BUSAN — The number of foreign students in Busan has topped 24,000 for the first time, a record high. With the figure rising more than 60% in the past two years, the city is moving closer to its target of attracting 30,000 foreign students by 2028.
Busan had 24,328 foreign students this year, up 30% from a year earlier, the city said on Sept. 22. The total rose 62.6% in two years, from 14,961 in 2024 to 18,630 last year and 24,328 this year.
The city has consolidated recruitment and support programs that had been run separately by individual universities, and built a support system covering everything from admission to employment and settlement by diversifying the countries it recruits from and linking students to work visas.
In February, the city opened the Study Busan Hub, an integrated support center for foreign students. Working with the immigration office, the hub arranges group fingerprint registration and offers referrals to designated hospitals along with banking and visa counseling. It also connects students to regional specialized visas and metropolitan-area visas so that foreign talent enrolled at local universities can find jobs and settle in Busan.
The city is also broadening the range of countries it recruits from. It has held study-abroad information sessions in Central Asia and other regions and expanded programs that invite local education officials to Busan, widening the base for student recruitment.
The city plans to strengthen support so that foreign students remain in Busan after graduation and grow into part of the local talent pool. "We will provide seamless support across the entire process, from study to employment and settlement, so that global talent can put their capabilities to work in Busan and grow together with the region," Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo said.
