Diploma Fees for Diplomat Children, Up to Tens of Millions of Won per Semester Provided

Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-eun] It has been revealed that the tuition fees for children of diplomats working overseas were paid up to tens of millions of won per semester.

According to data received by Kim Young-joo, a member of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 5th, the total tuition fees supported for 2,840 children of 1,846 diplomats working at overseas missions from 2017 to 2019 amounted to 39.63 million dollars (46.3 billion won).

Overseas missions that received tuition support exceeding 20,000 dollars per semester included Hiroshima in Japan, Houston in the United States, Fukuoka in Japan, Hong Kong, Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam, Hungary, Hamburg in Germany, and the Philippines.

In particular, last year, the Consulate General in Hiroshima, Japan, provided tuition support of 35,277 dollars per semester, approximately 4.23 million won, for a diplomat's child in the first year of middle school, which was the largest amount of tuition support provided.

For kindergartens, there was no limit on tuition support if the child attended an international school. Additionally, elementary, middle, and high school students could receive tuition support for up to 65% of the excess amount if prior approval was obtained from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, effectively allowing unlimited support.

Meanwhile, since last year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has increased the tuition support allowance for diplomats' children from the previous 600 dollars to 700 dollars. According to regulations on government employee allowances, tuition fees for elementary, middle, and high school students were fully supported up to 600 dollars per month, and 65% of any excess amount could be paid. However, considering that elementary and secondary education is compulsory in Korea and the actual availability of schools for Korean nationals, the support was raised from 600 dollars to 700 dollars per month.

In this regard, Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha mentioned in her New Year's address at the opening ceremony in January last year, "We have slightly increased the tuition support allowance for children, which many employees have felt a financial burden from, for the first time in 17 years."

Assemblyman Kim said, "Supporting tuition fees of tens of millions of won per semester goes against common sense of the public," and added, "It is necessary to revise related regulations so that the state cannot support the excess amount."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.