Vietnam leads in number of engineering, natural sciences students in South Korea

By VNA April 27, 2025 | 04:28 pm PT

A group of students at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, April 17, 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Minh Nga

Vietnam has become the leading source of international students enrolled in engineering and natural sciences programs in the South Korea, accounting for 25.1% of the number of foreign students in these fields.

The data released by the South Korean Ministry of Science and Information and Communication Technology is based on the South Korea's first official survey on international students in science and engineering disciplines.

In 2024, the country hosted a total of 29,187 international students in these sectors, including 20,186 undergraduate students and 9,001 postgraduate students. China ranked second with 24.5%, followed by Uzbekistan with 9.7%.

The number of Korean students pursuing studies in science and engineering abroad is at a comparable level, reaching 29,770. This figure includes 20,438 undergraduate and 9,332 postgraduate students.

The U.S. remains the top destination, attracting 44.9% of these students, followed by Japan (13.9%) and Canada (11.8%).

To bolster the development of its science and technology workforce, the Korean Government has announced a significant increase in its 2025 investment budget.

The total allocated budget will rise to 9.28 trillion won (US$6.47 billion), an increase of 1.45 trillion won from 2024. Particularly, the scholarship fund for outstanding students in science and engineering will be raised from 50.7 billion won to 57.3 billion won.