Korean Language Learning Booms, but New Sejong Institute Designations Stall

Waiting List in Africa Surges 17-Fold
Only 1 in 5 Applicants Selected This Year
Min Hyungbae: "A National-Level Strategy Is Needed"

Min Hyungbae, member of the Democratic Party of Korea.

With the global surge in interest in learning Korean, the number of applicants on the waiting list for Sejong Institutes has nearly doubled compared to the previous year. However, the pace of designating new Sejong Institutes has actually slowed, leading to criticism that the rapidly increasing demand for Korean language education is not being met.

According to data submitted by Min Hyungbae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea representing Gwangsan-eul in Gwangju, from the Sejong Institute Foundation on October 23, the number of people on the waiting list for Sejong Institutes last year increased by about two times compared to the previous year. In particular, the number of applicants on the waiting list in Africa soared more than 17-fold, indicating an explosive rise in demand for learning Korean. By continent, Asia had the highest number of people on the waiting list at 5,874, followed by the Americas with 4,449, Europe with 3,502, Africa with 1,763, and Oceania with 110.

In contrast, the number of new Sejong Institutes being designated has not kept pace with this explosive growth in demand and is actually declining. In 2021, 38 countries applied for new designations, with 18 countries selected, resulting in a designation rate of 47.4%. However, this year, only 9 out of 43 applicant countries were designated, causing the rate to plummet to 20.9%. This means that only one out of every five applicant countries is being selected.

The Sejong Institute Foundation has set a goal to expand the number of Sejong Institutes from the current 252 in 87 countries to 350 by 2030. However, there are growing concerns that, at the current pace of opening new institutes, achieving this goal will be difficult.

Min Hyungbae emphasized, "The supply is seriously insufficient compared to the rapidly increasing global demand for learning Korean," and stressed, "The government must urgently establish a systematic support plan and an efficient strategy for opening new Sejong Institutes."