The number of South Koreans studying abroad reached 123,000 as of 2012, making the country the third-largest exporter of students in the world, according to recent research.

A UNESCO report on outbound internationally mobile students, China was the biggest sender, with 694,000 students abroad, followed by India with 189,000; Korea with 123,000; Germany with 117,000; Saudi Arabia and France with 62,000 each and the U.S. with 58,000. The study counted students who studied at higher education institutions for more than a year to gain a diploma. Exchange students were excluded.