The newly relocated Korean Education Center in Paraguay which opened in Asuncion, Paraguay's capital, in February. (Ministry of Education) The Ministry of Education said Thursday it has expanded and relocated its Korean Education Center in Paraguay, as demand for Korean-language education grows in the South American country.Korean education centers are overseas institutions established by the ministry to promote educational cooperation with host countries, expand Korean-language education, and support education programs for overseas Koreans. The first such center was set up in Japan in the 1960s, and there are now 47 centers in 22 countries.The Paraguay center opened in 1980 inside the South Korean Embassy in Asuncion before moving to a separate building in 1993.The ministry said the latest relocation, completed in February, was aimed at meeting rising demand for Korean-language learning after Paraguayan education authorities began offering Korean as an official second foreign language course in May 2024.The new facility has six classrooms.An opening ceremony for the relocated center held Wednesday was attended by the South Korean ambassador to Paraguay and a delegation from the Education Ministry.Some 80 guests attended the ceremony, including Hermenegildo Cohene, Paraguay’s vice minister of education and science, the president of Paraguay’s teacher training university, principals of schools that have adopted Korean-language courses and members of the Korean community in Paraguay.During the ceremony, the ministry presented a plaque of appreciation to Maria Gloria Pereira, former vice minister of education and science of Paraguay, for her contribution to expanding Korean-language education.A memorandum of understanding was also signed with four members of the Korean community for a project to renovate libraries at schools offering Korean-language courses.“Based on Paraguay’s strong interest in Korea, we hope the Korean Education Center in Paraguay will further develop into a comprehensive educational hub encompassing Korean-language education, academic exchanges and cultural exchanges,” South Korean Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin said.“We will continue to support young people from both countries through the center so they can experience each other’s education and culture and grow into globally competitive talent,” he added.