Study in Korea

South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea is an East Asian country. It constitutes the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and is close to China & Japan. The national currency of South Korea is the “won” & the current population of South Korea is approximately 51.75 million as of 2024, of which roughly half live in the Seoul Capital Area, the ninth most populous metropolitan area in the world.  Other major cities include Incheon, Busan, and Daegu.  Korea is well-known for its pop culture, but the nation also has a strong history, fascinating cities, and gorgeous nature.

Transportation in South Korea is provided by extensive networks of railways, highways, bus routes, ferry services and air routes that traverse the country. South Korea is the third country in the world to operate a maglev train, which is an automatically run people mover at Incheon International Airport. Large cities like Seoul, Busan, Daegu are having efficient, affordable, and ecologically friendly public transportation systems. You can survive on a few dollars a day if you live in the city where you study because public transportation is so inexpensive.

Korean cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Mountains, plains, and seas are all present in similar amounts in Korea’s natural environment, which influences the nation’s varied and distinctive culinary traditions. Korean cuisine is largely based on rice, vegetables, seafood and (at least in South Korea) meats. “K-Food” has been taking the world by storm with its superb taste and benefits to health. The World Health Organization (WHO) described hansik as a superb culinary model with nutritional balance, with many researchers reporting that hansik prevents obesity and cancer.

International students are increasingly drawn to South Korea because it’s a great place to live, study and work. Worldwide rankings of Korean colleges are quite good, and their degrees are respected everywhere. International students can pursue an advanced education and simultaneously acquire the Korean language at low tuition and great living standards. Normally students can work (20 – 45) hours in a week depending on their courses and they get paid according to Korean labor law.

Visa type D4 & D2 are the main categories of study permit, whether you come to South Korea to study Korean language on a D-4 visa or are enrolled for undergraduate or graduate programs in college or university on a D-2 visa.

Why choosing South Korea?
There are the following main reasons for choosing South Korea for education:

• English track education
• Low tuition fee
• High income from part-time work
• High PR chances
• Safety & peaceful environment
• Healthy & delicious food
• High living standards
• Easy international exposure

Applying period?
Most of the universities recruit twice a year, two to three months before classes start. There is no central admission authority in Korea, so each school set their own deadlines, which can be found on the school’s homepage. Some universities accept applications online nowadays, making the procedure efficient and easy to monitor the progress, but many schools still insist on more primitive paper applications. There are two following semesters:
-Spring semester: Runs from March to June
-Fall semester: Runs from September to December

 Process?

• Eligibility Assessment
• Application Submission
• Interview
• Certificate of Admission
• Tuition Fee Payment
• Visa Application

Required documents?

• Passport
• Photo
• Educational documents
• Personal Statement
• 6 months bank statement/Financial Support affidavit
• Passport/ID documents of parents

Cost of Tuition?
The universities in Korea give discounts in fee and scholarships, in order to bring more foreigners to study in Korea and to create an international academic environment. Private universities are more expensive than public universities. Programs like Medicine, Engineering etc. cost much more than humanity programs. Except tuition fee, newly enrolled students also need to pay a one-time entrance and/or enrollment fee at the beginning of their program. Students usually pay once or twice per year. The wide range of annual tuition for undergraduates is 4,000-10,000 USD, depending on universities and programs. Scholarships are available majorly offered by universities and also from government entities.

Cost of Living?
Studying in Korea is both possible and affordable due to the country’s relatively low cost of living for housing, food, and transportation. Meals are inexpensive, of decent quality, and only cost a few bucks. Supermarkets offer a great selection of groceries at competitive costs. If you are not too frugal with your spending, 250 USD a month for food is reasonable. Both cellphone and internet service are inexpensive and offer fast speeds. It is required for international students to get medical insurance.

Accommodation Cost?
International students studying in Korea have the option of living on or off campus. Depending on what matters most to you, both living on campus and off campus have advantages and disadvantages. Living on campus is incredibly handy, but living off campus provides you more freedom.

If sharing a room with another student is not a problem for you, staying in a dorm on campus is an excellent option. University residence halls are frequently lavishly furnished and have a ton of amenities, including a cafeteria, study and social areas, and a gym. You can walk to your classes, the cafeteria offers affordable and convenient food, and the dorm rates are fair. It cost around USD 600-2100 for a semester and cost depends upon university and location.

If you want to rent a house, again price will be depending upon location & your house selection. Normally for one room apartment in Seoul, the monthly rent range is USD 200 – 500. For more details:- https://www.internations.org/south-korea-expats/guide/housing