Sejong Institute Expanded to 244 Locations in 84 Countries

Entered Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, etc. for the first time
19 times increase since 2007, cumulative students 580,000

Foreign students participating in the Sejong Institute Outstanding Learners Invitation Training are learning Bongsan Talchum at the National Hangeul Museum in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the 5th. Organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Sejong Institute Foundation, the participants of this training will stay in Korea until the 10th, experiencing various Korean cultures such as Samulnori, K-pop, and Taekwondo. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Sejong Institutes teaching Korean language and culture will be established for the first time in seven countries including Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. On the 16th, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Sejong Institute Foundation announced that they will add 23 Sejong Institutes in 19 countries. These include Queretaro in Mexico, Wentzville in the United States, Vinh in Vietnam, Tashkent in Uzbekistan, Bandung in Indonesia, Yanbian in China, and Phnom Penh in Cambodia. They will be newly established in Pretoria (South Africa), Tunis (Tunisia), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Kuwait City (Kuwait), Luxembourg, and Tampere (Finland). A Ministry of Culture official explained, "The locations were selected considering the spread of Hallyu, the entry of Korean companies, and the willingness of the local government agencies." Seoul is also included as a target location. It will support overseas adoptees born in Korea who have returned to receive systematic education in Korean language and culture.

With this, the Sejong Institutes will expand to 244 locations in 84 countries. This is 19 times more than the 13 locations first established in 2007, including Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia. The annual number of students has also increased about 110 times, from 740 to 81,476. The cumulative number of students is 584,174. Notable alumni include Tyler Rasch (United States), a broadcaster, and Nansi Castro (Mexico), the first foreigner to major in Gyeonggi folk songs at the Korea National University of Arts. Lee Jin-sik, Director of Cultural Policy at the Ministry of Culture, said, "Despite the difficulties of face-to-face education due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, interest in the Korean language and culture remains high," adding, "We will spare no policy support to make more people feel the charm."

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