Politics · South Korea · 1 day ago
94% of South Korea’s Digital Training Funds Went to Seoul Region
South Korea’s K-Digital Training program funds courses to prepare people for work in fields such as artificial intelligence and big data.
In 2025, institutions in the capital region received 93.9% of the program’s funding, and Seoul alone received 82.8%.
The capital region also had 75.1% of the training institutions, while most participants in AI and cloud courses were based there.
The program’s employment rate fell from 62.6% in 2022 to 55.9% in 2025.
The share of employed graduates who found work related to their training also declined, from 78% in 2022 to 69.7% in 2024.
Twenty-six fully online institutions received 2.51 trillion won in 2025 and had an average employment rate of 45.3%.
A lawmaker called for stronger training and job opportunities outside the capital region and closer checks on institutions with weak results.
South Korea’s K-Digital Training program directed 93.9% of its 2025 funding to training institutions in the Seoul region.
Seoul alone received 82.8% of the total budget, while institutions outside the region received 6.1%.
Three-quarters of the program’s training institutions were also located in the Seoul region.
The program’s employment rate fell from 62.6% in 2022 to 55.9% in 2025.
Lawmaker Eo Gi-gu called for more regional training capacity and stronger checks on institutions with poor results.
- Who
- The South Korean government’s K-Digital Training program and its training institutions.
- What
- 93.9% of the program’s 2025 funding went to institutions in the Seoul region.
- When
- The funding figures are for 2025; the report was published on October 11, 2026.
- Where
- South Korea, with funding concentrated in the Seoul region.
- Why
- The article says the figures raise concerns about regional education gaps and the program’s effectiveness.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Where people live should not be a barrier to digital education.
The K-Digital Training employment rate was 62.6%.
The share of employed trainees working in training-related occupations was 69.7%.
Seoul-region institutions received 93.9% of the program’s funding, and the employment rate was 55.9%.
Lawmaker Eo Gi-gu received the figures from the Ministry of Employment and Labor.
- Total 2025 funding
- 475.984 billion won
- Seoul-region funding
- 446.748 billion won, or 93.9% of the total
- Seoul funding
- 393.953 billion won, or 82.8% of the total
- Institutions in Seoul region
- 256 of 341, or 75.1%
- Employment rate
- 55.9% in 2025, down from 62.6% in 2022
Sources
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