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South Korean international student population trends

Updated 1 time since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-08-26 11:11 UTC → 2026-09-10 00:24 UTC · added removed

The number of foreign students enrolled and trainees in South Korean higher education institutions Korea has surpassed 300,000 seen rapid growth, surpassing 500,000 for the first time, marking time last year. This figure represents a more than sixfold increase from 2021, when the number was 80,084 during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to data from the Korea Tourism Organization, these arrivals accounted for 2.7 percent of the 18.94 million foreign visitors to the country, with 83.5 percent of all visitors traveling for tourism. Specific data from the ‘2026 Basic Education Statistics’ indicates that the number of foreign students enrolled in higher education institutions reached 307,464, a 21.3% increase from the previous year. Within this group, degree-seeking students grew by 24.6%, while non-degree students increased by 13.5%. For the first time, students from Vietnam have become the largest group of international students in the country, students, totaling 96,834 and accounting for 31.5% of the total. This surpasses the number of total, surpassing students from China, which stands at 78,890. China (78,890). Other significant student groups include those students from Uzbekistan, Nepal, and Mongolia. This growth in Representative Jin Sun-mee attributed the surge to the global popularity of K-pop and K-dramas, noting that Korean cultural content is driving interest in language studies and formal degree programs. Approximately 46.3 percent of these international student population occurs alongside a significant decrease arrivals were in the 20–30 age demographic. This growth occurs as domestic kindergarten, elementary, middle, and student numbers in kindergarten through high school students have decreased by nearly 190,000 due to low birth rates, which has already resulted in leading to the closure of 208 kindergartens. In response to these demographic shifts, academic and response, policy groups are advocating for visa reforms to lower barriers for job-seeking and employment, aiming to help graduates settle shifting the focus toward long-term settlement and work in helping graduates integrate into local industries.

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  1. 2026-09-10 00:24 UTC South Korean international student population trends
  2. 2026-08-26 11:11 UTC South Korean international student population trends

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