Korean would become a mandatory requirement for a part-time work permit as a way to assess how diligently students study, and the grace period is meant to give students and universities time to prepare, the ministry said in a Q&A released with the plan on Oct. 7.

Permits would rest on two criteria, Korean proficiency and grades, with the language requirement tightened to Level 3 of the Korea Immigration and Integration Program, The Korea Herald reported.

Undergraduates who fall short of the current Korean requirement can still work up to 10 hours a week, compared with up to 30 hours on weekdays for those who meet it, according to guidance for international students published by Seoul National University and Korea University.

Departments that run weekend, evening or online courses in ways that favor work over study would lose preferential visa treatment, including simplified paperwork, even if their universities hold government certification.

The package, drawn up over about five months by a public-private council launched on April 20, also eases financial checks for students proficient in Korean and proposes a gap-year visa, new routes from study to work and residence, and a multiple-entry visa for graduates who have returned home, The Korea Herald reported.

The number of international students living in South Korea has climbed from about 17,000 in 2004 to about 200,000 in 2022 and more than 300,000 in 2025, reaching about 350,000 in August this year, according to ministry data.

Vietnamese are the largest group. They numbered 115,939, or 37.9% of the 305,807 people holding study or language-training visas as of Jan. 31, ahead of Chinese at 25.2%, The Korea Times reported in February, citing Justice Ministry data.

"We will provide greater opportunities for growth to students who have a genuine purpose for studying and the necessary capabilities, while responding firmly to cases in which the student visa system is abused," Vice Justice Minister Lee Jin-soo, who is serving as acting minister and chaired the council, said in remarks carried by The Korea Herald.

A university student talks on the phone as she leaves at Ewha Woman's University in Seoul, South Korea, Nov. 30, 2015. Photo by Reuters

Under the plan, applicants who hold Level 4 or higher on the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK), or have completed Level 4 of the Korea Immigration and Integration Program, would no longer have to prove separately that they can cover tuition and living costs.

Students at universities without government certification must currently show 20 million won ($15,000), or 16 million won ($12,000) outside the greater Seoul area, according to a draft strategy paper the ministry released with the announcement.

Applicants seen as high-risk, such as those from countries where the likelihood of overstaying or illegal work is considered high, would instead face a wider deposit system that requires study funds to be held in an account for a set period, a model the ministry said Germany and Canada use, according to Kyunghyang Shinmun.

South Korea introduced such a requirement in March 2019 for Vietnamese language trainees, who had to put $10,000 in a restricted account, The Korea Times reported at the time.

The ministry also plans to work with South Korea's diplomatic missions abroad on a registration system for overseas student recruitment agencies, citing complaints about excessive fees, inaccurate information and forged documents.

The gap-year track would let students from OECD member countries explore study and career options in South Korea before university, Money Today reported. Vietnam is not an OECD member.

For graduates, the D-10 job-seeking visa now allows a stay of up to three years. Those who meet the Korean requirement would keep that limit, while those who do not would be capped at two years, according to the Q&A.

Science and engineering graduates who meet Korean-language and other conditions could switch to E-7 skilled-worker visas for jobs in manufacturing and other designated sectors, and a proposed "K-Tech Master Visa" would take graduates of specialized technical master's programs from a D-2 study visa to F-2 residency, Seoul Economic Daily reported.

Five dedicated support centers at regional immigration offices would handle student visa and residency matters in one place, and an online checklist would set out employment visa requirements by occupation.

Measures within the ministry's own authority will be rolled out from the second half of this year, while those requiring coordination with other ministries, such as the agency registration system and the support centers, will be developed through further government talks.