Data shows that in the first half of 2024, the number of people visiting South Korea for educational purposes reached an all time high, surpassing 200-thousand.
The influence of a global Korean wave appears to be the driver.
Lee Eun-jin reports.
According to data released by the Korea Tourism Organization on Monday, the number of foreigners that came to South Korea to study for training or other learning surpassed 200 thousand in the first half of this year.
That is a 50-point-6 percent increase from the same period the previous year and also a new record.
The KTO suggests the reason for the increase is the continued influence of the global K-wave that has resulted in more foreigners wanting to learn the Korean language or study in Korea.
By nationality, around 55-point-2 percent, or 112-thousand of the 204-thousand visitors were from China, followed by 33-thousand from Vietnam, 6-thousand-900 from Japan, 6-thousand-700 from Mongolia and 5-thousand from Uzbekistan, and more than 3-thousand visitors came from both France and the United States.
The KTO says global interest in South Korea has increased due to the influence of K-content like K-pop, K-movies, K-dramas, K-beauty, and K-food.
The number of foreigners visiting Korea for educational purposes had steadily increased before the COVID-19 pandemic in the second half of 2019 to 191-thousand people, b but dropped significantly to 30-thousand in the second half of 2020.
Meanwhile, the South Korean government and universities outside the capital area have agreed to more MoUs and partnerships to increase the number of international students. Universities have been creating new programs catered to foreign students wanting to learn the Korean language and culture, as the government implements policies to ease visa restrictions for international students.
A researcher from the Korea Small Business Institute, a research institution for the sustainable development of small and medium-sized enterprises, said that rather than bringing experts from abroad, it is more realistic to add international students who can speak Korean into the labor force,
adding that the government should consider expanding programs and support measures.
Lee Eunjin, Arirang News.
source : https://www.arirang.com/news/view?id=274558
