Vietnam ranks second in the number of international students studying in Korea.

This figure includes not only students studying at colleges, universities and postgraduate programs, but also students in non-degree courses, language students and exchange students.

According to KEDI, the number of international students in Korea exceeded 100,000 in 2016 (104,262), then maintained a steady annual increase to 123,858 in 2017; 142,005 in 2018 and 160,165 in 2019. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of international students returning home or postponing their studies in Korea increased, causing the total number of international students in Korea to decrease for two consecutive years. In 2020, there were 153,676 and in 2021, there were 152,258.

After the COVID-19 pandemic was brought under control, the number of international students in Korea increased by nearly 10% compared to 2021, surpassing the record of 2019 (pre-COVID-19). In 2014 alone, there were only 84,891 international students in Korea, but this number doubled in just 8 years. According to KEDI's forecast, the number of international students coming to Korea will continue to increase in the coming time.

In terms of nationality, Chinese students still ranked first with 67,439 people. They were followed by Vietnamese with 37,940 people, Uzbekistan (8,608 people), Mongolia (7,348 people), Japan (5,733 people), the US (3,369 people) and France (2,556 people). Notably, the proportion of Vietnamese students among international students in Korea has increased significantly. Chinese students accounted for 48.2% of the total number of international students in Korea in 2018, but decreased to 40.4% in 2022. Meanwhile, the proportion of Vietnamese students coming to Korea has increased from 19% to 22.7%. However, the majority of Vietnamese students coming to Korea only take short-term, non-degree courses. Among the 42,089 students in the non-degree study abroad group at all universities across Korea, Vietnamese students make up the majority with 11,025 people.

Korean education experts believe that Vietnamese students are mainly interested in Korean culture, so they often choose to take short-term courses. Moreover, because Vietnam is a place where many Korean corporations have invested, plus Korean cultural elements such as “K-pop” and former coach of the Vietnam National Football Team Park Hang-seo are also reasons why the number of Vietnamese students who love and seek out Korea is increasing steadily.

In addition, the growing interest in Korea is also a factor contributing to the continued increase in the number of international students here. The Ministry of Education (MOE) is developing a plan to attract foreign students called the “Study Korea Project.” At the same time, the agency will also promote the establishment of a new organization called the “Overseas Talent Acquisition Support Division.”

Currently, the universities in Korea with the largest number of international students are Hanyang University with a total of 6,999 students. Next are Kyunghee University (6,912 students), Sungkyunkwan University (6,676 students), Yonsei University (5,926 students) and Korea University (4,739 students). Nine out of the 10 universities in Korea with the most international students are in the Seoul metropolitan area. Of the 166,892 international students nationwide in Korea, 77,238 students (46.2%) are studying at universities in Seoul.

According to VNA