The government of South Korea’s plan to increase the number of foreign exchange students to 300,000 by 2027 and encourage their settlement in the country is driven by the serious issues of depopulation in rural areas and labor shortages due to low birth rates. Foreigners who become familiar with South Korea through domestic education find it easier to settle in the country and can also provide the labor force needed by our companies. The government plans to issue a “regionally specialized visa” to exchange students entering local universities, allowing them to reside long-term if they work for local companies after graduation. The aim is to use local universities as a gateway for foreign students to integrate into Korean society.
The government intends to establish a “Overseas Talent Attraction Strategy Task Force (TF)” consisting of local governments, universities, and companies to take the lead in attracting foreign students to local universities. The TF will provide comprehensive support from foreign student admissions to employment and domestic settlement. Currently, many foreign exchange students return to their home countries, but the objective is to encourage them to stay in the country for the long term if they are qualified talents. According to statistics, 62 percent of foreign students who obtain a Ph.D. in Korea eventually return to their home countries.
The Ministry of Education is providing support for local governments facing “population decline” and companies facing labor shortages to attract overseas exchange students. Currently, the government is piloting the “Region Specialized Visa System,” which allows foreigners who have worked in areas with declining populations to reside in the country for an extended period. Starting from October, this system will be fully implemented, creating a program that invites foreign students desired by local regions to local universities, later linking them to employment, and settlement after graduation.
Restrictions on employment will also be relaxed to allow foreign students to work at local companies with labor shortages. Currently, international student visas (D-2) only allow students to work in simple manual labor. The ministry plans to improve the visa system, including legal and on-the-job training, to send overseas students to caregiving services and shipbuilding, where there is a shortage of domestic labor, to train them as professionals. They also plan to facilitate the employment and support of exchange students in the manufacturing industry, including casting and mold making.
Currently, foreign workers in South Korea are mainly engaged in domestic construction, manufacturing, agriculture, livestock, and service industries. They are often considered low-skilled and non-specialized labor. These workers are allowed to attend domestic universities and earn degrees. Even foreign workers who entered under the E-9 visa category can attend weekend and evening classes at these universities to earn a degree. This approach aims to enable foreign workers to acquire the skills needed by domestic companies and alleviate labor shortages by encouraging them to stay in the country long-term.
In July, the government extended the part-time work hours for foreign exchange students from 25 to 30 hours per week. Practical training hours were also expanded from 25 to 40 hours per week. For student internships, the range of eligible fields was broadened beyond their major during vacation periods. The language proficiency requirement for admission to domestic universities has also been lowered. Previously, a certain level on the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) was necessary, but now admission is possible if applicants have a record of Korean language education from institutions such as the Sejong Institute.
We have also taken measures to attract overseas talents in the field of science and engineering. As of now, 66.7 percent of international students coming to Korea are majoring in humanities and social sciences such as language and business administration. The Ministry of Education plans to increase the number of master’s and doctoral students in science and technology from 1,355 last year to 2,700 in 2027 by overhauling the Global Korea Scholarship (GKS). Scholarship opportunities will also be expanded for students from countries with high demand for cooperation, such as Poland (defense industry) and the UAE (nuclear energy). The ministry also plans to establish international student recruitment centers within the “Korean Education Centers” located in 43 locations worldwide.
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