The Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) is the South Korean government’s flagship award for international students. It is fully funded, it is open to citizens of more than 140 countries, and it does not require you to speak Korean before you apply. In the 2026 round the government offered 2,000 places for graduate study alone.
The programme is run by the National Institute for International Education (NIIED). This guide concentrates on the graduate scholarship, known as GKS-G, which funds master’s degrees, doctorates and research stays. It also explains what to expect for the 2027 round based on how the 2026 round was run.
Read also: The Complete Guide to the Rhodes Scholarship
What GKS pays for
- Full tuition fees for the degree
- A monthly living allowance. It has been around one million Korean won a month for master’s scholars and higher for doctoral scholars, with the exact figure set in each year’s guidelines
- One year of Korean language training before the degree, with fees paid
- Economy airfare to Korea at the start and home at the end
- A settlement allowance on arrival
- Medical insurance
- Research support and thesis printing costs
- A grant for scholars who reach a high level in the Korean proficiency test (TOPIK)
There is no application fee, and you do not need a bank statement or sponsor.
How long it lasts
| Programme | Korean language year | Degree | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master’s | 1 year | 2 years | 3 years |
| Doctoral | 1 year | 3 years | 4 years |
| Research | None | 6 months or 1 year | Up to 1 year |
During the language year you study Korean full time at a designated language institute. You are expected to reach at least TOPIK level 3 by the end of it in order to continue to the degree. Applicants who already hold TOPIK level 5 or 6 can skip the language year and receive an additional grant.
Who can apply
- Citizenship: you and your parents must be citizens of a country invited to take part, and none of you may hold Korean citizenship. Dual citizens with Korean nationality are not eligible
- Age: under 40 at the cut-off date. For 2026 this meant born after 1 September 1986. Serving academics from developing countries could be up to 45
- Degree: a bachelor’s degree for the master’s programme, or a master’s degree for the doctoral programme. Final-year students can apply with a certificate of expected graduation
- Grades: a cumulative score of at least 80% on a 100-point scale, or a place in the top 20% of your class
- Health: good physical and mental health, confirmed on a medical form
The grade requirement can also be met with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.64 on a 4.0 scale, 2.80 on a 4.3 scale, 2.91 on a 4.5 scale or 3.23 on a 5.0 scale. Graduates of Nigerian universities, which mostly use a 5.0 scale, therefore need a CGPA of at least 3.23, which falls in the upper part of the second class lower band. If your transcript does not show a percentage or class rank, ask your university for an official letter converting your result.
Embassy Track or University Track?
There are two ways in, and you may use only one of them in a given year. Applying through both leads to disqualification.
| Feature | Embassy Track | University Track |
|---|---|---|
| Where you apply | Through the Korean embassy in your country, using NIIED’s online system | Directly to one designated Korean university |
| Number of universities | Up to three choices. At least one must be a “Type B” regional university | One university only |
| Places in 2026 | About 800 across all countries | About 1,200, many reserved for science, engineering and regional universities |
| Selection | Embassy, then NIIED, then the universities | University, then NIIED |
| Best suited to | Applicants in any field who want a choice of universities | Applicants in science and engineering, or those targeting one specific professor or department |
Each embassy has a small quota for its country, so competition varies widely. Check the website of the Korean embassy that covers your country. It publishes the national quota, any extra local requirements and whether there will be an interview.
The yearly timeline
The graduate round follows the same pattern each year. The 2026 dates below give a reliable picture of what to expect in 2027, but always wait for the official notice.
| Stage | 2026 round |
|---|---|
| Guidelines published | Early February |
| Embassy Track online application | 12 to 25 February |
| First round results (embassy) | Mid-March |
| Second round results (NIIED) | Early May |
| University admission results | Early June |
| Final announcement | Late June |
| Arrival in Korea and start of language training | Late August |
The application window is only about two weeks long. Almost everything must be prepared before the guidelines appear. University Track deadlines are set by each university and usually fall in February or March.
A separate undergraduate scholarship, GKS-U, runs on a different calendar. Its call normally opens around September or October for study beginning the following March.
Documents to prepare in advance
- Application form, completed online
- Personal statement
- Study plan, or a research proposal for research applicants
- One letter of recommendation on the official form, signed
- Signed applicant agreement and personal medical assessment
- Proof of your citizenship and your parents’ citizenship, such as birth certificate and passports
- Degree certificates and full transcripts
- Optional but useful: TOPIK or English test scores, published papers and awards
If you pass the first round you must send original documents to Korea, and certificates must carry an apostille or consular confirmation. In countries where legalisation is slow, start that process as early as you can. Documents not in English or Korean need certified translations.
How to write the personal statement and study plan
These two documents carry most of the weight in the first round. Reviewers read hundreds of them, and the same weaknesses appear again and again.
- Be specific about Korea. Writing that you admire Korean culture is not a reason to fund a degree. Name the department, the research area and, where possible, the laboratory or professor whose work matches yours
- Connect your past to your plan. Show how your degree, projects or work experience lead naturally to the proposed study
- Give a realistic language plan. Explain how you will reach TOPIK level 3 in a year. If you have already started learning, say what level you have reached
- Explain what happens afterwards. Describe the role you intend to play in your home country and how the degree makes it possible
- Keep to the page limits and the official form. Applications that ignore the format are easy to reject
Ways to improve your chances
- Sit TOPIK if you can. In the 2026 round a TOPIK certificate at level 3 or above earned bonus points worth 10% of the total score
- Consider regional universities. Type B universities outside Seoul are less oversubscribed, and you must list one anyway on the Embassy Track
- Apply in science or engineering if that is your field. These applicants received a 5% bonus and have access to most University Track places
- Contact potential supervisors early. For research degrees, a professor who has agreed in principle to supervise you strengthens the university stage considerably
- Ask your referee now. The recommendation must be on the official form with an original signature
Life as a scholar
The allowance is enough to live modestly, particularly outside Seoul, where rent and food are cheaper. Scholars usually live in university dormitories during the language year. Part-time work is restricted and needs permission, so plan to live on the stipend. The largest difficulty most scholars report is the language year itself: failing to reach the required TOPIK level can end the scholarship, so treat it as a full-time job from the first week.
Related guides
- The Complete Guide to the MEXT Scholarship
- The Complete Guide to the Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC Scholarship)
- Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program 2027: Partner Universities, Eligibility and How to Apply
Official sources
Details were checked in October 2026 against the 2026 GKS-G application guidelines. Dates, quotas and allowance amounts are set each year, so read the 2027 guidelines on the Study in Korea portal as soon as they are published. This article is general information and is not affiliated with NIIED.
1 comment