The Gwangju Metropolitan Government will inject KRW 25.85 billion to attract 12,000 international students by 2029. Shown is an induction ceremony for supporters of such students in March last year at Gwangju City Hall. (Gwangju Metropolitan Government)
The Gwangju Metropolitan Government on May 25 announced its 2025-29 comprehensive support plan for such students to resolve the crisis at universities in the region and the shortage of industrial workers.
Under the vision "Gwangju! Your Global Campus," the strategy consists of 13 tasks in three stages: attracting select international students; fostering talent and supporting student life in the city; and helping students to settle in, look for jobs or start businesses there.
First, the city will establish Gwangju Global Hub Center and host an expo for international students in cooperation with universities in the area. Next is construction of a Korean-language center as a base to run a tailored curriculum, support for industry-related internships and startups, and promote a project for customized residence visas ranging from getting foreign students to Gwangju to settling in there.
Next month, Gwangju will launch a strategic council to attract talent from abroad to boost the collaborative structure among the private and public sectors and academia. It will also manage progress in systematic fashion through mid-term and annual reviews.
As of last year, the Greater Gwangju region had 6,339 international students.
hrhr@korea.kr
