Study Korea 300K: What Korea's Expansion Plan Means for ASEAN Students
By Muntasir • Published Jul 20, 2026 • Updated Aug 08, 2026 • Study Abroad
In August 2023, South Korea's Ministry of Education launched the Study Korea 300K project, aiming to raise international student numbers to 300,000 by 2027, up from about 207,000 in mid-2023. Korea actually met that target about two years early, passing 300,000 in 2025 and reaching roughly 314,000 by February 2026.
🎓 Target: 300,000 international students by 2027, about 220,000 in degree programs and 80,000 in non-degree programs
💵 Minimum bank balance for a student visa is set to fall, with more part-time work hours allowed
📩 Global Korea Scholarship STEM slots are set to expand
⏱️ Permanent residency track for graduate degree holders shortens from 6 years to 3 years
🏠 Officials discussed lowering some TOPIK admission requirements from level 4 to level 3
What the Study Korea 300K project targets
South Korea's Ministry of Education announced the Study Korea 300K project in August 2023, setting a goal of 300,000 international students studying in Korea by 2027. At the time of the announcement, Korea hosted about 207,000 international students, so the target represents roughly a 30 percent increase over 4 years. The plan splits the target into approximately 220,000 students in degree programs and 80,000 in non-degree programs such as language institutes, according to ICEF Monitor's coverage of the announcement. Korea ended up hitting the target well ahead of schedule. Enrollment passed 300,000 in 2025 and reached roughly 314,000 by February 2026, about two years before the original 2027 deadline, according to Times Higher Education .
Why Korea is pushing this
Korea's university-age population has shrunk for years as the country's birth rate stays among the lowest in the world, leaving many universities, especially outside Seoul, with empty seats and shrinking tuition revenue. International students help fill classrooms and are increasingly framed as a source of skilled workforce, not just tuition income, which is part of why the plan pairs recruitment targets with a faster path to permanent residency for graduates.
Easier financial and visa requirements
The plan lowers the minimum bank balance students must show to qualify for a student visa, a requirement that previously shut out some applicants who otherwise met academic admission standards. It also raises the number of hours international students can work part-time while studying, giving students more room to cover living costs alongside a scholarship or family support.
More scholarships and a faster path to residency
The Ministry plans to expand Global Korea Scholarship slots, including doubling STEM-focused awards, alongside 6,000 scholarships earmarked for students in non-science fields. The plan also raises admission quotas for several partner countries. It shortens the permanent residency pathway for graduate and postgraduate degree holders from 6 years to 3 years, a change aimed at keeping skilled graduates in Korea's workforce after they finish their studies.
Regional universities outside Seoul face the sharpest enrollment gaps and often recruit ASEAN students more actively than Seoul's most selective schools, sometimes with lower admission bars and additional scholarship support. Compare offers carefully, since a regional university's program strength and post-graduation job market access can differ significantly from a Seoul-based equivalent.
The TOPIK question
Officials floated lowering the standard TOPIK requirement for some university programs from level 4 to level 3, to widen access for applicants still building their Korean. Universities pushed back over concerns about classroom readiness, so this has not become a uniform national rule. Check requirements directly with your target university rather than assuming a lower TOPIK bar applies everywhere.
What it means for ASEAN applicants
ASEAN countries, especially Vietnam, already send large numbers of students to Korea, and a bigger overall target generally means more university recruitment activity, more scholarship rounds, and continued growth in Korean-language and degree program seats aimed at the region. The lowered financial proof threshold and expanded part-time work hours matter most for self-funded applicants who previously struggled to show the required bank balance. At the same time, Korea has tightened scrutiny on visa transfers from certain high-overstay-risk applicant pools, so easier entry requirements do not mean lighter screening once you are inside the system. Confirm the latest scholarship quotas and visa rules for your specific country through your Korean embassy or the Study in Korea portal before applying.