Ministry of Education

The Ministry of Education (led by Minister Choi Kyo-jin) announced that it visited Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from July 8 to 10 to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on educational cooperation and discuss strategies to expand bilateral ties across various sectors.

This visit was arranged to further solidify educational collaboration following president Lee Jae-myung’s state visit to Mongolia. On July 9, Minister of Education Choi Kyo-jin met with his Mongolian counterpart to share insights on educational innovation and formally sign the MOU.

This agreement marks a significant step forward in deepening cooperation, with plans to extend the scope of collaboration to include school meal services, as well as vocational and technical education and training (TVET). Specifically, both nations will share policies on school meal programs, food safety, and nutritional standards, while also exchanging expertise in vocational training and curriculum development.

Following the signing ceremony, Minister Choi visited the No. 21 Public School, a pilot institution operating a state-of-the-art digital classroom established and supported by the Ministry’s official development assistance (ODA) project for globalization of digital education*. This facility serves as a flagship example of the partnership, utilizing leading-edge ICT to support student learning, teacher professional development, and AI training for government officials, ultimately driving Mongolia’s digital educational transformation.

※ Globalization of Digital Education Project (ODA): A project initiated in 2005 that supports the establishment of ‘digital classrooms’ (leveraging advanced ICT) based on Korea’s digital educational technology. To date, the project has supported over 40 classrooms worldwide, including two classrooms and one digital studio in Mongolia.

On July 10, the Ministry of Education delegation visited the No. 23 Public School in Mongolia to assess the current status of Korean language learning education. Currently, approximately 6,000 students across 33 schools in Mongolia are learning the Korean language. The Ministry remains committed to providing ongoing support through the development and distribution of customized Korean language textbooks and strengthening the professional capabilities of local instructors.

Following this, the delegation visited an institution participating in the “Leading University Project for International Cooperation (LUPIC)*,” an ODA initiative designed to enhance the higher education capacity for developing countries. During the visit to the Mongolian University of Science and Technology (partnered with Eulji University in Korea), the delegation reviewed the progress of the Basic Medical Sciences Capacity-Building Project and discussed strategies to further expand higher education cooperation between the two nations.

※ Leading University Project for International Cooperation (LUPIC, ODA): A higher education capacity-building program (established in 2012) in which Korean universities partner with universities in developing countries to provide comprehensive support for new department establishment, curriculum reform, educational program development, and faculty professional development. To date, the program has supported 53 universities worldwide, including three in Mongolia (Mongolian University of Science and Technology, Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences, and Mongolian National University)

“With approximately 15,000 Mongolian students currently studying in Korea, Mongolia stands as our fourth most significant partner in people-to-people exchange, following China, Vietnam, and Uzbekistan,” said Minister of Education Choi Kyo-jin. “Building upon this MOU, we will expand our practical cooperation across diverse fields, including AI and digital education, school food services, TVET, Korean language education, and higher education. We will continue to work closely together to foster future talent and drive educational innovation in both countries.”