Seo Ji-won was supposed to have been in Sydney, Australia, by now, pursuing her dream of a doctoral degree and higher-paying jobs. Instead, the 26-year-old South Korean engineering graduate remains home in Seoul, working part time at a coffee shop, largely because of forces beyond her control.<\/p>\n
The global financial crisis has hammered confidence in South Korea\u2019s once-booming economy, decimating the value of its currency, the won, and forcing tens of thousands of students to alter their study plans, or cancel them altogether.<\/p>\n
For Ms. Seo, the won\u2019s plunge in value by a third just in the last few months drove up the cost of her four-year degree program by $10,000, far beyond her savings.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like to say that I\u2019m in pause mode,\u201d\u009d Ms. Seo said. \u201cMy future depends on the won going back up.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n