Korea turns to AI to modernize TOPIK national language exam

Korea’s national Korean language proficiency exam is preparing for a major digital overhaul, introducing artificial intelligence (AI) to draft test questions and grade essays as global demand to learn the language surges.

The Ministry of Education and the National Institute for International Education unveiled a comprehensive strategy Tuesday to modernize the Test of Proficiency in Korean, widely known as TOPIK.

The overhaul aims to transition the traditional paper-heavy exam into an AI-driven digital testing platform by 2029, catering to an expanding pool of foreign students, job seekers and workers aiming to establish careers in Korea.

Since its launch in 1997 with fewer than 3,000 test-takers across four countries, TOPIK has grown into a crucial gateway for foreign nationals seeking university admission, corporate employment or residency visas in Korea. Annual applicants soared from roughly 329,000 in 2018 to more than 566,000 in 2025, spanning 94 countries. By September, registration had already reached 564,606 — up 10 percent from the same period last year — putting the exam on track to eventually cross the 1-million mark by 2030.

However, the current testing framework, developed in 2014, has struggled to keep pace with changing language dynamics and modern security threats.

Universities have voiced concerns that heavily memorized preparation strategies fail to reflect practical communication skills. Meanwhile, administrators face increasingly sophisticated cheating schemes, including micro-earpieces and smart glasses embedded with AI.

To address these challenges, the ministry will establish a reform committee next month to draft a redesigned framework by June 2027. Following pilot runs in 2028, the revamped digital system will launch in 2029 and will feature automated question generation and AI scoring models, paired with mandatory human expert reviews to ensure accuracy. The ministry also plans a gradual rollout of "TOPIK Home Test," allowing applicants to sit for lower-level exams from their residences.

Security measures will tighten immediately.

Legal penalties for severe infractions — such as proxy test-taking, question leaks and ID forgery — will carry a mandatory five-year ban from taking the exam, effectively blocking offenders from submitting language credentials to Korean universities. Test centers will deploy signal detectors to catch unauthorized Bluetooth and Wi-Fi transmissions, while test variants will be staggered across global time zones to prevent live paper leaks.

Alongside the long-term reforms, officials released the 2027 test schedule, which includes 15 exam cycles — six paper-based tests, six internet-based tests and three speaking evaluations.

"TOPIK plays a pivotal role in evaluating the Korean language capabilities of global talent coming to our country," said Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin. "By introducing AI and modernizing test administration, we will support the active use of the Korean language worldwide."

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