Korean Government Scholarship Program (KGSP)

Overview

The Ministry of Education offers a scholarship program for international students from countries that have concluded a bilateral cultural agreement with Korea. Foreign scholarship students are actively making contributions throughout the world in numerous fields such as education, diplomacy and enterprise.

Eligibility

Both an applicant and his/her parents must be citizens of their country of origin.(※ Applicants should not hold Korean citizenship.)

Applicants should have adequate health, both mentally and physically, to stay in a foreign country for a long time.
Should be under 40 years of age at the date of entrance. (Graduate)
Possess a grade point average (G.P.A.) above 80% from the last educational institution attended.
Hold a Bachelor’s degree or a Master's degree by the date of arrival. (Graduate)

Applicants who have previously achieved in any undergraduate program, master’s program, or doctoral program in Korea cannot apply for this program. However, a former or current KGSP scholar who hold the overall grade of 90% or above can reapply to this program once either through the embassy or university track.

Details of the Award

Scholarship Period
- Master’s Degree: Korean language course(up to 1 year) + 2 year Degree Course
- Doctoral Degree: Korean language course(up to 1 year) + 3 year Degree Course
Korea Language Training
- Grantees are required to take Korean language training courses for 1 year at a language institution located on-campus of the domestic universities. (Those who have attained a Korean language fluency score higher than level 5 in TOPIK are exempt from this requirement.)
Scholarship Benefit
- Round Trip Airfare, Monthly Allowance, Research Allowance, Settlement Allowance, Language Training Fee, Tuition, Dissertation Printing Costs, Medical insurance, etc.
Application Process

Application Process
Time line	Graduate
Announcement released	Feb. in the year of planned studies in Korea
Recommend candidates (Korean Embassies, designated universities)	Mar.-Apr. in the year of planned studies in Korea
Results released	June in the year of planned studies in Korea
Arrival in Korea	Late Aug. in the year of planned studies

Selection Procedure

NIIED invites the Korean Embassy in the invited country or a domestic university to recommend potential candidates.
Applicants should submit all documents related to their scholarship application to the Korean Embassy in their country of residence to or the domestic university concerned.
The Korean Embassy or the domestic university sends proper candidates to NIIED with the required documents. NIIED evaluates potential candidates and notifies the Korean Embassy of the final selected KGSP grantees.

Required Documents and Further Information

Please visit NIIED website and check the recruitment announcement announced every year
* NIIED website: http://www.studyinkorea.go.kr (English version) ⇒ Scholarships ⇒ GKS Notice

Contact

Inquiries about Scholarship Application:
SNU Office of Admissions: +82-2-880-5022, e-mail: snuadmit2@snu.ac.kr
National Institute for International Education: +82-2-3668-1364, e-mail: kgspniied@korea.kr
Inquiries about Scholarship Benefits:
SNU Office of International Affairs: +82-2-880-8638, e-mail: govscholar2@snu.ac.kr

"Thank You" from Scholarship Recipients

I am grateful to be able to study in a high-quality education institution such as Seoul National University. Receiving the KGSP Scholarship allows me to focus more on my study and leave my financial burden behind. I hope with this great investment, I will be able to grab my bright future ahead thanks to the scholarship contribution.

Tan Manuel Marcello Nathanael

College of Engineering (Fall 2018~)
Korean Government Scholarship Program (Fall 2018~Spring 2022)

I do feel grateful for being chosen as a KGSP scholar. The scholarship has allowed me to grow holistically and appreciate the beauty of Korea, specially SNU. Thank you for allowing people from different backgrounds to accomplish their dreams in such a beautiful environment.

Alfred Cueva

College of Engineering (Spring 2020~)
Korean Government Scholarship Program (Spring 2020~Fall 2023)

It is a great honor to be one of the chosen recipients for the prestigious KGSP Scholarship. I was given the opportunity to learn from South Korea on how to give an important balance of appreciation to Traditional Music until the Pop culture. I learned how Koreans were taught not to forget their history while searching for new innovations for the future, and that Art is not taken for granted in the Korean Society. I look forward on bringing these learnings back to my country. Lastly, thank you so much for my Korean Music Department Family for all the guidance and patience they've invested in me.

Nicky Juanite

College of Music (Fall 2017~)
Korean Government Scholarship Program (Fall 2017~Spring 2021)

I am tremendously grateful to have been granted a Korean Government Scholarship(2014). By this scholarship I was able to pursue my academic goals without any financial hindrance. I and other fellow foreign students would like to further show enormous appreciation towards each and everybody's contribution including institutions, organisations and government's efforts to help international students through their daily academic life in Korea.

Gentil Bayikunde

College of Engineering (Spring 2015~Fall 2018)
Korean Government Scholarship Program (Spring 2015~Fall 2018)