Universities here will select more than 4,500 overseas Koreans for special admission this year, the Korea Council for University Education announced Thursday.

Reporting the college admissions process for the 2014 academic year, the KCUE noted on Thursday that 133 schools would admit a total of 4,562 overseas Koreans to undergraduate courses through the scheme.

The admissions process will begin in July, and students with foreign citizenship or who have studied at foreign secondary schools for more than two years are eligible to apply for the special scheme.

Meanwhile, the Education Ministry aims to attract 200,000 foreign students by 2020 as part of efforts to boost the country’s competitiveness in higher education.

In 2012, there were some 90,000 foreign students from more than 150 countries and the number is expected to surpass 100,000 this year, according to the ministry.

By Oh Kyu-wook  (596story@heraldcorp.com)