The government will expand the number of overseas “King Sejong Institute” Korean language education centers to 500 by 2015.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said 150 new King Sejong Institutes will open in countries showing demand for the Korean language.

The ministry will also consolidate and standardize various state-run and private Korean language schools as “King Sejong Institutes.”

The ministry noted that, despite fast growing demand for Korean language education in the Middle East and South America, there are few qualified language institutes.

The ministry expects that the expansion of the King Sejong Institutes, along with their high-quality educational programs, will promote the brand value of Korean language education.

As of last year, there were only 19 King Sejong Institutes in foreign countries.