The number of international students in South Korea has passed 300,000 this year, with students from Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Nepal and elsewhere filling a growing share of the seats once dominated by students from China. The share of international students dropping out before finishing their studies has also fallen over the past two years.
According to a data brief published Sunday by the Korean Educational Development Institute (KEDI), there are roughly 307,000 international students in the country this year. That figure includes graduate students and those enrolled in nondegree programs such as Korean language courses.
At four‑year universities and junior colleges, the number of international students nearly doubled from 96,258 in 2017 to 190,737 in 2025. Enrollment at four‑year institutions, which include general and industrial universities, rose 70.4% over that period, from 90,095 to 153,477. At junior colleges, it grew more than sixfold, from 6,163 to 37,260.
The makeup of that student body has changed considerably. Chinese nationals accounted for 59.9% of international students at four‑year universities in 2017 (53,943 students), but only 29.2% (44,804) last year. Over the same period, the share of Vietnamese students climbed from 10.9% (9,856) to 28.7% (44,082), nearly drawing level with China.
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