300,000 International Students: Policy Shift from Recruitment Expansion to Nurturing Outstanding Talent

Ministry of Education Announces “Innovation Strategy for Nurturing International Student Talent” on September 8

The government is shifting the focus of its international student policy from merely "expanding the number of recruits" to "improving the quality of education and nurturing outstanding talent." This signifies a commitment to not only increasing the quantity of international students, but also providing high-quality education with an emphasis on cultivating skilled professionals.

On September 8, the Ministry of Education announced its "Innovation Strategy for Nurturing International Student Talent."

According to basic educational statistics, the number of international students this year has reached 307,464. This figure achieves the goal of attracting 300,000 international students by 2027—a target set under the “Plan to Enhance the Competitiveness of International Student Education”—one year ahead of schedule.

On the 1st, foreign international student job seekers participating in the '10th Foreign International Student Job Fair' held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, are looking at the recruitment bulletin board. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Given the substantial quantitative growth in the international student population, the Ministry of Education will now focus on qualitative improvements.

To that end, measures will be taken to enhance reliability in the recruitment and admissions phase of international students, and to strengthen universities’ standards for education and student management. Universities evaluated as failing to meet basic educational requirements will be prohibited from recruiting new international students.

Recently, there has been an increase in international students choosing universities through study-abroad agencies, resulting in cases of harm due to false or exaggerated advertising, as well as instances of fraudulent admissions. When universities recruit students via overseas agencies, the Ministry of Education will distribute a “Model University-Agency Agreement” within the second half of this year, requiring universities to responsibly manage the recruitment process carried out by agencies.

Provisions deemed essential for protecting international students will be made mandatory through future legislative amendments. To prevent academic fraud during transfer and admissions processes, the ministry will provide guidelines on validating foreign degrees and offer consulting services to universities to strengthen their on-site verification capabilities. Furthermore, to give overseas students access to reliable pathways for enrollment in Korean universities, the ministry will expand the availability of local-language information about Korean universities within the Study in Korea system and provide a one-stop service for applications and payment of application fees.

Universities will bear greater responsibility for properly educating and supporting international students. To this end, the government will revamp the "Certification System for Educational Internationalization Competency," which evaluates universities’ capabilities for educating and managing international students and ties the results to visa reviews. Although universities currently have the option to select certain evaluation indicators for certification, the core indicators essential for international student education and management will become mandatory. In addition, to strengthen students’ Korean language abilities, the standard for officially recognized language proficiency benchmarks will be gradually raised through 2030. Academic and life support programs will now be evaluated more on their content and quality rather than simply on the number of programs implemented.

Strict management will be enforced regarding international student recruitment at universities lacking basic educational infrastructure. Currently, some universities designated as lower-tier institutions under the internationalization certification system already face visa issuance restrictions. Going forward, oversight will be strengthened further: universities “not certified” through the institutional assessment and those private universities classified as “at financial risk” for two consecutive years will be immediately assigned the lowest tier in the certification program, with restrictions on recruiting new international students. Additionally, oversight will be enhanced for substandard academic administration or human rights violations affecting international students, and any illegal or unfair practices will be dealt with strictly.

While oversight will become more rigorous, the government will also enhance scholarships, educational, and career support for outstanding talent. To enable international students to adapt stably to their university and community environments, exchange programs will be expanded—centered around universities and internationalization special zones. Around-the-clock artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot counseling in students’ native languages, alongside access to professional counselors, will be provided to strengthen support for students in need.

Focused support will be implemented in response to the demand for talent in advanced industries and local regions. The government plans to raise the science and engineering quota in the prestigious Government Scholarship for Foreign Students (GKS) program, aiming to increase the proportion of science and engineering graduate students from the current 43% to 45% next year. Especially, the most outstanding master’s program scholarship recipients showing excellent research results will be supported to proceed to doctoral courses and will receive incentives such as research achievement grants. Special incentives will be prepared for the very best talents.

In the second half of this year, the Ministry of Education will also announce the “5th Basic Plan for the Certification System for Educational Internationalization Competency.” The government aims to implement legal amendments, introduce a top department certification system for excellent foreign students, and build international student networks sequentially—leading to substantive changes at universities.

Education Minister Choi Kyojin said, “The fact that the number of international students has surpassed 300,000 demonstrates that Korea is being recognized as a competitive destination for global talent. Going forward, we will focus on attracting and cultivating international talent so that these students can thrive in Korean society and across the world, leveraging the knowledge and experiences they gain here. We are committed to further enhancing the stature of K-education.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.