The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday with Hyundai Motor Group, the King Sejong Institute Foundation and the K-Mobility Bridge Foundation to provide tailored Korean-language education focused on job duties and safety for foreign workers in the manufacturing sector. The agreement was signed at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art's Seoul branch in Jongno, Seoul.
"The ability to communicate in Korean at industrial sites is a critical issue directly linked to worker safety," Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young said. "We hope this agreement will become a model case of public-private cooperation that helps foreign workers adapt to their duties safely and contributes to productivity and social integration."
According to the ministry, the number of foreign workers employed in Korea surpassed 1.1 million in 2025. Calls have grown for stronger Korean-language education, as many workers struggle to understand work instructions and safety regulations at industrial sites.
The agreement aims to address communication challenges faced by foreign workers in manufacturing settings and to support industrial safety and job adaptation. It is notable as a public-private cooperation model bringing together the government, public institutions, private companies and foundations.
The ministry and participating organizations plan to build a Korean-language education system tailored to manufacturing job characteristics and jointly pursue a public-private industrial-site education model. Korean-language textbooks currently exist for industries including agriculture, fisheries and MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions).
Under the agreement, the ministry will establish policies and support systems for special-purpose Korean education, while the King Sejong Institute Foundation will handle program operations, including content development and curriculum design. Hyundai Motor Group, led by Strategic Planning Officer and President Sung Kim, will design the Korean-language education support model, fund implementation costs and strengthen links between domestic and overseas business sites. The K-Mobility Bridge Foundation will connect manufacturers to ensure smooth on-site training.
The ministry plans to pilot the program at about 20 Hyundai Motor Group suppliers this year, then gradually expand the cooperation over three years through 2028 to provide tailored Korean-language education to foreign workers at supplier companies. During that period, the program will cover 130 companies and approximately 1,300 workers.
The textbooks and content developed through the program will be released as public works, and the ministry will consult with relevant agencies to expand the program's reach to other industrial sites.
"This agreement is significant in that it goes beyond Korean-language education centered on educational institutions and establishes a model linked to industrial sites," a ministry official said. "It will also contribute to spreading Korean at manufacturing sites worldwide by utilizing the network of 252 King Sejong Institutes in 87 countries."
