Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hwang Hee on June 9 holds an online meeting with the heads of the newly designated branches of King Sejong Institute at the institute's foundation in Seoul's Seocho-gu District after announcing the addition of 26 branches in 18 countries. (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism)

King Sejong Institute, a center for promoting the Korean language and culture, will newly open in 18 countries this year.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hwang Hee on June 9 at the King Sejong Institute Foundation in Seoul's Seocho-gu District announced the addition of 26 branches in the 18 nations.

The institute was launched in 2007 with 13 branches in three countries, and the figures will rise to 234 in 82 nations with the latest additions.

Countries slated to get their first branches are Morocco (Lavat); Tanzania (Dar es Salaam); Bolivia (La Paz); Slovenia (Ljubljana); and Nepal (Kathmandu).

Vietnam, which designated Korean a major option for foreign language in schools, and Uzbekistan, whose Academy of the Armed Forces has adopted Korean as a foreign language elective, will each get five more branches.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the foundation made the selections after considering 85 institutions in 43 countries through document screening and video interviews.

They said their aim is to boost the number of branches to 270 by next year and promote cultural exchanges by hiring more customized teachers from and running teacher training in host countries and promoting cultural exchanges through lectures.

Minister Hwang said, "Despite the difficult situation due to the prolonged pandemic, I'm delighted to have seen hotter global interest in Korea in the process of designating new branches of King Sejong Institute this year."

"We will spare no policy support to spread the Korean language as the focus of the new Hallyu to the world."