On 19 May 2026, Article 28-2 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (초·중등교육법) was amended, and this article has been in force since 20 August 2026. The term ‘multicultural students, etc.’ used in the law was changed to ‘migrant-background students, etc.’, and superintendents of education now have a new duty to establish and carry out support measures to improve the educational environment of migrant-background students.
Who counts as migrant-background students, etc.
The law calls the following children and students ‘migrant-background students, etc.’.
- Children or students who are members of a multicultural family
- Children or students who are foreign nationals living in Korea and are about to enter or are attending an elementary school, middle school, high school, special school, or similar school
The law does not use a specific status of stay as its standard; it looks at whether the child lives in Korea and is about to enter or is attending school. So children of asylum seekers, recognized refugees, and humanitarian stay holders may also be included if they meet this condition.
What changed
- Change of name: ‘multicultural students, etc.’ became ‘migrant-background students, etc.’. Where other laws say ‘multicultural students, etc.’, this is also taken to mean ‘migrant-background students, etc.’.
- Superintendents’ duty to set up support measures: superintendents of education must establish and carry out support measures to improve the educational environment, such as keeping the number of migrant-background students at each school at an appropriate level, taking into account local conditions and the characteristics of migrant-background students. This includes making sure that migrant-background students are not overly concentrated in some schools.
- Principals’ duty to make efforts: school principals must make efforts to guarantee equal educational opportunities for migrant-background students and to create a school environment where all students respect diversity and live together.
Special Korean language classes
If needed, superintendents of education can set up and run special classes for things such as Korean language education for migrant-background students, and the Minister of Education and superintendents of education can provide the necessary funds and staff. Special classes are not automatically created at every school, so you need to check with your school or the office of education.
Multicultural Education Support Centers
The Minister of Education and superintendents of education can set up or designate Multicultural Education Support Centers (다문화교육지원센터) to support the education of migrant-background students. Depending on the region, they support Korean language education, adjustment to school, counseling on further education, and so on, so you can ask your local office of education which programs are available.
Asking for support in school life
If your Korean is not good enough, if it is hard to keep up with classes, or if you experience discrimination or bullying, you can ask for help from your homeroom teacher, the school counseling office, the teacher in charge of migrant-background students, or the office of education.
Things to keep in mind
The core of this amendment is the change of name and the superintendents’ duty to set up support measures. It is not a program that automatically pays scholarships or cash to every student. The actual support programs and the documents required may differ between regional offices of education and schools.