Korean Language Courses in Korea, Spring 2027: SNU Closes Dec. 24, Yonsei Jan. 15; 4 Seoul Institutes Charge About $1,230–1,460 per Term; D-4 Visa Only for University-Affiliated Programs

To start learning Korean at a university language institute in Korea in March 2027, you must apply between November 2026 and January 2027. Seoul National University Language Education Institute (LEI) closes applications on December 24, Yonsei University Korean Language Institute on January 15, 2027, and Korea University Korean Language Center and Sungkyunkwan University Sungkyun Language Institute on January 22. Sungkyunkwan has moved the deadline up to December 31 for applicants from some countries, including Nepal, Mongolia and Bangladesh, and Korea University requires original documents from D-4 applicants to arrive by January 8. Applicants who need a Korean language training visa (D-4) must move even earlier, because mailing visa documents and going through screening takes time.

This guide to Korean language courses in Korea for international students sets out the schedules and tuition of regular university language institute programs for the spring 2027 term, along with the conditions for the D-4-1 visa. Amounts are given in U.S. dollars first, with Korean won in parentheses (Hana Bank base exchange rate on November 3, 2026: $1 = KRW 1,341.10).

How regular language institute programs work

Most regular programs at Korean university language institutes follow the same format. A term lasts 10 weeks, and a year has four terms: spring, summer, fall and winter. Classes run Monday through Friday for about four hours a day, and students choose either a morning or an afternoon class. Yonsei University Korean Language Institute runs each term for 10 weeks and 200 hours; morning classes run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and afternoon classes from 2 p.m. to 5:50 p.m. Sungkyunkwan University Sungkyun Language Institute switched from six terms a year to four in 2026 and teaches 200 minutes a day. Regional national universities use the same format. Kyungpook National University in Daegu runs 10 weeks and 200 hours per term, five days a week, four hours a day.

This format is tied to D-4-1 visa requirements. A language training program eligible for the D-4-1 visa must hold classes on at least four weekdays, for 15 hours or more per week during the daytime (300 hours or more per half-year). Classes must be attended in person on weekdays during the day. That is why some programs at the same university do not lead to a visa. Seoul National University LEI’s 13-week “Practical Korean Course” meets three days a week, and it cannot be used to obtain a visa. Evening, weekend and online programs are not eligible for D-4-1 either.

Spring 2027 schedules and tuition compared

The table below reflects information checked against each institute’s official notices on November 4, 2026.

A few points should be read alongside the table.

• Tuition year labels. Yonsei’s tuition is the amount for the 2027 academic year. Tuition at Seoul National University, Korea University and Sungkyunkwan carries no year label, and Seoul National University’s tuition may change from term to term.
• Yonsei payment deadline. After applying, tuition must be paid by January 22, 2027. Starting in the 2027 academic year, Yonsei will no longer run its afternoon-only “University Korean Course.”
• Seoul National University admission results. Results are announced on January 11, 2027, at 5 p.m. At Seoul National University, students in afternoon classes can also get a D-4 visa.
• Korea University original documents. D-4 applicants’ original documents must reach the center two weeks before the application deadline; documents that arrive late will not be reviewed. Applications may close early if there are many applicants.
• Sungkyunkwan country-specific deadline. Applicants from Nepal, Mongolia, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Vietnam, where visa processing takes longer, must apply by December 31, 2026. This is an operating rule set by the school.

Tuition is lower at a national university outside Seoul such as Kyungpook National University in Daegu. Kyungpook’s language institute has charged about $1,044 (KRW 1.4 million) per term since 2026 (KRW 1.3 million before the increase). The application fee is about $52 (KRW 70,000), and the spring 2027 schedule has not yet been posted.

Your budget should not stop at language institute tuition. Textbooks, a dormitory or studio apartment, and living expenses cost extra. Annual costs by program are laid out in the 2027 Korea study cost guide.

D-4-1 visa: which institutions qualify

The Korean language training visa (D-4-1) is not issued for just any Korean language academy. It covers language institutes affiliated with universities eligible to host student visa (D-2) holders, meaning junior colleges or higher. The institute must operate under the authority and responsibility of the university president or dean and, in principle, must be located on campus.

The following institutions are not eligible:

• Lifelong education facilities (including university-affiliated lifelong education centers) and private academies
• Night universities, cyber/distance universities (broadcast, correspondence and cyber universities), and Korea Polytechnics vocational training courses

Even if a school has “language institute” in its name, a program run by a lifelong education center does not qualify for D-4-1. Before applying, ask whether the program issues a standard admission letter (Certificate of Admission).

Applicants must have at least a high school diploma. Proof of education follows the same procedure as for D-2: submit a graduation certificate apostilled in the country where the school is located or legalized by a Korean consul. Short-term trainees staying 90 days or less fall under the short-term general (C-3-1) visa, not D-4.

D-4-1 documents and proof of funds

The basic documents for a D-4-1 application at a Korean diplomatic mission in your home country are listed below. The mission may add or waive documents as needed.

• Visa application form, passport, photo and fee
• Copy of the business registration certificate (or unique identification number certificate) of the university running the language institute
• Standard admission letter (Certificate of Admission) issued by the university president or dean
• Certificate of enrollment or proof of highest education (with apostille or consular legalization)
• Proof of financial ability
• Study plan (including class timetable, instructor roster and training facilities)
• Tuberculosis test certificate (for nationals of high-risk tuberculosis countries, which include India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Mongolia and Uzbekistan, among others)

As a rule, proof of funds must cover six months of tuition and living expenses. Bank balance certificates are accepted only within 30 days of issue. If you submit a bank balance certificate in a parent’s name, you must also submit a document proving the family relationship. For applicants from Uzbekistan, Yonsei and Seoul National University require a certificate issued by a Korean bank operating locally showing that the balance has been maintained for three months or more. Check whether other institutes have country-specific conditions as well.

The Ministry of Justice standard sets no fixed amount, and each institute sets its own requirement. Yonsei and Kyungpook require a bank balance certificate showing $10,000 (about KRW 13.41 million) or more, and Seoul National University about $7,457 (KRW 10 million) or more.

Schools also set the number of terms you must register for. Seoul National University collects two terms of tuition from admitted students who need a D-4. Yonsei requires D-4 applicants to register for at least two terms. It requires applicants from some countries to register for four terms (one year); this group includes many countries in South, Central and Southeast Asia, Mongolia, some West Asian countries such as Iran, Iraq and Yemen, Ukraine, and all of Africa. This is Yonsei’s own rule, so applicants to other institutes must check each school’s guidelines.

The visa is first issued as a single-entry visa with a period of stay of six months or less. After that, you extend your period of stay in Korea.

Yonsei University Korean Language Institute does not apply for visas on students’ behalf. It only issues an admission letter for visa purposes to students who have completed registration; students apply for the visa themselves.

The route to a visa varies by nationality and school. In some cases, a visa is issued only with a Certificate of Confirmation of Visa Issuance: when nationals of certain countries, such as Mongolia and Uzbekistan, enroll in a language program at a university that is not IEQAS-certified. The certificate is applied for at the immigration office with jurisdiction over the university’s location, or online by the university’s international student officer through the Korea Visa Portal (visa.go.kr). D-4-1 is not eligible for an e-visa. Even students heading to a certified university’s language institute go through screening at a diplomatic mission.

Choosing a certified institute: 123 schools certified, 4 under visa restrictions

The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Justice assess universities’ management of international students every year and grant IEQAS certification. In the February 2026 announcement, 123 schools were certified for language training programs, up from 103 the year before. This round of certification runs for four years, from March 2026 to February 2030; schools are reviewed every year and lose certification if they fall short of the standards.

In the same announcement, the language training programs of four schools were classified as universities under intensive visa screening, and visa issuance for them has been restricted for one year starting in the second semester of 2026. K-Study Times could not confirm the names of these four schools. First check whether the institute you plan to apply to appears under the Korean language training program section of the Study in Korea certified university list; if it does not, email the school to confirm whether it can issue a D-4 standard admission letter. How to look up the certified list is explained in How to find Korean universities that accept international students.

Rules after arrival: part-time work, extensions and changing schools

Part-time work only after six months. Language trainees can apply for a part-time work permit only after six months have passed since their date of entry. Working before obtaining a permit counts as illegal employment. According to Study in Korea’s stay guidance, the permitted hours are as follows:

• 10 hours a week if you do not meet the Korean language requirement (any one of: TOPIK Level 2, completion of KIIP Level 2 or a KIIP pre-assessment score of 41 or higher, or completion of King Sejong Institute beginner level or higher)
• 20 hours a week if you meet the Korean language requirement

Permits last up to six months and cover one workplace. Platform/special-type work such as delivery riding, as well as dispatched or subcontracted work, is not eligible, and if your workplace changes you must obtain a new permit in advance. If your average attendance across the terms you have taken falls below 90%, permits are restricted.

Extensions require attendance and funds deposited in Korea. The main documents for extending your period of stay are:

• Certificate of enrollment
• Transcript and attendance certificate
• Proof of financial ability (only deposits in your own account in Korea are accepted)
• Admission guidelines or study plan
• Proof of residence

Taking a leave of absence for personal reasons restricts extensions. For the extension process, see the D-2 and D-4 visa extension guide.

Switching institutes generally means leaving Korea. To move to another university’s language institute, you must leave Korea, obtain a visa through the new university and re-enter. However, if the student is not at fault, such as when the institute closes, or if the student has a TOPIK Level 3 or higher score and a legitimate reason is recognized, the student can transfer without leaving Korea to a language institute at a university in the general (non-restricted) category or higher.

Moving on to a degree program. If you enter a university after finishing a language institute program, you change your status from D-4 to D-2. At that point, you submit the transcript and attendance certificate from your previous language program. Whether to start at a language institute or go straight to a degree program is covered in D-4 language training vs. going directly to a D-2 degree, and the status change process in How to switch from D-4 to D-2.

Pre-application checklist

• I have confirmed that the program is a regular program at a university-affiliated language institute (15 hours or more per week, daytime classes).
• I have asked the school whether it is certified for language training programs or, if not, whether it issues a D-4 standard admission letter.
• I have marked on my calendar the application deadline, the deadline for original documents to arrive, and whether the school has an early deadline for certain countries.
• I have confirmed the balance the school requires (about $7,500–10,000, KRW 10 million–13.41 million) and the minimum number of terms.
• Because a bank balance certificate issued within 30 days may be needed both for the school and for the visa application at the mission, I have planned to get it issued twice.
• I have set aside enough living expenses to get through the first six months after arrival without part-time income.

--- Schedules and tuition are based on each institute’s official notices as of November 4, 2026; visa requirements on the Ministry of Justice visa and stay services manual (October and November 2026 editions); and certification results on the February 2026 announcement by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Justice.