Global students choose Seoul for dynamic opportunities, safety despite high costs, competition

International students are increasingly choosing Seoul for its safety, efficient public services and rich culture, according to a Korea Times survey of its Global Supporters. Students also said the city offers a dynamic academic environment and broad educational, professional and cultural opportunities. They cited high housing costs, intense competition and limited institutional support as key drawbacks.

The Korea Times surveyed international students in its Global Supporters program about their experiences living and studying in Seoul.

British newspaper Financial Times reported that Seoul is rising in popularity among international students and offers a relatively manageable cost of living compared with New York, London and Paris.

Marie, a Canadian undergraduate at Ewha Womans University, said she wanted to take advantage of Korea’s growing international role and experience a very different way of living from Canada.

Malapin Vanny from Cambodia said being in Seoul has allowed her to participate in extracurricular activities with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment.

Students said rooms in Seoul can be surprisingly small and expensive, and Marie said universities often do not provide strong integration, language help, communication or accommodation support.

Published Sep 24, 2026 4:00 pm KST

International students taste "songpyeon," or traditional Korean rice cakes, and "yugwa," or traditional Korean fried rice puffs, during a Chuseok cultural event hosted by Sookmyung Women's University in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

Seoul is increasingly becoming a top destination for international students, driven by its high level of safety, efficient public services and rich culture, according to a recent survey conducted by The Korea Times among its Global Supporters.

In the survey, international students shared their firsthand experiences of studying and living in the Korean capital. They said the city has various appealing points, but at the same time, pointed out challenges like expensive housing costs, intense competition and limited institutional support.

The survey findings show a broader shift in global education trends. British newspaper Financial Times recently reported that Seoul is surging in popularity among international students as the capital city offers a unique lifestyle and relatively manageable living costs compared to major Western cities such as New York, London and Paris.

Why students pick Seoul

Safety, administrative efficiency and a dynamic academic environment emerged as primary reasons for choosing Seoul over other global study destinations. To capture the insights and lived realities of foreigners studying in Korea, The Korea Times Global Supporters program brings international students together to share their everyday life and study experiences here.

Marie, a Canadian communication and media undergraduate at Ewha Womans University who has lived in Korea for five years, sees the capital as a key player on the international stage.

"I saw Korea as a growing player on the international stage so I wanted to take advantage of this and have the chance to engage with more opportunities by living here and be able to experience a way of living that was completely different from Canada," Marie said.

For Karel Kym, a Canadian graduate student studying international peace and security at Korea University, coming back to Seoul to pursue her master's degree was a natural choice after completing a great exchange program.

"When I first came to Korea four years ago, I was also attracted by how dynamic and vibrant the country felt for university students," Kym said. "There was always something new to experience, whether academically, culturally or socially."

Christian Munch Erden Scheibler from Germany, a global business administration student at Sungkyunkwan University, highlighted Korea's high living standards and swift administrative processing.

"In Korea, studying at a university doesn’t mean just studying there, it feels like becoming a part of something bigger and more prestigious," Scheibler said. "Korea is known for being a safe country and everything you do is fast-paced especially when it comes to documents, where everything can be done in a week."

International students try out "pungmulnori," or traditional Korean percussion music, during a fall semester club fair at Ajou University in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Sept. 2. Yonhap

Nguyen Thuy Duong from Vietnam, a media communication student at Kwangwoon University, emphasized the coexistence of tradition and cutting-edge technology as a deciding factor.

"I chose to study in Korea because I wanted to deeply experience a new culture where traditional culture and modern advanced technology coexist within an excellent educational environment," the Vietnamese student said.

"I found it particularly attractive that I could learn the values of tradition while directly experiencing rapidly developing technologies like AI and social trends on site."

Omuralieva Elnura from Kyrgyzstan, a media communication student at Dongguk University, was drawn by the city's world-famous media and entertainment industry.

"While watching Korean variety shows, I was deeply impressed by how the production team constantly comes up with new ideas and implements them into actual content," Elnura said. "There were many new formats and directing methods that were not easily found in programs from other countries, which made it even more interesting."

When asked why they chose Seoul specifically, respondents underscored the capital's overwhelming concentration of educational, professional and cultural resources.

Anna Teresa Scierska from Poland, a political science and international relations graduate student at Chung-Ang University, pointed to Seoul's unmatched networking advantages for those pursuing international careers.

"After living in Korea, I have become more aware of how strongly Seoul-centered Korean society can be, particularly when it comes to education, employment, cultural events and professional networking," Scierska said.

"For someone hoping to build a career connected to Korea and international relations, being in Seoul gives me access to opportunities that would be much harder to reach elsewhere."

Malapin Vanny from Cambodia, a public administration undergraduate at Dongguk University, said Seoul allows her to turn classroom learning into real-world experience.

"Being at the center of government and public institutions has allowed me to participate in extracurricular activities with organizations such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment," she said. "These experiences have allowed me to see what I study in the classroom being practiced in society."

International students consult with corporate recruiters during a job fair held at Tongmyong University in Busan, Nov. 6, 2025. Newsis

Challenges facing international students

Despite numerous advantages, foreign students also candidly addressed the downsides of living in Seoul, pointing to steep housing costs, language barriers and a lack of support systems for full-time international students.

Marie pointed out that while coming to study in Seoul is relatively easy, the support system provided by universities once students arrive remains limited.

"Universities do not offer great services or help to international students in terms of integration, language help, communication and accommodation, which often times leave students having to find the information by themselves," she said.

She added that strict visa laws and a tough job market present severe hurdles for full-time foreign students hoping to build a long-term career in the city after graduation.

Housing expenses and intense competition were also cited as major drawbacks. Vanny mentioned that rooms in Seoul can be surprisingly small and expensive, while Scierska described the constant stress of living in a crowded city.

“Seoul offers an incredible number of opportunities, but at the same time, it often feels like everyone is trying to access the same limited spaces, services and experiences at the same time,” Teresa said.

Foreign students choose Seoul over New York, London, Paris for vibrant culture, cheaper rent: report

据《韩国时报》对其全球支持者进行的一项调查显示，越来越多的国际学生选择首尔，因为这里安全、公共服务高效且文化底蕴深厚。学生们还表示，首尔拥有充满活力的学术环境以及广泛的教育、职业和文化机会。他们指出，高昂的住房成本、激烈的竞争和有限的机构支持是主要的不足之处。

《韩国时报》通过其“全球支持者”项目对在首尔生活和学习的国际学生进行了调查。

英国《金融时报》报道称，首尔在国际学生中越来越受欢迎，与纽约、伦敦和巴黎相比，首尔的生活成本相对较低。

就读于梨花女子大学的加拿大本科生玛丽表示，她想利用韩国日益增长的国际影响力，体验与加拿大截然不同的生活方式。

来自柬埔寨的玛拉平·瓦尼表示，在首尔的经历让她有机会参与外交部、教育部、文化体育旅游部以及气候能源环境部的课外活动。

学生们表示，首尔的房间可能出乎意料地小而且昂贵，玛丽说，大学通常不会提供强有力的融入、语言帮助、沟通或住宿支持。

发布于2026年9月24日下午4:00（韩国标准时间）

周二，在首尔淑明女子大学举办的中秋节文化活动中，国际学生品尝了韩国传统年糕“松饼”和韩国传统炸米花“柳果”。（韩联社）

据《韩国时报》最近对其全球支持者进行的一项调查显示，首尔正日益成为国际学生的首选目的地，这得益于其高度的安全、高效的公共服务和丰富的文化。

在调查中，国际学生分享了他们在韩国首都学习和生活的亲身经历。他们表示，这座城市有很多吸引人的地方，但同时也指出了一些挑战，例如高昂的住房成本、激烈的竞争和有限的制度支持。

调查结果显示，全球教育趋势正在发生更广泛的转变。英国《金融时报》近期报道称，首尔在国际学生中越来越受欢迎，因为与纽约、伦敦和巴黎等西方主要城市相比，这座首都城市拥有独特的生活方式和相对较低的生活成本。

为什么学生选择首尔

安全、高效的行政管理和充满活力的学术氛围是选择首尔而非其他国际留学目的地的主要原因。为了深入了解在韩留学生的所见所闻和真实生活，《韩国时报》全球支持者项目汇聚国际学生，分享他们在韩国的日常生活和学习经历。

玛丽是一名在梨花女子大学攻读传播与媒体专业的加拿大本科生，她在韩国生活了五年，她认为首都是国际舞台上的关键角色。

“我看到韩国在国际舞台上是一个日益壮大的角色，所以我希望利用这一点，通过在这里生活获得更多机会，并体验与加拿大完全不同的生活方式，”玛丽说。

对于在韩国大学攻读国际和平与安全专业的加拿大研究生 Karel Kym 来说，完成一个很棒的交换项目后，回到首尔攻读硕士学位是一个自然而然的选择。

“四年前我第一次来韩国时，就被这里充满活力、生机勃勃的大学氛围所吸引，”Kym说道。“无论是在学术、文化还是社交方面，总有新鲜事物可以体验。”

来自德国的克里斯蒂安·蒙克·埃尔登·谢布勒是成均馆大学全球商业管理专业的学生，​​他强调了韩国的高生活水平和快速的行政处理流程。

“在韩国，上大学不仅仅是学习，更像是成为一个更大、更负盛名的群体的一部分，”谢布勒说。“韩国以安全著称，而且一切节奏都很快，尤其是在办理文件方面，所有事情都可以在一周内完成。”

9月2日，在京畿道水原市亚洲大学秋季学期社团招新会上，国际学生试奏了韩国传统打击乐“风物乐”。（韩联社）

来自越南的光云大学媒体传播专业学生阮翠阳强调，传统与尖端技术的并存是一个决定性因素。

“我选择去韩国留学，是因为我想深入体验一种新的文化，在那里传统文化和现代先进技术在一个优秀的教育环境中并存，”这位越南学生说。

“我发现，我既能学习传统价值观，又能亲身体验人工智能等快速发展的技术和社会趋势，这一点尤其吸引我。”

来自吉尔吉斯斯坦的奥穆拉利耶娃·埃尔努拉是东国大学媒体传播专业的学生，​​她被这座城市举世闻名的媒体和娱乐产业所吸引。

“在观看韩国综艺节目时，我深深地被制作团队不断涌现的新创意以及将这些创意融入实际内容的能力所折服，”艾尔努拉说道。“节目中出现了许多其他国家节目中不常见的全新形式和导演手法，这让韩国综艺节目更加引人入胜。”

当被问及为何选择首尔时，受访者强调了首都首尔在教育、职业和文化资源方面的高度集中。

来自波兰的安娜·特蕾莎·谢尔斯卡是中央大学政治学和国际关系专业的研究生，她指出首尔为那些追求国际职业发展的人提供了无可比拟的人脉优势。

“在韩国生活之后，我更加意识到韩国社会是以首尔为中心的，尤其是在教育、就业、文化活动和职业人脉方面，”斯凯尔斯卡说。

“对于一个希望在韩国和国际关系领域发展事业的人来说，身处首尔让我有机会接触到在其他地方很难获得的机会。”

来自柬埔寨的马拉平·瓦尼是东国大学公共管理专业的本科生，她说首尔让她能够将课堂学习转化为现实世界的经验。

“身处政府和公共机构的核心岗位，让我有机会参与外交部、教育部、文化体育旅游部以及气候能源环境部等机构的课外活动，”她说道。“这些经历让我能够看到课堂上学习的知识在社会中的应用。”

2025年11月6日，在釜山东明大学举办的招聘会上，国际学生与企业招聘人员进行交流。（图片来源：Newsis）

国际学生面临的挑战

尽管有很多优势，但外国学生也坦率地指出了在首尔生活的缺点，例如住房成本高昂、语言障碍以及缺乏对全日制国际学生的支持系统。

玛丽指出，虽然来首尔留学相对容易，但学生抵达后大学提供的支持体系仍然有限。

她说：“大学在融入社会、语言帮助、沟通和住宿方面并没有为国际学生提供很好的服务或帮助，这往往导致学生不得不自己去寻找信息。”

她补充说，严格的签证法和严峻的就业市场给希望毕业后在该市建立长期职业生涯的全日制外国学生带来了巨大的障碍。

住房成本和激烈的竞争也被认为是主要缺点。Vanny提到首尔的房间可能出乎意料地小而且贵，而Scierska则描述了生活在拥挤城市中持续不断的压力。

“首尔提供了大量的机会，但与此同时，人们常常感觉每个人都在试图同时获得相同的有限空间、服务和体验，”特蕾莎说。

报告显示，外国留学生选择首尔而非纽约、伦敦、巴黎，是因为首尔拥有充满活力的文化和更低的租金。