Ministry of Education Establishes Department of Korean Language at Bukhara State Pedagogical University in Uzbekistan

The Ministry of Education announced on September 10, 2026 that a Department of Korean Language at Bukhara State Pedagogical University in western Uzbekistan and a Korean Language Teacher Training Center at the Tashkent Korean Education Center have been newly established.

The Department of Korean Language at Bukhara State Pedagogical University will provide specialized training to foster teachers, producing 60 Korean language teachers annually.

With this new establishment, there are expectations that the training and education of local Korean language teachers in Uzbekistan, especially at the regional level, will be significantly reinforced.

Up until now, Korean language education in Uzbekistan has been centered in the capital, Tashkent. Out of Uzbekistan's 13 state pedagogical universities, only the Tashkent Nizami State Pedagogical University (with a capacity of 100 students) operated a Korean language department, and most Korean language training programs and events were concentrated in Tashkent, where the Korean Education Center is located.

Going forward, the Department of Korean Language at Bukhara State Pedagogical University will offer specialized training for teacher development and will produce 60 Korean language teachers each year (with a capacity of 240 students). The Ministry of Education anticipates that, as a result, Korean language education will expand not only in Bukhara but also in other western Uzbek regions such as Navoi and Urgench.

The Korean Language Teacher Training Center within Bukhara State Pedagogical University will function as a regional hub for Korean language education support. The center will operate Korean language classes and cultural events for the local community and provide training for Korean language teachers at area schools. The Ministry of Education will support the center's program operation expenses.

Korean language education in Uzbekistan is experiencing rapid growth through active cooperation with the local government. In 2022, Korean language classes were offered at about 40 schools across Uzbekistan, but this year, roughly 200 schools are set to run Korean language classes.

In addition, since last year the Uzbek government has been inviting Korean national Korean language teachers using its own budget. This year, 17 Korean teachers invited by the Uzbek government have been assigned, and additional placements are being pursued not only at regular elementary and secondary schools but also at vocational schools.

The Ministry of Education is sending five more Korean language teachers to Uzbekistan at the expense of the Korean government and is assisting in the selection and pre-training of teachers who will work in Uzbekistan.

Sul Sehoon, policy chief at the Ministry of Education, stated, "It is important to ensure that Korean language learning opportunities are equally available to international students living in local cities," adding, "We will continue to cooperate closely with the Uzbek government to further advance Korean language education in Central Asia."

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