More than half of foreign students in Korea lack study-level language skills under weak policy oversight

More than half of international students pursuing degrees at South Korean universities lack the Korean or English proficiency needed to follow their coursework, raising concerns over the country’s push to attract overseas students without adequate support systems. Data released by the Ministry of Education on Friday revealed that only about one-third, or 34 percent, of degree-seeking international students in 2024 had reached Level 4 or higher on the official Korean language proficiency exam kno

Sept. 21, 2025

Korea eyes AI future, but classrooms struggle to prepare generation meant to lead

South Korea wants to be a world leader in artificial intelligence, but its schools are grappling to prepare the next generation amid confusion concerning what should be taught and, naturally, a lack of qualified faculty to do just that. In 2022, the Education Ministry announced that coding would become a mandatory subject in middle schools from 2025 and in elementary schools from 2026. The plan was part of a national drive to expand AI talent and prepare the next generation for a digital future.

Sept. 17, 2025

Lee's policy blueprint takes aim at educational imbalances

South Korea has long wrestled with deep regional disparities in education and sky-high private tuition costs, with a widening gap between students whose families can afford it and those whose cannot. Against this backdrop, the Lee Jae Myung administration on Wednesday announced six key education proposals designed to break the capital-centric hierarchy among schools, strengthen public schooling and prepare talent for the artificial intelligence era. The measures were introduced as part of a broa

Sept. 17, 2025