InterviewNew evaluation categories expected to push universities beyond int'l student recruitment

Shin Mee-kyung, director of the Educational Globalization Division at the Ministry of Education / Courtesy of Ministry of Education

As Korea has emerged as an increasingly popular study destination for international students, concerns have grown that support systems on the ground have not kept pace.

In response, the Ministry of Education is shifting its focus beyond recruitment, introducing new evaluation criteria and statistical measures designed to strengthen post-arrival support and create clearer pathways for long-term settlement.

“It has been nearly two decades since the government began policies for international students around 2004, but until recently, we had not placed enough emphasis on supporting their transition into the workforce,” Shin Mee-kyung, director of the Educational Globalization Division at the Ministry of Education, said during an interview with The Korea Times.

She added that momentum began to build as the government launched its Study Korea 300K initiative two years ago, amid concerns over regional population declines and mounting labor shortages outside major cities.

“That shift made it clear that supporting international students’ employment and settlement had to become a priority, and since then, ministries, universities and local governments have been moving in that direction,” Shin said.

At the center of the education ministry’s current policy push for international students is the International Education Quality Assurance System (IEQAS), which evaluates and certifies universities on their internationalization capacity to ensure better support for foreign students and strengthen Korea’s appeal as a global study destination.

For the first time, the ministry has added a category assessing career and employment support, marking a significant shift from the system’s earlier focus, which largely examined academic assistance.

The ministry released its reform plan in August last year and has since begun evaluating how effectively universities provide career guidance and job-related programs for international students. The new metric will be reflected in the certification results to be announced around February next year.

“This new category is meant to encourage universities to go beyond academic support and take more active roles in helping international students build careers and settle in the country and region,” Shin said.

The ministry expects the change to create an environment that pushes institutions to strengthen on-campus career support and integration systems as Korea seeks to retain more global professionals.

International students attend on-site interviews at booths operated by about 20 companies during the TU Global Job Fair 2025 at Tongmyong University in Busan, Nov. 6. Yonhap

The ministry is also weighing the prospect of collecting long-term employment data on international graduates, a move aimed at tracking their career trajectories and more effectively guiding policy decisions in the years ahead.

As the long-term settlement of international graduates becomes an increasing focus for the education ministry, officials say the data could shed light on how effectively these students remain in and integrate into Korean society over time. The information is expected to offer a clearer view of post-graduation pathways and highlight areas where universities may need to bolster support.

Furthermore, the ministry plans to add a new indicator tracking the number of English-taught courses at each university, a measure it sees as critical to assessing how well institutions can accommodate students with diverse study goals.

Meanwhile, universities are facing growing pressure to address visa overstay issues as the number of international students continues to climb, highlighting the need for stronger on-the-ground support and compliance measures.

“One way to lower those rates is to admit higher-quality students from the outset,” Shin said, pointing to admissions standards as the first line of control.

She warned that the excessive use of online courses at some institutions could damage their reputation, raising concerns that Korean universities may be seen as places where degrees can be obtained largely through online instruction.

Creating more high-profile examples of international graduates successfully entering the Korean workforce is vital to maintaining student inflows, a task that extends beyond the education ministry. Visa policy implementation, overseen mainly by the Ministry of Justice, plays a decisive role.

“How visa policies are implemented on the ground has a direct impact, and closer coordination among ministries is essential to better align education, employment and immigration policies,” Shin said.

Since the government’s broader stance is to continuously review and ease unnecessary regulations related to international students, the education ministry plans to gather cases, identify areas for improvement and work with the justice ministry to revise policies accordingly.