HANOI — For years, South Korea’s cultural influence and growing business presence made Korean one of the most attractive foreign languages for Vietnamese students. Now, another language is increasingly drawing attention: Chinese.
The shift reflects a practical calculation among Vietnamese language learners—study the language that could open the next job opportunity.
Vietnam has developed deep economic links with both South Korea and China, creating demand for workers who can communicate across borders. As those business relationships evolve, language choices among students and young professionals are evolving with them.
Korean Became a Gateway to Jobs
The popularity of Korean in Vietnam has been closely connected to the presence of major South Korean companies.
Samsung, LG, Hyundai, Lotte, SK and other Korean-linked businesses have established significant operations in Vietnam, creating demand for employees who can communicate in Korean.
The language has also benefited from the popularity of Korean culture, entertainment and education.
Vietnam’s government has increasingly incorporated Korean into its education system. In 2026, Vietnam began recognizing the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) in university admissions, expanding the practical value of an internationally recognized Korean-language qualification.
The scale of Vietnam’s connection with South Korea is also reflected in migration. South Korean government data showed that Vietnam was the largest source of foreigners entering South Korea for long-term stays in 2025, surpassing China for the first time since comparable records began in 2000.
Now Chinese Is Gaining Momentum
Chinese is increasingly being viewed through a similar economic lens.
China is Vietnam’s largest trading partner, while cross-border commerce, manufacturing supply chains, tourism and investment create opportunities for Vietnamese workers who can communicate in Mandarin.
Recent commentary on Vietnam’s changing relationship with China also points to growing interest in Chinese language and culture among younger Vietnamese, although the trend should not be interpreted as a simple replacement of Korean with Chinese.
Instead, students are increasingly looking at where businesses are expanding and what skills employers need.
The Language Classroom Is Following the Economy
The connection between language study and employment is particularly visible in higher education.
Vietnamese universities are expanding international programs and bringing native-speaking specialists into classrooms. The University of Science under Thai Nguyen University, for example, highlighted Korean Studies and Chinese Language and Culture as part of its internationalized teaching programs for the 2026–27 academic year.
That reflects a broader change: foreign-language education is increasingly being treated not simply as an academic subject, but as a career skill.
For students, learning Korean can open doors to Korean companies and opportunities connected with South Korea. Chinese can provide access to another huge regional market.
Korea Still Has a Strong Position
Despite the growing interest in Chinese, Korean remains an important part of Vietnam’s education and employment landscape.
South Korea recorded 314,397 international students as of February 2026, exceeding its government target of 300,000 foreign students two years ahead of schedule. Vietnamese students are among the largest groups contributing to that growth.
Vietnam has also become the largest source of international students at Korean universities, replacing China in that position, according to Korean higher-education reporting.
That means Korean is unlikely to disappear from Vietnam’s language-learning landscape simply because Chinese is becoming more attractive.
A Practical Race for Skills
The bigger story is not necessarily Korean versus Chinese.
It is about how Vietnamese students are responding to changes in the regional economy.
As South Korean manufacturers continue operating in Vietnam and China remains deeply connected to Vietnamese trade and supply chains, young people have an incentive to acquire language skills that complement those economic relationships.
For some learners, Korean may be the route into a Korean company. For others, Mandarin may provide an advantage in trade, manufacturing, tourism or cross-border business.
And for an increasingly connected Southeast Asian workforce, being able to speak more than one Asian language could become an even bigger career advantage.
Vietnam’s language classrooms are therefore becoming a reflection of the region’s changing economic map—where business opportunities can determine which language students choose to learn next.
WWC ONE MEDIA G,A
