South Korea Plans AI-Assisted TOPIK and Limited At-Home Testing by 2029

South Korea plans to overhaul its state-run Korean-language proficiency exam by 2029, introducing artificial intelligence to support question development and grading while gradually opening a limited path to at-home testing.

The Education Ministry and the National Institute for International Education announced the changes for the Test of Proficiency in Korean, commonly known as TOPIK. The exam is widely used by foreign nationals seeking admission to Korean universities, employment or visas, making its accessibility and reliability important to both education policy and immigration administration.

Demand has risen sharply. Applications increased from 421,812 in 2023 to 566,665 in 2025. By September 2026, the number had already reached 564,606, a 10.2 percent increase from the same period a year earlier. The growth has put pressure on testing capacity and strengthened calls for a system that better reflects practical communication skills.

Under the government’s timetable, a new evaluation framework will be developed by June 2027. Pilot testing is scheduled for 2028, followed by introduction of the redesigned exam in 2029.

Artificial intelligence would assist with producing and grading questions, but specialists would review the system’s output to identify errors and protect fairness. The proposal therefore positions AI as a support tool rather than an independent decision-maker in a high-stakes public examination.

Authorities also plan to introduce home-based testing in stages from 2029. The initial rollout would be limited to lower-level exams whose results are not directly used for university admission or residency eligibility. That restriction is intended to expand access without immediately exposing the most consequential parts of TOPIK to the security risks of remote testing.

Exam integrity is a central part of the overhaul. Officials plan to expand the use of radio-frequency detectors to find prohibited electronic devices, including AI-enabled glasses and miniature earphones. Candidates involved in impersonation, leaked test papers or forged identification could be barred from taking TOPIK for as long as five years.

The planned redesign reflects two competing pressures facing South Korea as interest in Korean study grows worldwide: the need to make testing easier to access and the need to preserve trust in results used by schools, employers and immigration authorities. The pilot phase will be critical in determining whether AI-supported assessment and remote delivery can meet both goals before the nationwide system changes in 2029.