# International students in South Korea

The International students in South Korea are students who are pursuing a degree or studying a language at a South Korean university. In April 2024, the number of international students studying at universities and colleges in South Korea was 208,962. The government announced its Study Korea 300K plan to attract 300,000 foreign students by 2027. In other words, it aims to become one of the top 10 destinations for studying abroad by student count by 2027.

## Statistics

Number of international students in South Korea :
| Year | Students |
| 2005 | 22,526 |
| 2007 | 49,270 |
| 2009 | 75,850 |
| 2011 | 89,537 |
| 2013 | 85,923 |
| 2015 | 91,332 |
| 2017 | 123,858 |
| 2019 | 160,165 |
| 2020 | 153,695 |
| 2021 | 152,281 |
| 2023 | 181,842 |
| 2024 | 208,962 |
The International enrolments in South Korea have reached 207,125 as of June 2023. The number of international students in Korea is 181,842. In 2023, South Korean government announced its five-year plan to attract 300,000 international students. Its main content is to lift the Korean language reguirement for college admission, expand internship and employment opportunities, and establish a quick visa system.
As of 2024, the most common nationalities of international students were Asia, Europe, North America, Africa, and South America. Among the students, 69.8% were degree students, and 30.2% were non-degree students such as exchange students or language students. The number of students attending universities in the Seoul Metropolitan Area was 56% of the total.

## Program

The department of the National Institute For International Education under the Ministry of Education supports foreigners who came to study in South Korea.
The Korean government scholarship program is named Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) and includes seven programs, including a full scholarship program and a study tour program.
* Korean Government Support Program for Foreign Exchange Students
The exchange student support program provides financial support from the government to international exchange students selected from cooperative Universities in South Korea, and the period is four months.
* Korean Government Scholarship Program
The Korean Government Scholarship Program (KGSP) is an academic scholarship funded and managed by the National Institute for International Education (NIIED), a branch of the Ministry of Education in South Korea. This scholarship provides non-Korean scholars (or overseas Koreans who fulfil certain criteria) with the funding and opportunity to conduct undergraduate or postgraduate level studies in South Korea after completing one year of intensive Korean language studies. Since its conception in 1967, over 3,000 students from 148 countries have successfully completed the scholarship program.

## University
### Seoul

Universities in Seoul (2024) :
| Rank | University |
| 1 | Seoul National University |
| 2 | Yonsei University |
| 4 | Sungkyunkwan University |
| 7 | Korea University |
| 8 | Kyung Hee University |
| 9 | Sejong University |
| 10 | Hanyang University |

### Daejon

Universities in Daejon (2023) :
| Rank | University |
| 3 | KAIST |
| 11 | UST |
| 23 | Chungnam National University |
| 56 | Daejon University |
| 79 | Hanbat National University |
| 84 | Hannam University |
| 86 | Woosong University |

### Korean language

University-level education includes:
* Yonsei University Korean Language Institute
* Myongji University Korean Language Institute
* Seoul National University Korean Language Education Center
* Sogang University Korean Language Education Center
* Busan University of Foreign Studies
* Language Education Institute of Pusan National University