An example of the new Korean-language assessment tool for migrant-background students. (Ministry of Education) South Korea will introduce a new Korean-language assessment tool for migrant-background students in elementary, middle and high schools, as their numbers continue to rise across the country, the Education Ministry said Tuesday.The teacher-administered test is designed to help schools quickly gauge students' Korean proficiency when they enroll in an aim to provide language instruction tailored to their individual needs.According to ministry data, the number of migrant-background students in Korean schools has more than quadrupled over the past 13 years, from 46,954 in 2012, or 0.7 percent of all students, to 202,208 in 2025, accounting for 4 percent of the total student population.The ministry said the tool was developed in response to growing demand from schools for a more systematic way to assess the Korean-language skills of newly enrolled students, as children with limited proficiency are entering schools at increasingly varied grade levels.Following consultations with 16 regional education offices, teachers and experts, the ministry established Korean proficiency standards for four grade groups: grades 1-2, grades 3-4, grades 5-6, and middle and high school students.Students are assessed in four areas — listening, speaking, reading and writing — with each divided into four proficiency levels.The results can also be entered into the Education Ministry's artificial intelligence-powered Korean-language learning platform, allowing schools to track students' proficiency in each area and determine what type of language instruction or other academic support they need.The platform provides Korean-language assessments, individualized learning content based on assessment results and learning data, an interactive AI tutor, and a learning management system for classroom and independent study.The related educational materials currently include 1,950 lessons covering everyday and school Korean, grammar, vocabulary and language needed for subjects such as Korean and mathematics. The platform also uses speech and handwriting recognition technology for speaking and writing practice.The ministry is developing a separate assessment that students will be able to take directly through the online system from the first half of 2027, giving schools multiple ways to evaluate Korean proficiency depending on students' circumstances."With the newly developed diagnostic tool, schools will be able to identify migrant-background students' Korean proficiency in greater detail," said Roh Jin-young, director general of student support at the Education Ministry."Teachers will be able to accurately determine what students can do on their own and where they need help, which we expect will help us provide them with instruction."