Six Korean Institutions Recognized for International Student Employment and Settlement Support: How Their Programs Differed

The Ministry of Education evaluated employment, entrepreneurship and settlement support for international students at 27 universities. On July 28, it awarded grand prizes to Kyung Hee University and Jeonju Vision University and excellence awards to Kangwon National University, Kyungbok University, Kyungsung University and Chungnam National University. The evaluation considered employment, entrepreneurship, settlement and global networks in terms of strategy, specificity, effectiveness and scalability. More important than the names of the awards is that the six institutions addressed the same issue through very different program units.

Kyung Hee University turned extracurricular experience into a visible record

Kyung Hee University’s KHU-PASS linked 25 extracurricular programs. In the submitted case summarized by the ministry, 208 students participated in the pilot during the second semester of the 2025 academic year, and seven earned certification. The program issued 185 digital badges per semester, while participation rose from 196 to 527 instances. The design focused less on offering a large number of activities and more on enabling students to preserve records of completion and competencies.

Jeonju Vision University connected the Saemangeum Korean Language School with local government. Its submission reported a cumulative 334 students from Myanmar from 2023 to 2025 and a 73.7% rate of TOPIK Level 3 or higher in 2025, along with employment for 54 graduates and settlement within the province for 85. It was a case of operating language education together with a pathway to local settlement.

Kangwon National and Kyungsung expanded contact with workplaces

Kangwon National University reported 531 participants in language, digital and employment programs from 2024 to 2026, 360 participants in Global House and part-time job support for 336 students. It operated internships with 19 companies; 22 of 27 participants completed them and three found employment. Kyungsung University opened an international student employment support center in May 2025, built a network of 43 companies and organizations, and provided 430 on-site interviews and 104 employment and visa consultations at a job fair. The number reported for employment and settlement rose from 13 to 21.

Both cases created separate places and processes for meeting companies rather than offering counseling alone. However, counts of interviews, consultations and participation are not the same as individual employment outcomes.

Kyungbok and Chungnam National linked majors with employment and entrepreneurship

In medical beauty, Kyungbok University reported 34 partner hospitals, mentoring for 95 students and field training for 13. It said two graduates had obtained E-7 status and two more were in the process. Chungnam National University operated a 15-student entrepreneurship track and company-student projects, and reported employment links for 13 students at five companies.

The performance figures in the Ministry of Education material summarize cases submitted by each university and do not guarantee the same outcome for every international student. They do, however, give prospective students clues for asking more than whether a school has employment support: which links it actually operates among extracurricular records, language and region, internships, on-site interviews, major-based training and entrepreneurship projects.

Sources and scope of verification

The award results, evaluation criteria and figures for each university were checked on August 4, 2026, in the Ministry of Education press release and its official attachment. Current recruitment and participation eligibility, as well as individual outcomes, should be confirmed again with the relevant university.