▲ King Sejong Institute Foundation
Driven by the global popularity of K-content, the demand for Korean language learning is surging, leading to a rapid expansion of King Sejong Institutes, which are dedicated to teaching the Korean language and culture.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced, in collaboration with the King Sejong Institute Foundation, that it has designated 29 new King Sejong Institutes across 23 countries.
With this addition, the total number of King Sejong Institutes worldwide has reached 273 across 89 countries.
The Ministry stated that 102 institutions from 45 countries applied for this round of new designations, marking the highest number of applicants in the past five years.
Last year, the number of students who took Korean language classes, both online and offline, at King Sejong Institutes worldwide reached 239,020, the highest figure on record.
Following an expert review, the newly designated institutes this year include locations in Greece, Rwanda, and Sri Lanka, countries that previously did not have any King Sejong Institutes.
In Greece, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki will operate an institute in cooperation with Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, while in Rwanda, the International Covenant College in the capital, Kigali, will run one in partnership with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Rwanda.
In Sri Lanka, where there has been high demand for Korean language learning but a lack of systematic educational institutions, the University of Ruhuna in Matara will conduct Korean language programs in collaboration with Dongwon Institute of Science and Technology.
Additionally, 19 domestic educational institutions are participating in the King Sejong Institute project for the first time, including Seoul National University, which will operate an institute in partnership with the University of Mataram in Indonesia.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism expects that the participation of these domestic universities will help attract outstanding international talent to Korea and strengthen the internationalization capabilities of the universities.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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