Globally internships are increasingly applied as means of providing Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) and as a channel for graduates into employment. Whilst these trends have crossed national borders, the transferability of such WIL practices, across national contexts has been largely assumed rather than empirically substantiated, thereby, necessitating work which situates WIL practices within specific national contexts. This exploratory study provides the contextual backdrop of internships in South Korea and seeks to unearth any contextual variables of potential relevance to the practice of internships and by extension WIL in South Korea. The study's findings indicate that both conceptually and in application WIL in South Korea is shaped by underlying contextual influences. This highlights avenues for further empirical investigation, including internships as qualification rather than as a learning experience, culturally specific forms of mentoring within internships and the role of internships in the Korean graduate employment market.