The number of foreign students staying in Korea came to about 253,000, up 21.3% from last year. By nationality, Chinese students were the largest group, accounting for about 3 out of 10.
The Ministry of Education on the 25th announced the results of a review of the "plan to enhance the educational competitiveness for international students."
The plan to enhance educational competitiveness for international students is a policy the Ministry of Education released in 2023 to respond to the decline in the school-age population. It aims to bring the number of foreign students to 300,000 by 2027.
According to this year's survey by the Ministry of Education, there are a total of 253,434 foreign students. Among them, about 179,000 are in degree programs, accounting for 70.7% of all foreign students.
By institution, 4-year universities account for 83.8% of foreign students, and junior colleges account for 14.8%. The share at 4-year universities fell from last year (86.6%), while junior colleges rose compared with last year (11.6%).
By country of origin, China accounted for 30.2%, the largest share. It was followed by Vietnam (29.7%), Uzbekistan (6.2%), and Mongolia (6.0%).
Vice Minister Choi Eun-ok of the Ministry of Education said, "We will support foreign students so they can settle stably in our society."