South Korea has exceeded its target for 300,000 overseas students, with the figure reaching 305,329 students to date as per August 2025 data from the Korea Immigration Service and ICEF Monitor. The nation was only aiming for this by 2027, which is a big breakthrough for South Korea's higher education industry.

Most students from Vietnam and China

Of the total, 225,769 students are enrolled in university degree programs on D-2 visas, while 79,500 are studying Korean language courses on D-4-1 visas. A small number of students, 60, hold D-4-7 visas for foreign language training. Vietnam leads the enrollment with 107,807 students, followed by China with 86,179. Other nations sending significant numbers are Uzbekistan, Mongolia, and Nepal. The number of international students has increased 16% year over year and 47% since mid-2023, when there were just over 207,000 foreign students in South Korea.

Government policies driving growth

The surge reflects the government’s active “Study Korea 300K Project”. Key measures include:

Increased work opportunities: Bachelor's and language students may work 25 hours a week, whereas master's and doctoral students may work 35 hours during weekdays with an unlimited number of hours on weekends and holidays.

Lowered financial requirements: D-2 visa applicants now need 20 million won (approx. US$15,400), with even lower requirements for students applying outside Seoul. 

Extended post-study work: International graduates can now stay up to three years to find employment, compared with six months previously.

Scholarships and Permanent Residency

Scholarship numbers have also grown. The Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) now provides 2,700 STEM scholarships and 6,000 non-STEM scholarships. STEM graduates are speedily granted permanent residence, and the residency requirement for other postgraduate and graduate students has been cut from six to three years. Universities are also exploring wider acceptance of Korean-language tests and lower TOPIK levels of proficiency.

Top Asian study destination

South Korea's increasing number of international students reflects its increasing popularity as a destination for studies in Asia, along with China, Japan, Taiwan, and Malaysia. Specialists indicate that the interplay between scholarships, work allowances, and easy visa regulations has seen the nation become ever more desirable for learners from all over the continent.