The number of times the Test of Proficiency in Korean, or TOPIK, will be held abroad next year will double to eight over this year.

The education ministry unveiled the details for the 2024 TOPIK on Wednesday, including the increased number of overseas examinations, as a follow-up measure to the plan announced by the ministry in August to enhance the educational competitiveness of international students.

In implementing such a change, the ministry took into account views that there was insufficient opportunity to take TOPIK abroad compared to the rise in demand for the exam.

The ministry plans to steadily expand the number of countries offering the paper-based exam to more than 90, while online tests will be available in ten.

First released in 1997 to assess the language proficiency of overseas Koreans and foreigners, the TOPIK was taken by more than 400-thousand people in 2023 for the first time amid a surge in interest in South Korea and the language.