Ministry of Education Holds 'Online Korean Study Abroad Fair' with 9 Local Governments

Operation of Local Government Online Special Exhibition from 22nd to December 1st
Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Gangwon, Chungnam, Jeonnam, Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam Participating

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The Ministry of Education and the National Institute for International Education will hold the '2022 Korean Study Abroad Fair with Local Governments' online for 10 days from the 22nd to December 1st.

The Korean Study Abroad Fair (STUDY IN KOREA FAIR) has been held overseas since 2001 to promote the excellence of Korea's higher education worldwide and attract international students. However, due to the COVID-19 situation, it has been operated in various formats including online.

The Korean Study Abroad Fair can be accessed through the Korean Study Abroad Comprehensive System's fair website and is operated as ▲Specialized Fair for Junior Colleges ▲Local Government Specialized Fair ▲Country-specific Customized Fair ▲Theme-based Fair.

The 'Local Government Specialized Fair,' where local governments and universities jointly promote regional living, cultural information, and characteristics intensively, has attracted more than 200,000 participants in both the first and second halves of last year.

This fair will feature special pavilions operated by 9 local governments including Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Gangwon, Chungnam, Jeonnam, Gyeongbuk, and Gyeongnam, along with 84 universities.

Each local government provides promotional materials reflecting regional characteristics such as local industries, cultural heritage, and tourist attractions. For overseas students, real-time automatic translation chat counseling, Q&A consultations, and real-time local government briefings are supported.

The number of foreign students in Korea has steadily increased. Due to COVID-19, the number slightly decreased from 160,165 in 2019 to 153,695 in 2020, but increased again to 166,892 this year.

The Ministry of Education plans to announce a new ‘Study Korea Project’ starting next year.

Ryu Hye-sook, Director of the National Institute for International Education, said, "We will actively work with local governments and universities to attract excellent overseas students, enabling them to study at regional universities, settle in the area, and establish a foundation for growth."