Ministry of Education Announces Results on “Enhancement Measures for International Student Education Competitiveness”
“30,000 Students Can Be Attracted by 2027… Will Support Stable Settlement”
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Oh Bo-ram — The number of foreign students residing in Korea has increased by more than 20% compared to the previous year.
Seven out of ten of these students came to Korea to obtain a degree, with a noticeable increase in the proportion of students majoring in science and engineering.
On the 25th, the Ministry of Education announced the results of the inspection of the “Enhancement Measures for International Student Education Competitiveness.”
70% of International Students Aim for a Degree… 3 Out of 10 Students Are Chinese
The enhancement plan is a policy established by the Ministry of Education in 2023 to boost university competitiveness and address the declining school-age population.
The strategy is to provide systematic support from recruitment to education, employment, and settlement led by local governments, focusing on securing science and engineering talents, with the goal of reaching 300,000 international students by 2027.
The investigation by the Ministry this year showed that the number of foreign students increased by 21.3% to approximately 253,000 compared to the previous year (209,000).
Among them, degree-seeking students numbered about 179,000, an increase of 22.6% from the previous year (146,000).
Degree-seeking students accounted for 70.7% of all international students.
The proportion of students in four-year universities decreased to 83.8% from 86.6% the previous year, while the proportion in specialized colleges increased to 14.8% from 11.6%.
By major, the science and engineering fields slightly increased from 21.4% last year to 23.9% this year, while the humanities and social science fields decreased from 64.8% to 63.9%.
A Ministry official stated, “We have exceeded this year’s target for international students” and expressed confidence in easily achieving the goal of 300,000 by 2027.
China accounted for the largest share of international students at 30.2%, followed by Vietnam (29.7%), Uzbekistan (6.2%), and Mongolia (6.0%).
The trend of students concentrating in metropolitan areas has eased.
The number of students in non-metropolitan areas increased from 92,019 (44.0%) last year to 116,043 (45.8%) this year, a jump of over 20,000.
Chungbuk experienced the highest growth, increasing from 5,053 students last year to 10,537 this year, a rise of 92.1%.
The Ministry explained this as a result of Chungbuk’s establishment of a support center for attracting 10,000 international students and strengthening online learning support for Korean language exams.
Focusing on Recruiting Science and Engineering Talents… Strengthening “Quality Management” as Well
Regions are designating and operating Korean language centers according to the “Guidelines for Designating and Operating International Student Korean Language Centers” to support students in adapting to the Korean language and culture.
The number of “K-MOOC Korean Language and Korean Studies Courses,” an online lecture, was expanded from 105 in 2021 to 478 as of June.
Additionally, the metropolitan visa pilot project, ongoing until next year, applies customized requirements for the D-2 student visa to attract students suitable for the region’s specialized fields.
For example, in Busan, students enrolled in semiconductor, secondary battery, and future automobile parts courses are allowed to do internships during the semester upon meeting certain conditions.
Furthermore, the government increased the number of selected candidates for the science and technology specialized track of the “Global Korea Scholarship (GKS)” to recruit talents leading cutting-edge new industries.
As a result, the number of GKS postgraduate science and engineering students increased from 1,864 last year to 2,126 this year.
Local governments, companies, and universities jointly held job fairs for international students, matching students to meet local industry workforce demands.
To strengthen the International Student Network, the GKS alumni association was activated, establishing a virtuous cycle structure for promoting Korean studies and discovering/recommending talents.
The Ministry plans to increase the number of international students while also enhancing “quality management.”
From next year, language proficiency requirements for new students will be raised, and a “one-strike out” policy will be enforced for students violating significant rules, restricting visa issuance for up to three years.
Vice Minister of Education Choi Eun-ok said, “This inspection confirmed the achievements in creating an international student-friendly educational environment and improving employment and settlement conditions,” stating the intent to support foreign students in settling stably in Korea by identifying tasks for regulatory improvement through inter-ministerial collaboration.