South Korea, Brazil sign education cooperation memorandum to expand Korean-language and AI education

South Korea and Brazil will expand cooperation in education, including Korean-language instruction and AI and digital education.

South Korea's Ministry of Education announced Tuesday that it had signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on education with Brazil's Ministry of Education in Brasilia.

The memorandum is in effect the first official bilateral document to formalize education cooperation since a cultural agreement the two governments signed in 1966.

The two countries agreed to expand cooperation in basic education, vocational and technical education, higher education, and academic research, while also promoting Portuguese-language education in South Korea and Korean-language education in Brazil.

They also plan to share experience in AI and digital education policy — including the use and analysis of education data, personalized learning systems, and digital tools to support teachers and school administration. The two sides will increase exchanges of international students and teachers and strengthen ties between educational institutions in both countries.

As of last year, 1,886 students at 309 schools in Brazil were taking Korean-language classes, primarily through online and after-school programs. The number of Brazilian students studying in South Korea stood at 366 last year, up 70 from 296 in 2024.

The Ministry of Education expects the cooperation to serve as a foundation for expanding its education network beyond Brazil to Latin America as a whole.

Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin said he hoped the agreement would give "both countries a chance to share their educational experiences and wisdom, and open a wider world for the next generation."