Acculturation and leisure benefits in Korean students returning from the United States

Most researchers of acculturation have focused on immigrants’ acculturative problems and situations in a Western context. In contrast, we conducted a qualitative investigation of the relationship between acculturation and leisure benefits in 7 Korean students returning to Korea after studying abroad in the United States. Among the 4 types of acculturation strategies, the participants, who had been living in the US for a minimum of 5 years, used integration during their time as exchange program students in Korea, and assimilation when living in the United States. We found that most participants experienced acculturative stress, which they reduced with leisure activities. Further studies should be conducted on the value of leisure activities for Korean students returning to Korea from other countries, after an early study abroad experience.