While China, Hong Kong and Singapore continue to rise in influence and academic reputation, Korean universities are struggling to maintain their global standing, according to the 2025 QS World University Rankings released Wednesday. Only three Korean universities made it into the top 100 this year: Seoul National University at No. 38, Yonsei University at No. 50 and Korea University at No. 61. This marks a drop from five institutions in the top 100 in 2024, sparking concerns that Korea may be lo

South Korea’s top science and engineering university has rolled out a custom-built AI teaching assistant to help students in large graduate courses, and early results show it helped reduce repetitive student questions while encouraging more active, self-directed learning. At Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, a team of researchers led by AI graduate school professor Choi Yoon-jae and design professor Hong Hwa-jung developed a virtual teaching assistant, or VTA, that can answer s

Korea University has announced plans to welcome professors, researchers and students from Harvard University following a move by the Trump administration to revoke the enrollment of international students at Harvard. The university is the first in South Korea to formally step forward with an offer of support for those affected. Korea University, one of the country's most prestigious educational institutions, said it would launch a special program to assist Harvard-affiliated international profes

Acting President Lee Ju-ho called Wednesday for efforts to advance education based on trust and cooperation in the digital era driven by artificial intelligence, casting the AI's emergence as a major shift in human civilization. Lee, the education minister, made the remarks as he attended the ministerial meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, a preparatory session taking place ahead of the APEC summit to be hosted by South Korea's city of Gyeongju later this year. "South Korea i

More than 40 percent of South Korea’s medical school students have been officially held back following a prolonged class boycott that disrupted the first semester of 2025, the Education Ministry announced Friday. With 46 students also confirmed for expulsion, the country’s largest academic disciplinary action in medical education is now official. According to the ministry, 8,305 students, or 42.6 percent of the 19,475 enrolled across 40 medical schools, now have to repeat the semester after fail

Seoul National University professors' association on Monday suggested reforms to South Korea's education system that would allow students to take the college entrance exam multiple times a year, rather than just once as is currently permitted. The Suneung, or College Scholastic Ability Test, occurs on the third Thursday of November every year, the results of which largely dictate the college admissions process. The reform plan announced by the SNU Faculty Council seeks, among other things, to ea

The impact of South Korea’s demographic crisis is far-reaching, with one lesser-known consequence being the threat to the sustainability of the teachers' pension system. As the school-age population shrinks and schools close, teachers are losing their jobs and becoming legally eligible for pension payouts much earlier than expected — sometimes as early as their 30s. According to data released by the National Assembly Budget Office, 410 pension recipients became eligible prematurely due to school

In a move to support the growing global interest in Korean language and culture, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced Monday that it will provide access to Korean e-books to 26 Korean education centers abroad, including in Japan, the United States, and several across Europe. This initiative marks the first time a regional education office in South Korea has launched an overseas e-book support program for Korean language learners. It comes in response to the surging demand for Kor

Amid government ultimatum, medical students return to class — but some remain uncertain After more than a year of protests and walkouts, the coming week is expected to mark a crucial turning point in South Korea’s yearlong medical education crisis, with nearly half of the country’s 40 medical schools setting March 28 as the final deadline for students to return to class. The outcome could determine whether the standoff between the government and medical students over enrollment expansion can fin

Bank of Korea Gov. Rhee Chang-yong on Friday called for reforming South Korea's college entrance system in order to nurture talents capable of leading innovations. Rhee made the point during the opening ceremony of a research institute on population and talent issues at Yonsei University in Seoul. "Leading technological innovation and nurturing talent with creative problem-solving abilities are crucial for South Korea to become a first mover in the world. But the current exam-focused education s

Government data showed Wednesday that around 30 percent of elementary schools in South Korea are using artificial intelligence-backed digital textbooks within their first year of introduction, with a comparably smaller number of middle and high schools using them. Of the 6,339 elementary schools across the country, 1,843 (29.1 percent) have adopted the AI textbooks for 3rd grade English while 1,813 schools (28.6 percent) use them for 3rd grade math, according to the Ministry of Education data su

In the fight for gender equality, women have long been at the forefront, advocating for rights and dismantling systemic barriers. Yet, according to Humberto Carolo, CEO of White Ribbon Canada, achieving true gender equity is impossible without actively engaging men and boys in the conversation. Carolo, a globally recognized expert in gender-based violence prevention, said in an interview with The Korea Herald that changing harmful social norms and redefining masculinity are critical steps in era

4 out of 5 Korean kids attend cram schools, while regional, income disparities widen South Korea’s private education spending has once again reached an all-time high, totaling 29.2 trillion won ($20.1 billion) last year. Despite a decline in student enrollment, the average amount spent per student, participation rate and study hours all increased, highlighting an intensifying dependence on private education. According to data released by the Ministry of Education alongside Statistics Korea on Th

The government will implement a series of measures to enhance safety at schools and prevent incidents like the recent fatal stabbing of an 8-year-old student by a teacher, acting President Choi Sang-mok said Monday. "School safety management will be further strengthened in the new semester," Choi said during a meeting on education policies, emphasizing the need to prevent such tragedies from occurring on school grounds. As part of the measures, the government will push for the swift passage of a

With only 4 months left until admissions process for 2026 kicks off, uncertainty on med school quota fuels confusion among prospective students South Korea’s recent proposal to conditionally roll back its planned hike and cap next year’s medical school enrollment at 3,058 — the quota it was before and has been for the last nearly three decades — has fueled frustration among high school seniors, Suneung test takers and their parents. In February last year, the government announced they would sudd