Foreign students in South Korea hit record 500,000 as culture boom drives demand

The number of foreigners entering South Korea for study and training surpassed a record 500,000 in 2025, marking more than a sixfold increase since 2021, driven by the global expansion of Korean pop culture. A report submitted by the Korea Tourism Organization to the National Assembly's Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee revealed that of the 18.94 million total foreign arrivals in 2025, study and training accounted for 505,410, or 2.7%. Tourism remained the primary driver of international visits, bringing in over 15.82 million arrivals, accounting for 83.5% of the total. Business and trade followed with 143,076 arrivals, while official business accounted for 73,303, according to Yonhap News. The influx of international students has risen sharply in recent years. During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, only 80,084 foreigners entered for study. That figure climbed to 152,195 in 2022, 313,980 in 2023, and 435,129 in 2024, before crossing the half-million mark in 2025. As reported by the Korea JoongAng Daily, Rep. Jin Sun-mee of the Democratic Party attributed this surge to the immense global popularity of K-pop and Korean television dramas. This cultural phenomenon has directly increased interest in learning the Korean language and pursuing formal degree programs in the country. "The global spread of K-content is bearing fruit beyond short-term tourism, driving demand for longer-term stays such as study and training," Jin said. "Customized policy support is needed to help foreigners who come to Korea to study or train adapt well to their local communities." Data also indicates that South Korea's international visitor base is skewing younger. Visitors in their 20s and 30s made up a combined 46.3% of all foreign arrivals. Specifically, those in their 20s led the demographics with over 4.72 million arrivals, closely followed by visitors in their 30s at over 4.05 million. Older demographics accounted for the remainder. People in their 40s made up 14.5% of arrivals, followed by those 60 and above at 12%, and those in their 50s at 11.6%. Visitors aged 19 and under comprised 9.1%.