Foreign Student Arrivals in South Korea Top 500,000
South Korea recorded 505,410 foreign arrivals for study or training in 2025, exceeding half a million for the first time. Yonhap cited Korea Tourism Organization figures released by lawmaker Jin Sun-mee, showing that the category represented 2.7 percent of international arrivals.
The total rose from 80,084 in pandemic-hit 2021. It measures arrivals by purpose rather than the number of international students enrolled in the country's educational institutions.
Jin linked the increase to interest in Korean language courses and degree programs encouraged by K-pop and television dramas. She called for support tailored to overseas students and trainees as they settle into local communities.
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