A Korean government-run institution to attract international students from the US interested in studying in Korea will be established and operated for the first time in Los Angeles, the Education Ministry has said.

Consisting of office space and an exhibition room to promote studying in Korea, the Study in Korea Information Center in LA will provide assistance to students by connecting them with universities in Korea, according to officials.

The establishment comes after the ministry acknowledged the need to attract more international students and to improve Korea's educational competitiveness. It highlighted its goal to diversify the countries of origin of international students and actively attract students from North America and Europe.

South Korea is a popular destination for international students seeking to study abroad. Over 200,000 students come here to study annually, but those students have largely been coming from Asian countries such as China, Vietnam, Mongolia and Uzbekistan, the ministry said. International students from North America accounted for 2 percent of all international students here in April this year.

Meanwhile, in the US more than 25,000 students were learning Korean at 217 elementary, middle and high schools as of the end of 2023. There were 140 universities with Korean language courses and departments in the cited period, according to the official.

In addition, demand for studying abroad at Korean universities is steadily increasing due to growing interest from teenagers and young adults in Korean culture, including K-pop and Korean TV, the government noted.

In response, the Korean Education Center in Los Angeles, an organization established by the government dedicated to spreading Korean language and culture, has been conducting promotional activities in Southern California, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico, such as visiting schools that have adopted a Korean curriculum and weekend Korean language schools.

The center has also been laying the foundation for attracting international students in the US by cooperating with seven Korean language centers in North America, according to the ministry.

With the opening of the Study in Korea Information Center in LA, the center will hold a fair in the city of Buena Park, California, near Los Angeles, on Saturday and Sunday.