This study explored the academic migration experiences of highly educated foreign women studying in Korea using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). The study aimed to examine the meaning structures of academic migration from the perspectives of agency and intersectionality. In-depth interviews were conducted with six highly educated foreign women from Kenya, Ghana, the Philippines, and China. Through IPA, five superordinate themes and fifteen subthemes were identified. The superordinate themes were: “Movement as Achievement and Choice,” “Self-Reconstruction through Academic Pursuit,” “Korean Society through the Eyes of an Outsider,” “Selective Settlement within Context,” and “Experiences of Intersectional Positioning and Discrimination.” The findings reinterpret the academic migration of highly educated foreign women from the perspectives of subjectivity and intersectionality, moving beyond discourses centered on adaptation and vulnerability. The study suggests that foreign women should be understood not as a homogeneous vulnerable group but as active agents occupying diverse and complex social positions. By highlighting academic migration as a multifaceted experience shaped by the intersections of culture, gender, and identity, this study contributes to discussions on creating a more inclusive and sustainable environment for international students in Korea.
