Korea is strengthening Korean-language education for foreign workers in the manufacturing sector, marking a shift from previous programs that primarily targeted foreigners abroad to those residing in Korea.
"The role of foreign workers at domestic manufacturing sites is becoming increasingly important. The number of foreign workers in Korea has exceeded 1 million, and they have become important members supporting our economy together. However, on the ground, communication difficulties continue due to insufficient Korean language skills, and various problems persist, including a lack of understanding of safety rules and difficulties adapting to job duties," Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choi Hwi-young said. "Today's agreement is highly significant in that the government, public institutions, private companies, and foundations have joined forces to address these on-site problems. We hope this cooperation will improve foreigners' safety, communication skills, and job comprehension, and contribute to stable operations and improved productivity at manufacturing sites. Furthermore, we hope that based on the King Sejong Institute's global network, Korean-language education will spread to overseas industrial sites, greatly helping our companies' overseas expansion and the dissemination of the value of the Korean language. We hope today's agreement will become a model case for solving social problems through public-private cooperation."
"It is an honor to be part of such a meaningful occasion. Speaking personally, having lived abroad for a long time since childhood, I have always felt how much more meaningful and enjoyable studying and social life would have been if I had known the local language better," said Sung Kim, President of Strategy and Planning at Hyundai Motor Group. "As the role of foreign workers in Korea grows, I personally feel how wonderful it would be if these people could learn Korean. From the company's perspective as well, it is needed not only for work but also for becoming a member of the community, and communication must be smooth for safety. Because this program is very important and meaningful both for the company and for individuals, we will work hard to operate it on a larger and deeper scale."
While there have been previous Korean-language programs for foreign workers in fields such as agriculture, fisheries and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions), training for manufacturing workers, who account for the largest share, has been neglected.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday with Hyundai Motor Group, the King Sejong Institute Foundation (Chairman Jeon Woo-yong), and the K-Mobility Bridge Foundation (Chairman Ahn Jeong-gu) at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art's Seoul branch in Jongno-gu, Seoul, to support customized Korean-language education focused on job duties and safety for foreign workers in the manufacturing sector. Prior to the signing ceremony, Minister Choi and President Kim personally explained the significance of the agreement.
According to the MCST, the agreement was prepared to resolve communication problems for foreign workers at manufacturing sites and to support industrial safety and workers' job adaptation. It is particularly significant as a public-private cooperation model in which the government, public institutions, private companies, and foundations participate together.
The MCST and participating institutions plan to establish a Korean-language education system tailored to the job characteristics of the manufacturing sector and jointly promote a public-private cooperation model for industrial-site Korean-language education. In addition to the special-purpose Korean-language textbooks already developed for the agriculture, fisheries and MICE sectors, they will newly develop and distribute Korean-language textbooks for the manufacturing sector focused on job duties and safety.
The roles of the participating institutions have also been subdivided. The MCST will be in charge of establishing special-purpose Korean-language education policies and support systems, while the King Sejong Institute Foundation will handle business operations such as developing educational content and designing curricula. Hyundai Motor Group will plan the Korean-language education support project model, fund implementation costs, and strengthen linkages between domestic and overseas business sites. The K-Mobility Bridge Foundation will connect manufacturing companies to ensure that on-site education is carried out smoothly.
Hyundai Motor Group will bear the financial burden, while the specific scale of annual support and execution methods will be determined through separate consultations.
The MCST plans to pilot Korean-language education at domestic manufacturing sites this year, targeting about 20 Hyundai Motor Group supplier companies, and then gradually expand the cooperative project over three years through 2028 to provide customized Korean-language education to about 1,300 foreign workers at 130 supplier companies.
The developed textbooks and content will be released as public works, and the ministry plans to consult with related ministries to expand the scope of beneficiaries to various industrial sites. The number of employed foreigners residing in Korea exceeded 1.1 million in 2025.
"This agreement is significant in that it goes beyond Korean-language education centered on educational institutions and establishes a Korean-language education model linked to industrial sites," the MCST said. "By utilizing the network of 252 King Sejong Institutes in 87 countries worldwide, it will also contribute to the dissemination of the Korean language at manufacturing sites around the world."
