{
  "id": 8042586,
  "title": "Top Korean universities hold firm as new contenders gain ground",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/top-korean-universities-hold-firm-as-new-contenders-gain-ground",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-17T15:02:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/education/20260918/top-korean-universities-hold-firm-as-new-contenders-gain-ground"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Korea University maintained its top position in The Korea Times University Rankings for the second year in a row, while Sejong University experienced the most significant improvement among the top 10 universities. This ranking system, introduced last year, aims to evaluate universities beyond the number of international students, focusing on their ability to foster a globalized ecosystem. Although Korean universities have made strides in attracting and managing international students, they continue to struggle in areas like international faculty recruitment, financial support, and post-graduation outcomes. These deficiencies were apparent across the four evaluation categories, with universities excelling in education but performing poorly in student support and graduate outcomes, highlighting the difficulty of creating an environment that sustains international students throughout their academic journey and after graduation. Korea University emerged victorious with a score of 149.52 points.",
  "summary": "Korea University retained the top spot in The Korea Times University Rankings 2027 for the second consecutive year, as the country’s leading universities largely held their ground while Sejong University emerged as the biggest mover in the top 10. First launched last year, The Korea Times University Rankings aim to look beyond the number of international students to assess how well universities…",
  "key_points": [
    "Korea University retains top ranking for second consecutive year",
    "Sejong University shows biggest improvement among top 10",
    "Rankings focus on global ecosystem, not just international students"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Top Korean universities hold firm as new contenders gain ground",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/top-korean-universities-hold-firm-as-new-contenders-gain-ground-8044833",
        "published": "2026-09-17T15:12:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}