Seoul expands support as foreign student numbers rise to record high

As international student enrollment in the Korean capital climbs to record highs, city officials are expanding a flagship program designed to turn transient scholars into permanent residents. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday that applications for the third cohort of its “30 Days in Seoul” initiative will open April 1, a move aimed at smoothing the transition for a foreign student population that now exceeds 82,000. The expansion follows an aggressive national recruitment drive to counter Korea’s plummeting birth rate, a demographic shift that has brought nearly 300,000 international students to universities nationwide to fill the void left by a shrinking local population. By offering a month of intensive settlement support, the city is betting that stronger early integration will help secure the long-term labor influx its economy needs. A city official said the program reflects a shift in policy focus from attracting global talent to strategic long-term settlement, aiming to encourage international graduates to remain in Seoul and enter the local workforce rather than

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