In the lead-up to the traditional holiday of Dano, on June 5th, a foreign family experiences the traditional Korean hairpinning ceremony at Ocheonjae in the National Folk Museum of Korea in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News.
“During the first half of this year, the number of foreigners visiting Korea for study abroad or training has exceeded 200,000 for the first time ever.”
The global Hallyu wave, including K-pop, has led to an increase in foreigners learning Korean and wishing to study in Korea.
According to the Korea Tourism Organization’s Korean Tourism Data Lab on the 12th, the number of foreigners visiting Korea for study or training purposes in the first half of this year reached a record high of 204,000, a 50.6% increase compared to the same period last year. This marks the first time the number has exceeded 200,000 in a half-year period.
By country, China accounted for 55.2% with 112,000 visitors, followed by Vietnam (33,000), Japan (6,900), Mongolia (6,700), and Uzbekistan (5,000). France (3,500) and the United States (3,100) also sent over 3,000 visitors each.
The rise in foreigners coming to Korea for study or training from various countries is largely attributed to the influence of the Hallyu wave, which has increased interest in Korea among young foreigners.
Additionally, there is a growing trend of foreigners learning Korean language and culture for employment purposes or to study abroad. Local universities and government agencies are actively pursuing foreign students as the number of domestic students decreases, offering tailored Korean language education, degree programs, and job fairs for foreign students.
The government and local authorities are also implementing policies to encourage foreign students with excellent Korean language skills to seek employment in Korea, aiming to address labor shortages in small and medium-sized enterprises and prevent regional depopulation.
Recent joint efforts by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the Ministry of Justice, and other relevant ministries are exploring ways to utilize foreign students as a solution to structural labor shortages in small and medium-sized enterprises.
Efforts include establishing platforms for customized job matching, expanding online and offline job fairs, and creating tailored student recruitment centers in different regions.
Noh Min-sun, a research fellow at the Small and Medium Business Research Institute, emphasized the importance of utilizing Korean-speaking foreign students, as it may be challenging to bring in skilled professionals from abroad. He suggested activating education programs to help these students adapt to SMEs and considering various support measures such as providing job placement subsidies.