Education New Zealand: Market Brief
Korea
February 2004
Korea is the second largest source of international students for New Zealand institutions, and forms an important part
of New Zealand’s international marketing strategy. Student numbers rose substantially during 2003, and whilst full
figures are not yet available, the indications are that they topped the 20,000 mark.
Korean students are primarily concentrated in the English Language and Schools sectors. Numbers in both sectors grew
during 2003, with student numbers in schools climbing 45% to 7,232. This makes Korea the largest market for schools,
well ahead of the 5,376 from China.
A special feature of the Korean market is the presence of younger students in schools, at an intermediate and primary
level. The presence of younger students places a premium on effective pastoral care, and changes to the Code of Practice
during 2003 reinforced and strengthened provisions relating to very young students. A particular innovation was the
mandatory requirement for very young students to be accompanied in New Zealand by a parent or legal guardian. To support
this measure guardianship visas, which enable a parent to stay for the duration of the students education, have also
been introduced.
Significant numbers of Korean students also participate in tertiary education, with close to 2000 students spread fairly
evenly across universities, polytechnics and private providers. Overall, the Korean market is worth over $300 million
per year to New Zealand, making it tremendously significant for both economic and educational reasons.
New Zealand’s institutions have had a lot of experience in the Korean market, and have led the development of the
industry to its current size. However, the joint Education New Zealand/NZT ‘Five Steps Forward’ marketing programme supports the institutional efforts through a variety of initiatives, including
the hosting of agents in New Zealand, seminars in market, media visits and a very successful Combined Education Fair in
Seoul with Australia.
Although it is a mature market, New Zealand certainly does not take Korea for granted. The success of our institutions
is built on the provision of a quality education that delivers the results that Korean students want. The entire
industry works hard to ensure that New Zealand continues to meet Korea’s needs.
ENDS