International students create works centered on Hangeul at Yonsei University's Korean Language Institute in Seoul, Tuesday, a day before Hangeul Day. Yonhap

Despite the Korean government's efforts to promote Hangeul, the Korean alphabet, globally, progress is being hindered by inadequate infrastructure, including poor working conditions for language teachers and a shortage of schools abroad, a survey and government data showed Wednesday.

As the number of foreign nationals living in Korea continues to grow, calls for increased support for Hangeul education infrastructure are becoming more urgent.

Furthermore, the rising interest in Hangeul, fueled by the global popularity of K-dramas and K-pop, highlights the necessity for enhanced measures to effectively meet the increasing demand for Korean language learning.

One of the significant challenges facing Korean education is the inadequate working conditions for Korean language teachers.

A recent survey conducted by the civic group Workplace Gabjil 119 and the Korean Language Teacher Association, which polled 524 Korean language teachers from Aug. 26 to Sept. 13, found that 95.2 percent of respondents reported that their current income was insufficient to make a living.

The survey found that 15.6 percent of teachers earned less than one million won ($744) per month, while 39.7 percent earned between one million and two million won.

Also, 93.4 percent of the respondents indicated that they had not used their annual leave in the past year, while 83.8 percent reported being unable to take paid sick leave, even when they were ill.

Furthermore, only 23.3 percent of the teachers were employed full-time or on indefinite contracts, with 59.9 percent working as fixed-term contract employees. Additionally, 14.5 percent were employed through indirect means such as subcontracting or dispatch services.

When asked if they would recommend the profession to a family member or acquaintance, 88.1 percent of respondents said they would not, highlighting widespread dissatisfaction among teachers over the challenges and poor working conditions they face.

International students take part in a Korean essay contest at Yonsei University Korean Language Institute in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

Korean education facilities overseas are also struggling to keep pace with the growing global demand for Korean language learning.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, interest in learning Korean has surged worldwide, but the number of overseas Korean language schools has been declining.

According to the Ministry of Education, the number of such schools stood at 1,433 last year, a 17.4 percent drop from 2019, before the pandemic.

Korean language schools abroad are voluntarily established by Korean communities and receive certification and support from the Overseas Korean Agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

However, many of these schools have struggled to recover after financial hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. From 2019 to 2021, 210 schools temporarily closed, with some remaining shut for up to three years due to ongoing financial difficulties.

The King Sejong Institute, renowned for its high-quality Korean language curriculum, is also struggling to meet surging demand.

Run by the King Sejong Institute Foundation under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the institute was established with the aim of encouraging and promoting Korean language learning worldwide.

As of February, 15,698 foreign nationals were on the waiting list to enroll in the institute, more than doubling from last year.

However, with only 248 institutes globally, it has been difficult to keep pace with the growing demand. Even in Asia, where 146 institutes operate across 30 countries, many people remain on waiting lists, particularly in countries like India, Vietnam and Indonesia, where interest in Korean culture is booming.

"As Korean education institutes overseas rely on sending teachers from Korea, meeting the demand for qualified instructors has become a challenge," said an official at the Korean Cultural Center in Los Angeles, who is in charge of the Korean language program.

"There is also a need to train teachers overseas who can settle in the region and teach Korean."