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6 universities recognized for supporting int'l student jobs, startups
A graduate and a family member take photos to mark the graduation at Kyung Hee University in Dongdaemun District, Seoul, Aug. 20, 2025. Korea Times photo by Jung Da-bin
By Park Ung
Kyung Hee University, Vision College of Jeonju take top prizes
The Ministry of Education selected six universities on Monday as outstanding performers in employment and startup support for international students, backing schools' efforts amid a rise in foreign enrollment and growing interest among them to settle in Korea.
Kyung Hee University and Vision College of Jeonju took the grand prizes, recognized for programs that guide international students from campus to career.
Kangwon National University, Kyungbok University, Kyungsung University and Chungnam National University won merit prizes for customized education tied to regional industry needs.
At Kyung Hee University, the four-year university category winner, international students' core competencies are certified in stages. Digital badges let students apply their completion records for career planning and job preparation programs, along with competency certifications, directly in job searches.
Vision College of Jeonju in North Jeolla Province, the two-year college category winner, attracted talented students through the Saemangeum Hangul School, a Korean language school it runs overseas with the province. Its social integration program helps students settle in the region, while partnerships with municipalities and companies have placed many in jobs.
Merit prize winners also worked to help international students settle locally.
Kangwon National University in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, expanded job placement and settlement support through a work-linked internship program with Korea Water Resources Corp. and the city of Chuncheon. Busan's Kyungsung University opened an employment support center for international students directly under its president's office in May last year.
Chungnam National University in Daejeon connected students with employers and supported startups, resulting in actual employment contracts and business registrations. Kyungbok University in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, built an industry-academic network with 34 partner hospitals centered on its medical beauty program, bringing industry needs into its curriculum through field visits and hands-on training.
The ministry evaluated the programs across job placement, support for startups and settlement, and overseas networks, based on strategy, specificity, effectiveness and potential for wider adoption.
According to the Ministry of Justice, the number of international students in Korea reached 308,838 as of December 2025, up 17.1 percent from the same month the previous year. A 2023 Ministry of Data and Statistics survey of 188,000 international students found that 63 percent hoped to remain in Korea after graduation.
“We need to cultivate the talent regional industries need through international student policy, and expand support so students can settle stably in local communities,” said Choi Eun-ok, vice minister of education.
“We will actively support the spread of outstanding cases found in this competition to universities nationwide, so a sustainable ecosystem can be built where regions, universities and companies grow together through international students' employment and settlement.”