the possibility to move to ASIA, while I hold a frozen ATP with 1500+ hours and 2 SIC turpoporp type ratings I understand this is not enough to join an airline in Korea as an "expat" pilot. But I could get a Korean passport and permit to work because of my wife. My question is:
Will I be considered by any Korean airline for a direct "local/national" entry even though I was not born in Korea and I do not look Korean at all?(I just married the prettiest Korean of them all) I think I already know but, Will I have to serve their military for 6 months before being able to request employment as a pilot in Korea? Do I need to be fluent in Korean?

I know that right now COVID19 is affecting the industry, but this is not an immediate move, and more like a long term, future possibility.
I want to settle for a good jet job so if you have any alternatives, I would appreciate it too.

Cheers.
Victor.

[lee_apromise]

I wish you all the best, I have a question.
My wife is Korean and we have been talking about about the possibility to move to ASIA, while I hold a frozen ATP with 1500+ hours and 2 SIC turpoporp type ratings I understand this is not enough to join an airline in Korea as an "expat" pilot. But I could get a Korean passport and permit to work because of my wife. My question is:
Will I be considered by any Korean airline for a direct "local/national" entry even though I was not born in Korea and I do not look Korean at all?(I just married the prettiest Korean of them all) I think I already know but, Will I have to serve their military for 6 months before being able to request employment as a pilot in Korea? Do I need to be fluent in Korean?

I know that right now COVID19 is affecting the industry, but this is not an immediate move, and more like a long term, future possibility.
I want to settle for a good jet job so if you have any alternatives, I would appreciate it too.

Cheers.
Victor.

You don't need to serve 6 months in military as you are the first generation migrant. Your kids will have to. Mixed kids were exempted from military service years ago but that is no longer the case.

Yes, you need to speak Korean fluently. You can do your license conversion in English but all tests done in Korea for local recruitments are done in Korean. Oh, and you need a 4 years bachelor degree.

Your hours are enough for local Korean Air FO position (they are only asking for 1000 TT). Personally I have never seen any naturalized pilot from overseas getting a job as a local. That's because probably there are none applying as a local.

You need to speak Korean to a certain degree to be naturalized anyway and you will have to give up your original citizenship.

[v.rodasc]

You don't need to serve 6 months in military as you are the first generation migrant. Your kids will have to. Mixed kids were exempted from military service years ago but that is no longer the case.

Yes, you need to speak Korean fluently. You can do your license conversion in English but all tests done in Korea for local recruitments are done in Korean. Oh, and you need a 4 years bachelor degree.

Your hours are enough for local Korean Air FO position (they are only asking for 1000 TT). Personally I have never seen any naturalized pilot from overseas getting a job as a local. That's because probably there are none applying as a local.

You need to speak Korean to a certain degree to be naturalized anyway and you will have to give up your original citizenship.

Thank you very much for your response.

[bringbackthe80s]

If you are married to a Korean I am surprised you ask about this. You should know the mentality well enough.

[B2N2]

You also do not necessarily need to be employed in Korea in order to have a domicile in Korea.
Airlines in Vietnam, Malaysia, China, Japan , Philippines.....

[AtoZ]

Several guys I’ve flown with in KAL who could have joined as expats (experience permitting) or on a local contract, have expressed to me they wish they had chosen the expat route.

Personally (particularly in the current COVID circumstances) I think they are much better off on the local contract (perhaps a case of the other side of the fence looks greener for all?). At least the local contracts give an upgrade path.

[lee_apromise]

I think you also need to think about the license conversion. If you already meet the ATP requirement, better to get the full ATP then convert to Korean. Air law is the only subject that you can take in English.

This.

In order to get an exemption for a flight test requirement for ATPL, do this.

1. Obtain your full ATPL in your home country
2. Pass Korean CPL Air Law
3. Pass Korean CPL oral test (practical test not required if you have 1500 TT)
4. Pay $30 per rating for Multi-Engine, Instrument and Type (your turboprop if they are either ATR-72 or Dash 8 Q400) to be transferred to Korean CPL
5. Pass Korean ATPL Air Law
6. Pass Korean ATPL oral test (practical test not required if you have a transport category type rating on your Korean CPL)

I've done up to no.5. Just gotta do the oral test.