Ministry of Education holds '2026 Vietnam Korea Study Fair' in Hanoi: over 90 institutions including Korean universities expected; Vietnam is 31.5% of international students in Korea

The Ministry of Education held the '2026 Vietnam Korea Study Fair' at the Grand Plaza Hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam, over two days from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1. The event was organized by the Korean Education Center in Hanoi, which operates under the Ministry of Education. The ministry announced beforehand that more than 90 institutions would take part, including 72 Korean universities as well as Korean companies operating in Vietnam and public agencies. It projected more than 15,000 visitors. The ministry expected the fair to be the largest of the 15 study fairs organized this year by Korean Education Centers overseas.

In promoting the fair, the ministry gave it the headline 'Career and job opportunities that open up in Korean.' With a Study Abroad Zone, an Employment Zone and a Communication Zone, the fair was designed to guide visitors through the 'study-employment-settlement' stages in one place.

Three zones: Study Abroad, Employment and Communication

The venue was divided into three zones, to provide information at each 'study-employment-settlement' stage and to foster cooperation among institutions.

• Study Abroad Zone. Korean universities and related institutions offered study-abroad counseling.
• Employment Zone. Korean companies operating in Vietnam took part.
• Communication (Networking) Zone. It supported cooperation and exchanges between universities.

During the fair, the Korean Education Center in Hanoi was set to sign memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with 15 Korean universities. The agreements are intended to attract outstanding Vietnamese students and to build a framework for cooperation in education and international exchange. The parties to the agreements are the Korean Education Center in Hanoi and Korean universities, not Vietnamese universities. Some universities separately announced after the event that they had signed agreements, but the full list of the 15 has not been officially released.

Scenes from the first day

According to on-site reporting by The Financial News, on Oct. 31, the first day of the event, Korean companies operating in Vietnam ran job and career counseling booths in the Employment Zone and held special lectures on getting a job in Korea. The embassy held a briefing session on student visas. More than 2,400 people signed up through online pre-registration alone, and participating institutions were reported to number 76 Korean universities and related institutions. The actual number of visitors has not yet been announced.

Background in numbers: 307,000 international students in Korea, 31.5% from Vietnam

Student statistics lie behind the decision to hold a large-scale fair in Vietnam. In the Korean Educational Development Institute's 2026 Basic Education Statistics (as of April 1, 2026), international students at higher education institutions in Korea (based on registered students) numbered 307,464, up 54,030 (21.3%) from a year earlier.

By nationality, Vietnam ranks first and China second. By program, however, Chinese students account for the highest share (31.7%) of degree programs, while Vietnamese students make up 46.1% of non-degree programs such as language training. Degree-program students rose 24.6% from 179,190 a year earlier, and non-degree students, including those in language training, rose 13.5% from 74,244. These figures are based on enrollment at higher education institutions such as universities, junior colleges and graduate schools, so they differ from the Ministry of Justice's statistics on foreign residents (the number of study and training visa holders).

Korean-language fever in Vietnam: more than 44,000 students at 213 schools

The number of students learning Korean in Vietnam is also rising. As of 2026, more than 44,000 Vietnamese students at 213 schools are learning Korean in regular or after-school classes, up about 30% from a year earlier. Vietnam also had the most applicants for the 2025 Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) among countries where the test is administered overseas, with 85,480.

The Ministry of Education explained that the Vietnamese government has adopted Korean as a first and second foreign language and that, starting this year, TOPIK scores are recognized in Vietnamese university admissions. How TOPIK scores are factored into university admissions was not included in the announcement.

Ministry of Education: "Linking Korean-language education with talent recruitment"

Lee Nan-young, Director General for International Education Planning at the Ministry of Education, said Korean-language education can develop over the long term only if Korean classes overseas lead to students' competitiveness and career exploration. The ministry said it will continue to link Korean-language education with the recruitment of outstanding overseas talent through Korean Education Centers.

This is not the first fair in Hanoi, either. Last July, a Korea Study Fair with 71 Korean universities and related institutions was also held in Hanoi. Earlier this year, Korea Study Fairs held in two Central Asian countries, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, drew more than 8,600 visitors, including local students and parents.

What Vietnamese students should also check

Counseling at the fair is the first step in exploring schools. After choosing a school, you must check each school's admission guidelines and visa requirements yourself. Here is what to check after counseling:

• The 2027 academic year international student admission guidelines and application deadlines of the schools you consulted
• Whether the school is IEQAS-certified and whether it is subject to visa issuance restrictions
• The TOPIK requirement for the department you are applying to and the validity period of your score
• Apostille or consular legalization of your diploma and transcripts
• A blocked-account (payment-reserved) bank balance certificate for study expenses for your visa application (issued by a bank, within 30 days before the visa application date)

Criteria for choosing a school are covered in How to find Korean universities that accept international students, and the visa process after admission in Guide to applying for a D-2 student visa after admission.

There are also program-specific guides for Vietnamese students. The difference between junior colleges and vocational training is explained in Vietnam's 'vocational study abroad' visas explained, and preparation for master's programs in Korean master's study for Vietnamese bachelor's graduates.

--- Details of the fair are based on the Ministry of Education's press release (Oct. 29, 2026), and student statistics on the Korean Educational Development Institute's 2026 Basic Education Statistics (as of April 1, 2026).