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This study explores the causal relationship between economic difficulties perceived by international students and their life satisfaction, and investigates whether discrimination perception, as a social factor, moderates this relationship. A survey was conducted among Chinese international students majoring in Arts and Culture at universities in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Chungcheong, and the responses of 160 students were analyzed using the SPSS 22.0 statistical program. The results of the study are as follows: First, a positive correlation was found between economic difficulties and discrimination perception among international students, while negative correlations were observed between economic difficulties and life satisfaction, and between discrimination perception and life satisfaction. Second, economic difficulties experienced by international students significantly negatively affected their life satisfaction. Third, discrimination perception had a significant moderating effect on the relationship between economic difficulties and life satisfaction. Based on the results of this study, it is suggested to develop practical measures to provide economic support to international students and prioritize the improvement of discrimination against foreigners. Additionally, it is recommended to implement regular education to raise awareness of students' rights and to use various assessment tools to measure the status of international students, providing appropriate support based on these findings.
Lee et al. (Sun,) studied this question.