KB News Desk
The number of foreign nationals who entered South Korea for study or training surpassed 500,000 for the first time last year, according to data released Thursday.
Of the 18.94 million foreign nationals who entered Korea last year, 505,410, or 2.7 percent, came for study or training, according to Korea Tourism Organization data obtained by Rep. Jin Sun-mee of the Democratic Party of Korea.
Tourism accounted for the vast majority of arrivals, with 15.82 million visitors, or 83.5 percent, entering Korea for sightseeing. Another 143,076, or 0.8 percent, came for business purposes, while 73,303, or 0.4 percent, visited on official business.
The number of foreign nationals entering Korea for study or training has risen sharply since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Only 80,084 entered for such purposes in 2021, amid pandemic-era travel restrictions. The figure nearly doubled to 152,195 in 2022 before rising to 313,980 in 2023 and 435,129 in 2024. It exceeded 500,000 for the first time last year, representing a more than sixfold increase from 2021.
Jin’s office attributed the growth in part to the global popularity of Korean cultural content, including K-pop and Korean dramas, which it said has translated into greater interest in Korean-language study and degree programs in the country.
Across all purposes of travel, people in their 20s and 30s accounted for nearly half of foreign arrivals in Korea last year.
Those in their 20s made up the largest group at 4.72 million, or 24.9 percent, followed by those in their 30s at 4.05 million, or 21.4 percent. Together, the two age groups accounted for 46.3 percent of all foreign arrivals.
Visitors in their 40s accounted for 14.5 percent, followed by those aged 60 or older at 12 percent, those in their 50s at 11.6 percent and those aged 19 or younger at 9.1 percent.
“The global spread of Korean cultural content is translating into demand for longer-term stays, including study and training, beyond short-term tourism,” Jin said.
“Tailored policy support is needed to help foreign nationals who come to Korea for study and training successfully adjust to their local communities,” she added.
