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North Chungcheong sets goal of having 20,000 international students

Published: 11 Nov. 2025, 14:50

LEE TAE-HEE
[email protected]

Kim Young-hwan, the governor of North Chungcheong, speaks during a meeting — regarding the province's goal of having 20,000 international students — on Nov. 10. [NORTH CHUNGCHEONG PROVINCIAL OFFICE]

North Chungcheong hopes to have 20,000 international students in the province by 2027, raising its original goal of 10,000 students after surpassing that mark this year.

The North Chungcheong provincial government held a meeting with the Chungbuk RISE Center, Chungbuk Institute for Lifelong Education and local universities on Monday, during which they set a goal of having 20,000 international students by 2027.

North Chungcheong's first goal of 10,000 international students was set in 2023, when it had only 4,066. The figure rose to 5,053 in 2024 and reached 10,537 this April.

During the meeting, officials discussed ways to attract more international students to the area and create support measures to help them stay after graduation.

The province also plans to expand the K-Guardian program, in which residents are “assigned” to international students and mentor them.

“North Chungcheong achieved remarkable progress, recording the highest increase in international students with an on-year 92.1 percent growth,” said Kim Young-hwan, the governor of North Chungcheong. “The province will work with universities and institutions to not only attract students but also help them settle down [here], achieving our goal of having 20,000 international students and establishing North Chungcheong as a global education hub.”

BY LEE TAE-HEE [[email protected]]