Select KIIP classes to charge fees starting January as free programs come to an end

Several Korea Immigration & Integration Program (KIIP) classes will no longer be free starting January next year, according to the Ministry of Justice on Wednesday.

The Ministry of Justice building in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi [YONHAP]

Several Korea Immigration & Integration Program (KIIP) classes will no longer be free starting from January, said the Ministry of Justice on Wednesday.

Those wishing to take KIIP levels 1 to 4 classes, which are each 100 hours long, will have to pay 100,000 won ($76) starting Jan. 1. The KIIP level 5 basic class, a 70-hour curriculum, will cost 70,000 won, while the 30-hour KIIP level 5 advanced class will be 30,000 won.

The program fees are set at 20 percent of the original cost, amounting to 1,000 won per hour.

The KIIP level 0 class will continue to be free for all students.

KIIP is a program developed by the Justice Ministry to teach foreigners about living in Korea. Completing the program offers benefits such as exemption from the written test for naturalization and additional points when applying for permanent residency visas.

Students will be required to pay fees at the end of the class, before taking the final certification exam.

The Justice Ministry will continue to offer all KIIP classes for free to certain groups, while allowing exceptional students to pay reduced fees.

Foreigners holding certain miscellaneous G visas — G-1-1, G-1-2, G-1-7, G-1-9, G-1-10 and G-1-11 — as well as minor children with F-2-2 and F-1-52 visas, will be able to take all KIIP courses for free. Those receiving livelihood benefits under the National Basic Living Security Act, people with severe disabilities and direct family members of national merit recipients will also be eligible for free KIIP classes.

Students with perfect attendance and those selected as outstanding students by the lecturer will only need to pay half the required fees.

According to the ministry, it decided to charge fees for KIIP classes because free courses hindered student motivation. Additionally, the availability of free classes made it difficult for the ministry to open more classes, despite rising demand for KIIP.

A total of 58,028 foreigners took KIIP classes in 2023, an increase of 37.6 percent on year. As of August this year, 63,892 people have participated in the classes.

BY LEE TAE-HEE [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]