March 2025
Writer. Sung Ji Yeon
On Feb. 11, the Ministry of Education reviewed plans to provide tailored educational support for immigrant students. This policy builds upon and refines the migrant student support measures established in Sept. 2023, incorporating feedback from field practitioners and experts.
The Ministry of Education’s new policy framework includes the following measures: First, it aims to enhance educational effectiveness at schools with high concentrations of immigrant students. To ensure all students’ right to education, when certain schools have an excessive concentration of immigrant students, regional education offices will be empowered to adjust these concentration levels based on local conditions, with new legal provisions being developed to support this. Additionally, schools with high immigrant student populations (defined as schools with over 100 total students where migrant background students make up more than 30% of the student body) will receive additional teaching staff and support personnel. These schools will also receive enhanced support through connections with local financial resources and infrastructure.
The ministry is also expanding customized educational support for immigrant students. Multicultural students, or those born through international marriages in Korea, will receive support through an integrated student support system—a student-centered comprehensive framework designed to address various barriers in education, including economic hardship, abuse, lack of basic academic skills, school violence and psychological or emotional issues. For students who immigrated during their school years or those from international families, support will be enhanced based on their citizenship status, Korean language proficiency and visa status, including Korean language education and psychological counseling.
Furthermore, the educational support program, which has primarily focused on elementary schools, will be expanded to middle and high schools. This includes increasing the number of Korean language classes in secondary schools and developing new guidance materials for students seeking information about visa status, career paths and academic advancement. The Ministry of Education is also working with the Ministry of Justice to improve visa regulations, enabling immigrant students to settle or work in Korea after high school graduation. For vocational high schools, where the number of migrant background students is increasing, specialized educational models will be developed to enhance career and employment support.
The policy strengthens teacher training and creates a network for educators at high-immigrant schools to share methods. To support migrant students sustainably, the Ministry of Education is drafting new legislation and partnering with Educational Development Zones to expand successful teaching models.
1. Cultural Korea 2035 Seeks National Transition for AI Era
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has announced Culture Korea 2035, a mid- to long-term vision for cultural policy.
2. Institute Unlocks Secret to Top-notch AI Translation of Korean
The National Institute of Korean Language, an affiliate of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is speeding up the development of artificial intelligence based on Korean under the recognition that data is crucial for national competitiveness.
