King Sejong Institute network expands abroad while partner withdrawals trigger closures

According to data submitted to Rep. Cho Eun-hee, the Culture Ministry-affiliated King Sejong Institute Foundation terminated 131 overseas institutes between 2013 and August, 62.6% of which were due to operators ending their contracts. The closure rate accelerated, with 27 of the 35 institutes that closed in the past three years doing so at the operators' request. Despite these losses, the network expanded to 273 institutes across 89 countries, adding 29 new designations this year, including the first centers in Greece, Rwanda and Sri Lanka, and 19 partnerships with Korean educational institutions.

Stability remains fragile: 44.3% of the closed institutes operated for three years or less, and 12 institutes closed in 2025, exceeding the 11 newly designated that year. An anonymous foundation official linked the surge to rapid pandemic-era expansion and noted that the foundation's budget has been unchanged for about three years while rising exchange rates reduced real funding. The government’s proposed budget seeks higher allocations and promises stronger oversight to keep future institutes viable.