International students and trainees in Korea topped 500,000 for the first time last year, driven by the global popularity of Korean pop culture. The number reached 505,410, or 2.7 percent of all 18.94 million foreign arrivals, according to Korea Tourism Organization data released by Rep. Jin Sun-mee. Jin said the surge reflects growing interest in Korean language study and degree programs, and called for tailored policy support. The figure rose steadily from 80,084 in 2021 to 435,129 in 2024.
Foreign students try out "pungmullori," a traditional Korean art form that combines music, dance and acrobatics, during a club expo of Ajou University held on the school's campus in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Sept. 2. Yonhap
The number of foreigners coming to study in Korea surpassed 500,000 for the first time last year, a more than sixfold increase over four years, driven by the global popularity of Korean pop culture, government data showed Thursday.
Some 505,410 of the 18.94 million foreign visitors to Korea last year entered for "study or training" purposes, accounting for 2.7 percent of all arrivals, according to the data from the Korea Tourism Organization released by Rep. Jin Sun-mee of the ruling Democratic Party.
