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Sejong Institute's overseas enrollment tops 230,000 for first time

Published: 25 Feb. 2026, 13:50

Students attend a Korean language course at the King Sejong Institute center in Gaborone, Botswana, in this file photo from May 14, 2024. [YONHAP]

The annual number of students enrolled at King Sejong Institutes, which teach Korean language and culture overseas, surpassed 230,000 for the first time last year, the King Sejong Institute Foundation said Wednesday.

A total of 239,020 students attended Sejong Institutes worldwide in 2025, up from 210,374 in 2024. Enrollment has more than doubled since 2020, when 101,675 students took part, reflecting rising global interest in learning Korean.

The Korean government has funded the language institute, named after the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) king who invented the Korean alphabet, since 2007 to increase the world's awareness of the Korean language and culture.

A separate survey released by the foundation the same day showed that overall satisfaction with Sejong Institute programs reached 93.1 points out of 100. About 46.3 percent of respondents said Sejong Institute courses helped with their local academic majors, with 22.4 percent and 16.2 percent saying the programs helped them secure jobs at Korean companies abroad and in Korea, respectively.

"The King Sejong Institute is expanding its student base in response to growing demand for Korean language and culture abroad while continuously improving learner satisfaction," said the foundation's acting President Choi Hyun-seong.

Yonhap