- South Korea opens its 47th Korean Education Center in Jakarta to support overseas Koreans and strengthen international education exchange.
- The center aims to promote Korean language learning, study-abroad pathways, and cultural engagement for both Koreans and Indonesians.
- Indonesia’s growing interest in Korean culture and education positions the center as a key hub for academic collaboration and regional outreach in Southeast Asia.
Indonesia's capital Jakarta saw the opening of another Korean Education Center by South Korea's Education Ministry, as it tries to renew its commitment to supporting overseas Koreans while strengthening international education exchange. The move is part of a broader push to promote Korean language learning and give systematic study-abroad routes to Korea for students around the world.
Such facilities are aimed at providing lifelong learning opportunities for Korean nationals residing abroad and acting as strategic contact points for cultural and educational exchange with the local community. The Jakarta center represents the 47th Korean Education Center worldwide and symbolizes the continuous effort the ministry has been making to increase educational outreach since the establishment of the first center in Japan during the 1960s.
In Southeast Asia, it is the fifth center after the establishments set up in Thailand, Vietnam, and other regional countries. Such expansion underscores the growing importance of the region to South Korea's international education strategy and underlines Indonesia's potential as a strong partner in cultural and academic exchange.
It is the world's fourth-most populous country, with about 270 million people, and is home to some 27,300 ethnic Koreans. The increasing global popularity of Korean pop culture, including K-pop and K-dramas, along with more extensive exports of culture, means local interest in Korea keeps growing.
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To that end, the South Korean government has also strategically enhanced its educational presence, setting up the Jakarta center for both Korean nationals and Indonesians who want more exposure to Korean language and culture. Simultaneously, in addition to the opening of this center, the ministry has established a student recruitment section responsible for promoting the increase of Indonesian students in Korea to pursue higher education.
This plan also includes developing more systematic Korean language courses throughout Indonesia to enhance students' language skills and prepare them for higher education in South Korea. The center will assume a central role in cultural exchange by hosting workshops, language classes, and other collaborative activities between local institutions and universities in South Korea.
Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin emphasized the strategic importance of the Jakarta center, adding that Indonesia's keen interest in Korea positions the center for a central role in international educational exchange in Southeast Asia. Choi stressed that the ministry would actively support the center to ensure its success, implying that the South Korean government is committed to the development of both overseas Korean communities and foreign students alike.
As such, the Jakarta Korean Education Center marks one of South Korea's most significant steps to date in expanding its educational presence worldwide, advancing cultural understanding, and deepening academic and professional relations between Korea and Indonesia.
