KS's Global Insights into Higher Education

As per the Ministry of Justice's February 2023 report, South Korean universities now host over 200,000 international students. Of these, around 73% or 146,053 are pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, with the rest engaged in non-degree programs like language studies. This statistic marks a significant, approximately twentyfold surge from the 10,000 international students recorded about twenty years ago. With the target of accommodating 300,000 foreign students and the roll-out of the Study Korea 3.0 strategy, the country is demonstrating a comprehensive commitment to revitalizing its society and economy through international inclusivity. A recent op-ed by a professor from a South Korean research university highlighted the considerable proportion of international students in the engineering research workforce of domestic universities. He posited that their departure would be detrimental to the nation. So, what could persuade them to remain in South Korea? If they were gi