Korean universities race to attract international students but fail to retain them

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

When Vietnamese student Le Huong Giang came to Korea, she believed she had prepared well for the future that she hoped to build here.

For months, she studied Korean and researched local universities, all while imagining a life in a country that promotes itself as a rising global education hub. But on the very first day of class, she realized that the reality was far more difficult than she had expected, with language barriers that extended far beyond everyday conversation and an environment in which it was difficult to feel a true sense of belonging.

“I came to Korea with concerns about whether I would be able to keep up academically and socially,” Le told the Korea JoongAng Daily with the help of an AI translation tool and Duong Tien Dat, a K-campus ambassador from Vietnam. “Even though I had studied Korean beforehand and learned a lot about the country, [adjusting to] the reality has been far more difficult than I expected it to be.”

K-campus is an online platform for international students, run by the Korea JoongAng Daily, that offers guidance on life in Korea.

“The people around me are nice, and I haven’t experienced any severe discrimination, but I often find it difficult to follow [conversations] and fully adapt,” Le added.

Her experience reflects a growing contradiction alongside Korea’s higher education ambitions: While universities race to attract international students, many of those students continue to struggle due to language barriers and consequent integration issues.

The gap starts with language barriers

Though Korea has seen the number of international students more than double from 163,699 in 2021 to 328,330 as of April, data shows that this milestone has been achieved without meeting one of the most basic criteria: language requirements.

The Ministry of Education recommends that universities admit students who have achieved at least Level 3 on the Test of Proficiency in Korean, or the Topik, or a score of 59 or higher on the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-based Test, or the Toefl iBT.

In practice, however, many universities admit students who did not meet those standards.

According to recent data from the Korean Council for University Education, more than half — or 50.1 percent — of the country’s 320,000-plus international students fell short of the Education Ministry’s recommended minimum language proficiency benchmarks. At universities outside Seoul, where administrative resources are often more limited, that figure rose to 58.5 percent.

The issue is structural. Admission decisions are largely left to institutional discretion, and universities face no direct penalties for enrolling students who do not meet the ministry’s guidelines.

Language barriers lead to alienation

For Korean students, the growing language divide is beginning to reshape the classroom experience itself.

Group projects, presentations and discussion-based assignments often become sources of anxiety due to the potential risk of having to struggle with communication barriers on top of a difficult task.

“To be honest, many Korean students, myself included, worry about group projects when we are paired with international students,” one Korean student told the Korea JoongAng Daily on the condition of anonymity.

“Sometimes they cannot fully understand the discussions because of the language barrier, but our grades are tied together.”

The frustration, however, appears to run even deeper among international students.

“I know that, as a student who chose to study here, I’m the one who has to work harder to overcome the language barrier,” said Juan Antonio, an international student who asked to be identified by his first name. 

“However, I can’t help but feel discouraged when I sense that Korean students don’t really want to work with us.”

Will AI tools solve the problem?

In response to mounting concerns, many universities have begun introducing AI translation technologies to reduce language barriers during lectures.

Sejong University, Dongseo University, Konkuk University, Hanyang University and KAIST are among the institutions that have implemented real-time AI caption systems capable of generating multilingual subtitles for some major classes. Kyungpook National University has expanded these efforts further by introducing the tool across all regular courses.

On paper, the technology represents a major step toward accessibility, but students and experts agree that translation software alone cannot solve fundamental problems.

“Translation tools can be very helpful, especially during the initial adjustment period,” said Hannah Jun, an international studies professor at Ewha Womans University. “They can assist with everyday communication and help students navigate administrative or academic information more easily.”

However, Jun said that language support is a supplementary service rather than a core component of educational infrastructure.

“But I don’t believe technology alone can fully address the deeper aspects of academic adjustment, cultural understanding or social integration,” she said.

“Genuine integration comes through human interaction and shared experiences, which is why universities should provide substantial support so [international] students can learn and adapt.”

Beyond language: Building integration into campus life

One of the most commonly proposed solutions to such challenges is peer mentoring programs that directly connect Korean and international students.

Many universities, including Yonsei University, Ewha Womans University and Sejong University, currently run “buddy” mentoring initiatives that pair international students with Korean peers who assist with their coursework, language learning and daily campus life.

Universities are also scrambling to operate programs and host events through which international students can more deeply engage with Korean culture and society.

For example, Pusan National University, Chungnam National University, Yeungnam University and Gyeongsang National University run programs that take international students to historic sites to learn Korean history or participate in cultural activities, including craft-making and traditional ceremonies. 

Other institutions, including Daegu Catholic University and Vision College of Jeonju, host local outreach activities in which international students prepare and share food with underprivileged residents or assist those with disabilities in getting ready for weddings by helping with their hair and makeup. 

In some regions, the issue of international student settlement is being dealt with at the local government level.

North Chungcheong launched a foreign resident policy vision last year to attract and retain its international residents. As part of these efforts, the provincial government has been gradually introducing structural initiatives, including a regional visa; career-related programs, such as partnering with companies to provide international students with internships or hosting job fairs specifically for international students; and permanent residency support.

Korea has attracted enough. It’s time to retain.

Experts say such initiatives, though not directly tied to academics, are often effective in helping international students settle into life in Korea because they reduce the social distance that naturally develops in multicultural settings.

“Programs like these help create more natural communication opportunities both inside and outside the classroom,” Prof. Jun said, adding that they also create immersive environments not only for language acquisition but also for social adjustment.

Other experts echoed this view but also emphasized the need to develop ways to help international students settle long-term in Korea to retain those who are already here rather than simply attracting more students.

“The rise in foreign enrollment becomes truly meaningful when international students can fully develop a [...] sense of purpose for their long-term goals,” said Rezia Usman, regional director of the office of international affairs at Woosong University.

“Korea has already proven that it is good at attracting international students. The challenge now is making sure those students feel they are truly learning the [local] language and culture while universities also help them build their careers in Korea.”

“When most of these problems are taken care of by Korean universities, international students will finally start to feel like they truly belong here,” Usman added.

BY YOON SEUNG-JIN [yoon.seungjin@joongang.co.kr]