A Korean language textbook with Khmer translations (Ministry of Education) The Ministry of Education on Thursday held a graduation ceremony for the first batch of Cambodian Korean language teachers at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, with 11 graduates set to begin teaching at local schools from the 2026-27 academic year.
The program selected students who majored in Korean or scored at least Level 4 on the Test of Proficiency in Korean, aiming to train them as Korean language teachers.
Participants completed 105 hours of coursework across 11 subjects since September 2025, including Korean language education theory and teaching practicums.
The program was jointly developed by South Korea’s Ministry of Education, Cambodia’s Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, the South Korean Embassy in Phnom Penh, the Korean Education Center in Ho Chi Minh City, and the Royal University of Phnom Penh.
Cambodia’s education authorities began piloting Korean language classes in 2021 as after-school programs at three high schools. This year, about 2,000 students at 17 high schools are learning Korean.
Until now, Korean language instructors in Cambodia have largely been recruited from among Korean majors or those with study experience in South Korea.
The new training program aims to establish a more systematic approach to developing local teachers and improving the quality and effectiveness of Korean language education, the Korean Education Ministry said.
The ministry has been developing and distributing Cambodia-specific Korean language textbooks with Khmer translations since 2024, in response to requests from Cambodia’s education authorities and local needs.
Currently, only English and French are recognized as official foreign language subjects in Cambodia, with government-appointed teachers assigned to those subjects. Korean language teachers, by contrast, are classified as private instructors.
The ministry said it plans to work with the Cambodian government to elevate Korean to the status of an official foreign language subject.
“Cambodia is a key partner country with strong potential demand for Korean language education,” said Seol Se-hoon, director general for planning and coordination at the Education Ministry.
“We will continue to provide multifaceted support, including training local teachers and distributing tailored textbooks, to ensure high-quality Korean language education in Cambodia.”
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