SEOUL, April 19 (AJU PRESS) – Paraguay will adopt Korean as a second foreign language for middle and high school students starting in August, Seoul officials said Friday.
The education ministries of Korea and Paraguay have recently signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in providing Korean education in the South American country.
Under the agreement, Paraguay will include Korean as a regular second foreign language option that can be taught in secondary-level schools. Students will also be able to use their Korean language scores for university entrance.
Demand for the Korean language in Paraguay has increased thanks to the rising popularity of Korean pop culture.
The number of Korean language learners in Paraguay's middle and high schools has more than doubled from about 1,900 in 2017 to around 4,800 at the end of 2023.
Korean language courses are also offered at higher education institutions such as the military academy, Columbia University of Paraguay and University of the Integration of the Americas.
As of 2023, Korean has been designated as a second foreign language subject in 23 countries and included as a subject in college entrance exams in 10 countries, according to the Ministry of Education.
Korean education firms are trying to take advantage of this opportunity to expand their presence overseas.
For example, Visang Education is pushing to introduce its artificial intelligence-based education technology to Paraguay.
"Our AI-powered Korean learning platform, 'Master K,' may alleviate challenges caused by the high cost of hiring human teachers. It will also help Paraguayan students' access to additional learning materials." Paul Rho, global business division head, told Aju Press. Master K has been exported to 11 countries, including the U.S., Japan, and Austria.
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