Why are more foreign students coming to Korea now?

Rep. Jin Sun-mee said the increase is tied to growing interest in Korean language study and formal degree programs. She linked that trend to the global boom of Korean cultural products such as K-pop and dramas.

How many foreign visitors came to Korea for study or training last year?

A total of 505,410 foreign visitors entered Korea for study or training last year. That was the first time the figure passed 500,000 and it accounted for 2.7 percent of all foreign arrivals.

What policy response did Rep. Jin Sun-mee call for?

Jin called for tailored policy support so foreign students and trainees can better adapt to local communities. She said the government should help sustain the momentum behind the rise in study and training visits.

International students in Korea top 500,000 for 1st time on Korean cultural boom

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Summary

International students and trainees in Korea topped 500,000 for the first time last year, driven by the global popularity of Korean pop culture. The number reached 505,410, or 2.7 percent of all 18.94 million foreign arrivals, according to Korea Tourism Organization data released by Rep. Jin Sun-mee. Jin said the surge reflects growing interest in Korean language study and degree programs, and called for tailored policy support. The figure rose steadily from 80,084 in 2021 to 435,129 in 2024.

Key Facts

The 505,410 study or training arrivals last year were more than six times the 80,084 recorded in 2021.
The 2025 total represented 2.7 percent of all 18.94 million foreign arrivals in Korea last year.
Tourism made up more than 83 percent of arrivals last year, or 15.82 million visitors, while business and official duty accounted for 0.8 percent and 0.4 percent.
The yearly count climbed from 152,195 in 2022 to 313,980 in 2023 and 435,129 in 2024 before crossing 500,000 last year.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 10, 2026 8:40 am KST

Foreign students try out 'pungmullori,' a traditional Korean art form that combines music, dance and acrobatics, during a club expo of Ajou University held on the school's campus in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Sept. 2. Yonhap — Foreign students try out "pungmullori," a traditional Korean art form that combines music, dance and acrobatics, during a club expo of Ajou University held on the school's campus in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Sept. 2. Yonhap

The number of foreigners coming to study in Korea surpassed 500,000 for the first time last year, a more than sixfold increase over four years, driven by the global popularity of Korean pop culture, government data showed Thursday.

Some 505,410 of the 18.94 million foreign visitors to Korea last year entered for "study or training" purposes, accounting for 2.7 percent of all arrivals, according to the data from the Korea Tourism Organization released by Rep. Jin Sun-mee of the ruling Democratic Party.

The figure marks a sharp rebound from just 80,084 in 2021, when the country was at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and represents steady annual growth to 152,195 in 2022, 313,980 in 2023 and 435,129 in 2024 before crossing the 500,000 threshold last year.

Of all the arrivals last year, more than 83 percent, or 15.82 million, visited for tourism, while business and official duty purposes accounted for 0.8 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively, of the visits.

Jin, who is a member of the parliamentary committee on culture and tourism, attributed the surge to growing interest in Korean language study and formal degree programs spurred by the global boom of Korean cultural products, such as K-pop and dramas.

"The global spread of K-content is now bearing fruit not only in short-term tourism but also in long-term stays, such as study and training," Jin said in a release.

She called for "tailored policy support" to help foreign students and trainees better adapt to local communities as the government seeks to sustain the momentum.

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