As the number of international students residing in South Korea surpasses 300,000, there is a growing call to shift the focus of student policies from mere recruitment to enhancing educational quality and facilitating domestic employment and integration. In response, private universities, which educate the majority of these students, are convening to discuss effective policy and visa system improvements.
The Korea Private University Presidents Council (KPUC) and the Korean Immigration Policy Association announced that they will hold a policy seminar on August 21 at 2 p.m. in the second meeting room of the National Assembly to strengthen the connection between attracting, employing, and integrating international students.
This seminar is co-hosted by five lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties, including Kim Jun-hyuk, Park Beom-kye, and Ko Min-jeong from the Democratic Party, as well as Jeong Seong-guk from the People Power Party and Kang Kyung-sook from the Justice Party.
The government’s 'Study Korea 300K Project' aimed to achieve a milestone of 300,000 international students by 2027, but this goal was reached ahead of schedule in 2026. Amid declining birth rates, a shrinking school-age population, regional decline, and labor shortages, there is a consensus in academia that a policy shift is urgently needed to view international students not just as resources for university enrollment but as strategic talents to lead the future of the nation and its regions.
Private universities play a crucial role in educating international students. As of 2025, among 152,838 foreign students enrolled in four-year degree programs, 137,080, or 89.7%, are attending private universities. This means that approximately nine out of ten international students in four-year programs are being educated at private institutions.
However, there are ongoing concerns that private universities are at a disadvantage compared to public institutions regarding scholarships and support for education and living infrastructure. There have even been instances where students recruited and educated by private universities transfer to public institutions due to differences in tuition and scholarship conditions. This has led to calls for a redesign of the government support system based on actual roles and outcomes rather than the type of institution.
The seminar will discuss various alternatives to overcome these challenges. Im Dong-jin, president of the Korean Immigration Policy Association and a professor at Soonchunhyang University, will present on 'Employment and Settlement Support Policies for International Students in Major Countries and Their Implications.' Yoon Seung-yong, president of Namseoul University and chair of the KPUC's special committee on international students, will present on 'Policy Tasks to Strengthen the Connection Between Attracting, Employing, and Integrating International Students.'
The subsequent comprehensive discussion will be moderated by Yoon Seung-yong, featuring participants such as Ryu Yi-hyun, a researcher at the Democratic Research Institute, Moon Seong-je, president of Sun Moon University, Lee Jeong-ki, president of Kosin University, as well as Choi Ha-young from the Ministry of Education and Lee Hyang-sook from the Ministry of Justice, who will delve into building inter-agency support systems.
A KPUC official stated, 'We will actively convey the opinions and policy proposals from the university field presented at this seminar to the government and the National Assembly,' adding, 'In particular, we will officially communicate the issues related to visa system improvements to the 'Foreign Student Visa System Improvement Council' operated by the Ministry of Justice to ensure that the voices of private universities are adequately reflected in the reform process.'
* This article has been translated by AI.
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