Education ministry to expand Korean language classes to 70 countries

Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin presents the ministry's second-half policy agenda during a presidential policy briefing at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap

Korean language classes will be added to public school curricula in 70 countries by 2030, up from 51 this year, under a new government road map that also charts accelerating artificial intelligence (AI)-driven learning and strengthening regional universities as part of a broader push to position the country as a global education powerhouse.

The Ministry of Education presented the vision Wednesday during a policy briefing to President Lee Jae Myung, framing it around the global expansion of Korean language education and the vision of "education for everyone's future."

"Education's fundamental role is to ensure everyone can dream about the future," Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin said. "We will implement these initiatives swiftly to help Korea become an irreplaceable global education powerhouse."

At the heart of the global strategy is a major expansion of Korean language instruction in overseas schools. Unlike the Sejong Institute, which primarily serves adult learners, the program integrates Korean language education into elementary and secondary schools abroad, embedding Korean into formal public education systems.

The ministry also aims to expand the global reach of TOPIK, the country's official Korean-language proficiency exam, through an AI-powered overhaul. By modernizing the test and its administration, it hopes to increase annual examinees to 1 million by 2030, nearly doubling last year's total of about 560,000.

The plan also calls for broader distribution of Korean-language textbooks and teaching materials to overseas schools and diaspora communities in line with local demand.

Children of Afghan special contributors study Korean in a Korean language class at an elementary school in Ulsan, in this June 27, 2023 file photo. Newsis

The government also plans to expand its Korean-style higher education model to 10 overseas institutions by 2030. The initiative integrates education, academic administration and degree programs offered by Korean universities, extending the reach of Korea's higher education system abroad.

The measures form part of a broader push to strengthen Korean education as a global brand while cultivating a workforce equipped for the AI era and supporting balanced regional development.

To support regional growth, the ministry will accelerate the launch of specialized colleges at flagship national universities tied to the country's three megaprojects, which involve semiconductors, physical AI and AI data centers. It will also increase funding for national universities and roll out programs designed to better align higher education with local industry needs, particularly in AI, semiconductors and other cutting-edge fields.

The ministry also vowed to accelerate the AI transformation of education, expanding the use of AI across classrooms, campuses and administrative operations. The initiative will be backed by nationwide digital learning infrastructure and AI-powered education platforms.

To strengthen the pipeline of experts in AI and other advanced technologies, the ministry will launch AI-focused advanced research programs at all 20 science high schools and eight schools for gifted students. It also plans to expand integrated bachelor's-to-doctoral AI degree programs, continue supporting AI-specialized junior colleges and broaden government-backed training initiatives for strategic industries.