Seoul to expand specialized language support for multicultural students

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education headquarters in Seoul / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE) said Tuesday that it is expanding a tiered Korean language program designed to help students from multicultural families better integrate into the city’s public schools.

The initiative, which the SMOE describes as a “growth ladder” framework, aims to help students from multicultural families overcome language barriers through their full integration into regular classrooms.

The “Hanbit Majeung Classroom,” a pre-enrollment program providing Korean language and cultural instruction to students before they officially enter the school system, will be held three times a year, up from the current two.

The SMOE said the expansion is intended to close the gap that often emerges before students from multicultural families enter the public school system, equipping them with basic communication skills ahead of their first day of class.

The number of dedicated Korean language classes in schools is set to rise to 47 in 2026, up from 33 in 2025.

The SMOE said the expansion is expected to benefit not only the individual students enrolled but also the broader classroom environment by reducing communication delays during instruction.

The SMOE will continue running the Seoul-type Korean Language Preparatory School for newly arrived and foreign national middle and high school students. The 14-week program, which takes place in university facilities, began on Monday at two locations: Sookmyung Women’s University, serving central Seoul, and Dongyang Mirae University, serving the southern part of the city.

For elementary school students with limited mobility, the SMOE is introducing a new mobile Korean instruction program in which certified Korean language instructors travel directly to schools to provide approximately three months of intensive language education. The program is designed to accelerate school adaptation and peer integration.

The SMOE said the program is expected to benefit students without immigrant backgrounds as well. By narrowing language gaps, teachers will be better able to focus on instruction, while all students gain natural opportunities to develop cross-cultural awareness, the office added.

"Language is the first door through which students from multicultural families enter the world called school," said Kim Cheon-hong, deputy superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education.

"We will support students step by step from their initial arrival through full classroom integration, building an inclusive educational environment where all students can learn and grow together regardless of their background."

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.