Korea’s global cultural influence and advanced technologies are its top strengths, according to foreign residents here, who recognized IT infrastructure as the biggest advantage of living in the country. On the flip side, harsh competition in jobs and education as well as long working hours were identified as serious problems in Korean society, and international residents also said that high housing prices made their lives here difficult. These results were part of an online survey of 258 foreign residents that was conducted from Dec. 18 to 24 by Hankook Research, commissioned by The Korea Times. In the poll, 52 percent of respondents said Korea’s greatest strength is its widespread cultural influence. That was followed by advanced technologies and IT infrastructure at 45 percent, public safety and security at 35 percent, high levels of education and strong workforce at 26 percent, and industrial competitiveness — including manufacturing — at 19 percent. Up to two answers were allowed for this question. When asked which daily convenience they liked the most in Korea, 31 percent s