International Students in Ewha

Surging international students in Sinchon

Mariam Siradze (24), left, and Mariam Chkhaidze (24) leaves campus to travel Jeju island on vacation

by Jung Da-hyun

Mariam Siradze (24) and Mariam Chkhaidze (24), both hailing from Georgia, are graduate school students at Ewha Womans University in Seoul. They embarked on a journey of over 7,300 miles to pursue their studies in Korean literature.

It has been a year since their arrival in Korea, and they express great satisfaction with their experiences. "Our experience at the university has been overwhelmingly positive. The professors, campus facilities, and various activities provided are all good, " Chkhaidze shared.

As the COVID-19 situation is getting better and interest in Korean culture continues to grow, the number of international students, like Siradze and Chkhaidze, coming to Korea is on the rise. Approximately 167 thousand students arrived in Korea for studying abroad last year, marking a 10% increase from 2021, according to the Korean Educational Development Institute. 

Siradze and Chkhaidze have been studying Korean literature for 6 years, including the time in Georgia. Siradze remarked, "My interest in Korean began with listening to K-pop. Studying here presents a great opportunity for me to delve into Korean literature in great detail, which is not really available outside of Korea." 

Upon completing their graduate degree at Ewha Womans University, their plan is to return to Georgia and teach the Korean language.