○ Amid the accelerating crisis of regional extinction and the decline of the school-age population, the attraction of international students has emerged as a critical survival strategy for local universities and a potential solution for labor shortages in regional industries. However, existing policies, heavily weighted toward quantitative recruitment, have failed to ensure stable settlement, resulting in a "delivery gap" where students migrate to the metropolitan area or return to their home countries upon graduation. This study aims to shift the policy focus from simple recruitment to sustainable settlement by analyzing the multidimensional factors affecting the lifecycle of Jeonbuk State’s international students. Adopting a "lifecycle perspective"—spanning entry, academic life, daily living, and post-graduation pathways—this research identifies the determinants of settlement and migration through a qualitative analysis framework that intersects individual capabilities, campus environments, and structural conditions. The analysis reveals that the inflow of students is characterized by a "dual track" structure: the “asset-based academic track” and the “debt-based subsistence track.” Notably, the latter group faces structural vulnerabilities where the pressure of debt repayment compels immediate entry into the ow-wage labor market, creating a policy mismatch with existing academic-centered support systems. Furthermore, the phenomenon of "produced illegality" was observed, where the structural mismatch between rigid academic schedules and local labor market demands, coupled with information asymmetry, forces students into unauthorized employment. The transition from student status (D-2 visa) to employment (E-7, F-2-R visas) acts as a critical "tipping point"; despite high settlement intentions, institutional bottlenecks and the lack of integrated support services function as major push factors. Consequently, this study suggests a paradigm shift in governance from immigration control to "regional settlement design," advocating for differentiated support programs and an integrated regional settlement package to redefine international students as essential human resources for sustainable regional development.

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