An instructor at King Sejong Institute Center Indonesia in Jakarta, Indonesia, on May 30 tells her students about tourism in Seoul. (Official Facebook page of King Sejong Institute Center Indonesia) 

By Margareth Theresia

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and King Sejong Institute Foundation on June 20 announced the opening of 19 additional branches in 16 countries this year based on the results of the designation process. 

The institute, which teaches the Korean language and culture worldwide, will have 248 branches in 85 countries with the latest additions. 

Six countries -- Peru, Malawi, Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Iceland, Austria and Slovenia -- will get their first branches to offer more specialized Korean-language education. 

A combined 81 organizations in 35 countries applied for branches this year. The institute's designation review committee after a four-month screening process made its selections based on demand for and supply of Korean-language education; the organizations' classrooms and reference facilities; instructors and staff; and on-site inspections and interviews. 

With the global spread of Korean culture including to Europe, the Middle East and Africa, surging demand for Korean-language education has prompted a quick addition of branches. 

Jung Hyang-mi, director-general of the ministry's Regional Culture Policy Bureau, said, "Language learning is the key to cultural exchange that boosts inter-cultural understanding and connectivity, and the spread of Korean culture has again led to a boom in Korean-language education." 

"For the Korean-language learning boom to spread to every corner of the world, we will expand the designation of branches globally and upgrade the services of King Sejong Institute with a diverse curriculum, teachers and textbooks tailored to learners' goals and levels," she added. "Through this, we will strive harder to establish ourselves as a trustworthy institution specializing in Korean-language education under the King Sejong Institute brand alone."

Launched in 2007 with 740 students, the institute had 117,636 last year.  

This graphic shows the distribution of King Sejong Institute's branches around the world. (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism)