Korean universities open spring 2027 admissions for international students

Spring 2027 undergraduate admissions are opening at more Korean universities for prospective international students, with most application periods taking place in September.

Korea’s leading universities, including Yonsei University, Ewha Womans University, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) and Chung-Ang University, have opened or are set to open applications running through September.

Ewha Womans University opened applications for international students on Sept. 2. Applications will remain open through Oct. 8, while applicants to music, fine arts, physical education and media design majors are required to submit portfolios and their previous work by Oct. 8.

Preliminary admission results will be announced on Nov. 13.

After the preliminary results are announced, applicants must submit physical copies of the documents they uploaded online. Those who were conditionally admitted on the condition of obtaining Level 4 on the Test of Proficiency in Korean (Topik) or completing an equivalent Korean language course must also provide proof of completion.

If applicants fail to submit the required physical documents or proof of completion of the required Korean language course or Topik Level 4 certification by Nov. 27, their admission will be withdrawn. Final admission results will be announced on Dec. 18.

Ewha’s Scranton College, an international college where major courses are taught in English, follows the same application schedule.

Yonsei University opened applications for international students on Sept. 1, with online applications remaining open through Sept. 17. Interviews for applicants to the College of Medicine, College of Dentistry and College of Pharmacy will take place on Oct. 31, with successful applicants to be announced on Dec. 4. Interviews and other admissions procedures will take place according to each applicant’s admission track.

Yonsei University’s Underwood International College, where all majors are taught in English, is also accepting applications through Sept. 17. Short-listed applicants will participate in online interviews on Dec. 11 and 12, with final admission results announced on Dec. 18.

Chung-Ang University offers two separate application periods for next year's spring semester. The first round of applications opened on Aug. 31 and will remain open through Sept. 18.

Interviews for applicants to the College of Medicine will take place on Oct. 3, with practical skills tests for arts and physical education majors scheduled for Oct. 10. Final results will be announced on Oct. 30.

Applications for the second round are scheduled to open on Nov. 16 and close on Nov. 27. Final results for the second round will be announced on Dec. 18 after interviews on Dec. 5.

Kyung Hee University also runs two rounds of spring applications. After wrapping up its first round of applications on Aug. 28, the university is slated to open its second round on Oct. 26. Both online and offline applications are scheduled to close on Nov. 6, with practical skills tests for arts and physical education majors slated for Dec. 12. Final results will be announced on Dec. 24.

New programs for international students

Some universities are expanding programs specifically for international students for the 2027 admissions cycle.

HUFS will open its Songdo campus in the first semester of 2027 and launch an undeclared major track exclusively for foreign applicants.

Students will enroll without declaring a major and, after meeting credit and academic requirements, will be assigned to a major in the humanities, social sciences, business or natural sciences.

Applications for international students opened on Sept. 1 and are slated to remain open through Sept. 11. Interviews are scheduled for Oct. 17, with the final results set to be announced on Oct. 30.

HUFS will also open an additional application period from Oct. 19 through Nov. 20. Interviews are scheduled for Dec. 19, with final results to be announced on Jan. 4 next year. Students applying during either period will be able to start in the spring semester next year.

Kyungpook National University is also opening a new liberal studies division for international students for the spring semester of 2027.

Students admitted to the program will spend their first year taking academic Korean courses before selecting their desired major in their second year.

Applications for international undergraduate admission will open Oct. 12 and close Oct. 30. Final admission results are expected to be announced on Jan. 4 next year.

Science-specific institutions

Science and technology-specific institutions are also currently accepting applications from international students.

KAIST, a research-oriented science and technology university in Daejeon, will open online applications for its special track on Sept. 22, allowing applicants to choose between the spring and fall semesters. Applications for its regular track, which is only available for the spring semester, closed on Sept. 1.

Online applications will close on Oct. 22, and interviews are scheduled for Dec. 22, with admission results to be announced on Jan. 7, 2027. More details will be announced as the application period approaches.

Another national science and research institute, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, commonly known as GIST, opened online applications for international students on Monday. The application period is scheduled to run through Oct. 7.

Final results will be announced on Dec. 4 following a 30-day document review period, according to GIST.

BY YOON SEUNG-JIN [[email protected]]