Illustrative image (Photo source: duhocsvc.vn)

Seoul – The number of Vietnamese students in the Republic of Korea (RoK) ranks second, behind China, with 37,490 students as of April 1, according to statistics released by the Korea Educational Development Institute (KEDI).

The figure not only comprises students in tertiary and post-tertiary establishments but also those in non-degree, language, and exchange courses.

The KEDI also reported that the total number of foreign students at universities in the RoK reached a record high of 166,892, which is predicted to continue rising in the near future.

The proportion of Vietnamese students in the RoK increased from 19% to 22.7% last year. However, the majority of them only enrolled in short-term non-degree courses. Among the 42,089 students in non-degree courses in all Korean universities, Vietnamese students made up the most with 11,025 people.

According to Korean experts, Vietnam is a place where many Korean corporations have invested, along with Korean cultural factors such as "K-pop" and the former coach of the Vietnamese national football team Park Hang-Seo, which also contributed to the steady increase in the number of Vietnamese students who love and come to the country.

The RoK's Ministry of Education (MOE) is building the "Study Korea Project" to attract foreign students. At the same time, it will also promote the establishment of a new agency in charge of supporting the attraction of foreign talents.

At present, Hanyang University records the largest number of foreign students with a total of 6,999, followed by Kyunghee University (6,912), Sungkyunkwan University (6,676), Yonsei University (5,926), and Korea University (4,739).

Nine out of ten universities in the RoK with the highest number of international students are in Seoul capital city.