On September 8, 2026, Korea's Ministry of Education published the "Innovation Strategy for Foreign Student Development" and the policy direction shifted from an emphasis on enrolment in the past to upgrading the quality of education, student management and post-graduation talent development. The Korean Ministry of Education indicated that the number of foreign students enrolled in 2026 had exceeded 300,000 and that more emphasis would be placed in the future on whether universities had adequate teaching and management conditions.
Since 2029, some universities may have restricted the intake of new students.
According to the strategy announced by the Ministry of Education, if universities are not certified as institutions, or private universities are rated as running crisis universities for the second consecutive year, recruitment to foreign students may be restricted since 2029. It's the future of policy planning, not the immediate total ban on enrolment in 2026.
The Ministry of Education has also indicated that the core indicators for the education and management of foreign students will be changed from 2029 to the necessary indicators, which will be assessed in terms of school leaving, language skills and student support. It is also expected that approximately 10 universities will be selected each year to conduct on-site examinations of students whose education and management cause social problems.
Phased improvement of language competence indicators
The Korean Ministry of Education has proposed that the percentage of foreign students who meet the Korean or English proficiency criteria will increase from over 40 per cent in 2026 to over 50 per cent in 2028 and over 60 per cent in 2030. The actual identification involves language proficiency criteria, such as TOPIK, which should be based on a subsequent official indicator announcement.
At the same time, the policy envisages the strengthening of foreign qualifications, and in the second half of 2026, a draft standard agreement between universities and institutions of study abroad was presented. The Ministry of Education is also planning to establish, as of 2027, a certification of the "Extreme Talent of Excellence abroad" to provide financial support and incentives for the allocation of scholarships to disciplines that link local industries with the results of student employment and settlement.
Implications for Taiwanese students and families
The policy currently addresses the conditions of admission and management of Korean higher education institutions, and does not declare any citizenship restrictions or new uniform visa regulations for Taiwan students. When applying to Korean universities, Taiwan students are still subject to the formal admissions stamp and the Korean visa regulations for the short term.
However, since 2029, when some universities are subject to new recruitment restrictions, applicants need to be more careful about the institutional status of the school, international student support, language requirements and the quality of the curriculum. If Korean universities are chosen for promotion or post-graduation employment planning, attention should also be paid to follow-up official lists and certification criteria, such as the `External Talents of Excellence'.
Policy strategies and time frames are currently being published, and not all details have been codified. The determination regarding eligibility, language threshold, visa or admission number shall continue to be based on subsequent announcements by the Ministry of Education of Korea, the University of Korea and the relevant agencies in Korea.
