South Korea records over 500,000 entries for study and training
In 2025, the number of entries by foreign nationals into South Korea for study or training exceeded 500,000 for the first time. Rep. Jin Sun-mi obtained the data from the Korea Tourism Organization.
More than half a million entries
Of the 18.94 million foreign nationals who arrived in South Korea last year, 505,410 people, or 2.7%, entered for study or training. This was reported by The Korea Herald.
Tourism remained the most common purpose of travel: 15.82 million people, or 83.5% of all foreign visitors, arrived in the country for sightseeing. A total of 143,076 people, or 0.8%, entered for business purposes, while another 73,303 people, or 0.4%, visited the country for official purposes.
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Post-pandemic trend
The number of arrivals for study or training increased significantly after the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, when travel restrictions were in place, there were 80,084 such arrivals. In 2022, the figure nearly doubled to 152,195, rose to 313,980 in 2023, and reached 435,129 in 2024. Compared with 2021, last year's figure increased more than sixfold.
Jin Sun-mi's office linked this trend, in particular, to the global popularity of Korean cultural content, including K-pop and Korean dramas. According to the lawmaker's office, this contributed to growing interest in studying the Korean language and educational programs in the country.
Among all foreign visitors, people aged 20 to 29 accounted for the largest share, at 4.72 million, or 24.9%. Visitors aged 30 to 39 numbered 4.05 million, or 21.4%. Together, these age groups accounted for 46.3% of all arrivals.
