Research Assistant (part-time)
Project: Household debt and risk-taking: Analysis using Korean big data
Researchers: Costas Arkolakis (Yale), Spencer Kwon (Brown), Hyunjoo Yang (Sogang)
Location: Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
Start date: May 2026
Duration: Initial 3 months with extension, but contract renewed monthly
Compensation: competitive
Deadline: rolling
Job Description
We are seeking a research associate to work with the research team to undertake a study on the causes and effects of ‘영끌’ (leveraging to the maximum) and ‘빚투’ (investing with borrowed money) behavior through the use of high-quality big data from Korea. This is an exciting opportunity to be involved in frontier research in financial economics. Ideal for those with aspirations to pursue a PhD in Economics or related fields and for those who are seeking a challenging but rewarding research experience. Candidates should either have completed a Bachelor’s degree in Economics (and related fields) or in an advanced stage of finishing their studies.
The contract is for a minimum of 3 months, with expectations that the research assistant will work 20 hours a week. Research assistants with good performance will be offered a contract extension and the opportunity to write and submit an independent research paper, with assistance and advising from the research team.
The candidate will contribute to all major phases of the project, from local data collection to data cleaning and analysis of data. There will be close interaction with the research team, both in terms of regular virtual meetings, and frequent in person interactions whenever the team is visiting South Korea.
Skill Requirements
Time Commitment & Compensation
We expect the Research Assistant to work 20 hours per week. The total duration is 3 months, but we will renew the contract monthly. As the project develops, we may adjust the time commitment and extend the duration. Compensation will be based on on your qualifications.
Application Procedure
Please submit your CV, transcript and optionally the name / affiliation of your current or former research supervisor (지도교수) by email to hyang@sogang.ac.kr with the subject “RA application – Household Debt”.