China emerges as most popular destination for Korean students

China is expected to overtake the U.S. as the most popular destination for Korean students this year thanks to Beijing’s hefty investment in education and the country’s growing international presence in many fields.

The Korean student population in China rose sharply from 29,102 in 2006 to 66,806 as of last April, according to data provided by the Education Ministry.

Whereas most Korean students went to China to learn the language in the past, an increasing number of Koreans now aim at earning degrees from Chinese universities.

The number of Koreans who went to universities and graduate schools in China nearly doubled in the three years to 28,836 last year.

Over the same period, the Korean student population in the U.S. rose less than 20 percent to 69,124.

The number of Korean students in Japan rose by only about 3,000 in the same period to about 18,000.

The sharp growth of students choosing to study in China reflects the country’s emergence as a global power with the world’s largest population and third-largest economy. 

Increased investment by the Chinese government has also greatly raised the competitiveness of the country’s institutions of higher education, analysts say.
 

(Yonhap)