The University of Languages and International Studies in Vietnam has opened a master's degree program in Korean language. 

The Hanoi-based university, affiliated with Vietnam National University, held a launching ceremony on Wednesday for the Southeast Asian country’s first master program teaching Korean. 

A total of 13 students have enrolled in the program through two recruiting processes this year. 

The move comes amid growing popularity of the Korean language in Vietnam. 

Around 15-thousand Vietnamese people are studying Korean at 25 colleges, while some middle and high schools in the country are also teaching Korean as part of after-school programs. 

The South Korean government is also helping the spread of the Korean language in Vietnam through 15 King Sejong Institutes across the country.