A Critical Review of the Internationalization of Korean Higher Education: The Evolution and Relevance of International Student Recruitment Policy

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the development and appropriateness of policies for attracting international students, which lie at the core of the internationalization of higher education in Korea. A literature review was conducted using policy documents, research reports, academic literature, educational statistics, and news articles. The findings are threefold. First, the policy evolved through four stages—introduction, quantitative expansion, strengthened quality management, and renewed expansion—while consistently emphasizing quantitative recruitment targets. Second, the addition of multiple goals, including university financial stability, industrial workforce needs, and responses to regional population decline, has blurred policy priorities and created tensions between cultivating highly skilled talent and meeting immediate enrollment and labor needs. Third, although current policy seeks to link recruitment, education, employment, and settlement, institutional coordination across these stages remains insufficient. The findings suggest a need to shift the policy focus from quantitative expansion to educational quality, clarify policy priorities, and strengthen coordination among relevant actors.