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Global Korea Scholarship's online application suspended, forcing applicants to submit hard copies

Published: 02 Oct. 2025, 17:27 Updated: 02 Oct. 2025, 17:31

LEE TAE-HEE
[email protected]

An announcement by the National Institute for International Education, informing students of changes in the Global Korea Scholarship application process [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The fire at the National Information Resources Service (NIRS) has also affected Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) applications, with scholarship applicants now having to submit a hard copy of their documents due to online applications being suspended.

National Institute for International Education (Niied) announced on Thursday that applications for the 2026 undergraduate GKS now have to be received as hard copies — either in person or via mail — as online applications via the Study in Korea website, run by the government, is suspended.

Scholarship applications have been open via the Study in Korea website since Sept. 15, and students who have already started their online applications will also need to resubmit their application documents. Those applying for the scholarship via the Embassy Track will have to submit documents to the Korean embassy in their countries; those applying via the University Track will have to submit their documents directly to the universities they are applying to.

With the Study in Korea website now inaccessible, students can find further details about the changes via the Niied website.

The change follows the Study in Korea website's temporary suspension due to the fire at NIRS's Daejeon headquarters on Sept. 26. The fire broke out in the server room, damaging 96 information systems critical to central government operations.

As students have to go through sudden changes in the application process, the application deadline for the Embassy Track has been extended. The Embassy Track was set to accept applications until Sept. 30, but the deadline is now Oct. 17.

The deadline for the University Track will remain the same, with universities accepting application documents in person or via mail by Oct. 31.

GKS is a full-ride scholarship that also offers a monthly stipend, language study support and round-trip airfare to international students who wish to study at Korean universities. Students can apply for the scholarship via two tracks: the University Track, which allows students to apply to one university of their choice, and the Embassy Track, which has a quota for each country and allows students to take their shot at three universities.

While undergraduate GKS applications are currently open, graduate GKS applications usually open around February each year.

BY LEE TAE-HEE [[email protected]]