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dahyun08

Jung Da-hyun

Korea Times Politics & City Reporter

Jung Da-hyun is a reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues in Korea, including foreign residents, education, environment and politics. Driven by a deep interest in people’s stories, she focuses on investigative and feature reporting through direct interviews and field coverage. She received the Amnesty International Korea Media Award for her “Deepfake Crisis at Schools” series. Reach her at dahyun08@koreatimes.co.kr. Always open to hearing your stories.

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Society

K-universities Global Excellence Rankings 2026 seen as blueprint for sustainable globalization

The K-universities Global Excellence Rankings 2026 are drawing praise as a timely, student-centered evaluation that emphasizes international experience and real-world outcomes, with the potential to boost Korea’s global competitiveness in higher education. Experts evaluated the framework as distinctive for combining global benchmarks with measures that reflect Korea’s education system and the needs of international students. Amid demographic decline and mounting pressures in higher education, the rankings seek to guide universities and policymakers in shaping sustainable internationalization strategies by combining global comparability with measures tailored to Korea’s realities. Seo Myeong-seok, managing director of the Korea Advancing Schools Foundation, said the four evaluation areas — education, research, student support and graduate outcomes — are well-balanced, adding that the results could guide international students’ choices and widen opportunities for Korean universities. Shin Jang-sup, a professor of economics at the National University of Singapore, praised the ra

Sep 24, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
K-universities Global Excellence Rankings 2026 seen as blueprint for sustainable globalization
Society

Beyond Seoul, Korean universities vie for global standing

Korea’s long-standing top-tier universities maintained their dominance in the first-ever K-universities Global Excellence Rankings 2026 (KGER), yet the Top 30 revealed a new wave of contenders. Regional national universities and mid-sized institutions are increasingly staking their claim, signaling a shift in the landscape of Korean higher education and highlighting the rise of alternative centers of excellence. The results point to a more diverse and competitive landscape, with universities beyond Seoul and outside the traditional hierarchy proving their global potential. Amid a demographic crisis and intensifying competition for foreign experts, regional, mid-sized and smaller universities are racing to globalize — a push driven as much by survival as by prestige. KGER aims to serve as a reliable guide for international students choosing to study in Korea, while strengthening the global competitiveness of Korean universities. The evaluation consists of 190 points across four categories: 60 for education, 50 for research, 40 for student support and 40 for graduate outcomes. It was de

Sep 24, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Beyond Seoul, Korean universities vie for global standing
Society

Top 30 in K-universities Global Excellence Rankings 2026

As competition for international students reshapes universities worldwide, The Korea Times unveiled the first-ever K-universities Global Excellence Rankings 2026, evaluating 54 schools across four categories: education, research, student support and graduate outcomes. The evaluation, aimed at gauging global readiness and guiding international students considering studying in Korea, was based on publicly available data from the Ministry of Education’s Higher Education in Korea and Naver Scholytics. The following tables present the Top 30 universities overall, along with the Top 30 by each category.

Sep 24, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Top 30 in K-universities Global Excellence Rankings 2026
Education

Budget shortfalls hamper Korean universities’ global ambitions

Korean universities are racing to globalize, yet budget shortfalls and the absence of reliable data on international students continue to limit their progress. Universities repeatedly point to funding as their biggest hurdle. Korean institutions often lack the resources to bring in distinguished scholars from overseas or to properly reward professors producing world-class research. The shortage has fueled a brain drain, with even elite institutions like Seoul National University losing talent as academics pursue opportunities abroad, further eroding the competitiveness of Korean higher education. University presidents consistently warn that unless pay scales and research budgets are raised to global standards, Korea will continue to lose capable professors to foreign institutions. The structural funding gap makes it difficult for local universities to keep pace with counterparts in the United States, Europe and rising Asian hubs such as Hong Kong and Singapore, whose universities dominate established global rankings like QS and THE. Seoul National University President Ryu Hong-lim has emp

Sep 24, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Budget shortfalls hamper Korean universities’ global ambitions
  • Support grows for int'l students, but navigating system remains daunting
Society

No clear leader as Korean universities excel in different areas

The K-universities Global Excellence Rankings 2026 revealed a shifting landscape in higher education, where leadership is dispersed across institutions and no single university dominates every category. Instead, universities distinguished themselves in different areas, excelling across categories ranging from education and research to student support and alumni influence. While the country’s top-tier universities continued to hold overall sway, the results also showed how other schools are emerging as strong contenders in areas such as research and student services. Universities were assessed on a 190-point scale, with 60 points allocated to education, 50 to research, 40 to student support and 40 to graduate outcomes. The evaluation was designed to serve as a trusted guide for international students while boosting the global competitiveness of Korean universities. Developed by The Korea Times’ evaluation team with six external experts in university globalization, the framework relied on publicly available data from the Ministry of Education and Naver Scholytics to ensure credibility

Sep 24, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
No clear leader as Korean universities excel in different areas
Society

Expert says globalizing Korea's higher education is no longer optional but essential

Korea's higher education system stands at a critical crossroads. With global competition intensifying, local universities can no longer rely on domestic recognition to maintain their standing. Jung Min-chul, partner at Samil PwC, said that the country's growth potential depends on how the government, academia and industry work together to drive universities' global competitiveness. "Higher education lies at the heart of national competitiveness. Globalizing Korea’s higher education is no longer optional. It is essential for attracting global talent and sustaining the nation's overall economic strength," Jung said in his keynote speech during the Korea Times Global Conference on Wednesday. He explained that traditional models of higher education are rapidly changing as new players reshape the landscape. Online learning platforms are making the world’s top courses accessible to everyone, while major tech companies are entering education with their own training programs. At the same time, artificial intelligence (AI)-powered translation and multinational research projects are breaking do

Sep 17, 2025By Jung Da-hyun and Lee Hyo-jin
Expert says globalizing Korea's higher education is no longer optional but essential
Society

Education minister vows to lift Korea among top 10 study destinations

The government will create an environment where international students can pursue both study and stable living in Korea, as the country aims to rank among the world's top 10 destinations for international education, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin said Wednesday. Speaking at the 2025 Korea Times Global Conference titled "Beyond Borders: Strengthening Global Competitiveness of Korean Universities," Choi said the government is working to create a "virtuous cycle" for foreign students — one that supports their academic ambitions while helping them build stable lives in Korea. "As the government has made attracting and supporting skilled workers in cutting-edge fields a key national priority, it will place particular focus on bringing in more outstanding international students in science and engineering,” the minister said in his congratulatory remarks. He said Korean universities have been gaining growing recognition, with Seoul recently topping the Best Student Cities Ranking for 2026 by QS, a global higher education analytics firm. "The edu

Sep 17, 2025By Jung Da-hyun and Lee Hyo-jin
Education minister vows to lift Korea among top 10 study destinations
Education

'Korean universities should broaden global ties to stay competitive'

Korean universities are gaining global recognition, but limited research networks and lagging progress beyond the elite tier keep them behind their Asian rivals, a leading expert warned Wednesday. Jeroen Prinsen, executive director for APAC at QS, said Korea's higher education system has strong potential but faces "challenging headwinds" when compared with its East Asian peers. "Asia is under intense pressure from ambitious competitors across the globe," Prinsen said in his keynote speech at the Korea Times Global Conference in Seoul. "This is a moment of clear strength for South Korea: solid funding for research and development, a talented student body, top urban appeal for international students and improving the student diversity at leading institutions," he added. QS, the global higher education analytics firm best known for its World University Rankings, assesses 6,950 institutions worldwide. Korea had 43 universities on the World University Rankings and Sustainability Rankings, including two in the global top 50. Seoul has been ranked among the world’s top student cities, undersco

Sep 17, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
'Korean universities should broaden global ties to stay competitive'
Foreign Affairs

Shackled and chained: Mass detention of Koreans fuels criticism of US

Public anger toward the U.S. is intensifying in Seoul after Koreans who returned from mass arrest in Georgia on Friday described squalid detention facilities and fear-filled situations. Korean workers detained by U.S. immigration authorities at the Hyundai Motor-LG Energy Solution joint battery plant in Georgia described the raid as terrifying, with employees shackled and handcuffed. They said the authorities were coercive, treating them all like criminals. One worker recalled realizing it was more than a routine inspection when he saw detainees bound with leg irons and chains, noting that in some cases officers even pointed guns at them. Another testified that during the transfer, both their hands and feet were chained, and they were held alongside people who had crossed the border illegally. Some reported that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents told the detainees to sign documents without providing any explanation or informing them of their rights. Workers said the tense atmosphere made it impossible to carefully read through and translate the documents line by line. Belie

Sep 14, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Shackled and chained: Mass detention of Koreans fuels criticism of US
Society

Pusan National University touts regional schools as engines of growth, global competitiveness

Rather than simply following the footsteps of other institutions, Pusan National University is carving out its own path to boost global competitiveness with a model it calls “the Pusan Way.” “Our goal is not to imitate other global universities but to establish our own model of internationalization,” Pusan National University President Choi Jae-weon said in a recent interview with The Korea Times. He explained that the university aims to stay rooted in the local community while remaining connected to the world, combining public responsibility with innovation. “As both a regional hub and a member of the global academic community, our university will continue to put forward a new model of leadership on the international stage,” he added. Choi also underscored the value of globalization for both the school and its members, stressing that international exposure is key to growth. “International experiences and active engagement on the global stage enrich an individual’s life,” he said. “For universities, globalization means providing opportunities for members to engage glob

Sep 12, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Pusan National University touts regional schools as engines of growth, global competitiveness
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