HUFS Korean Language Program, Winter 2026: October 16 and 30 Deadlines

The Center for Korean Language and Culture at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) opened applications for its Winter 2026 regular Korean language program on September 1, 2026. Application deadlines are divided by nationality group into October 16 and October 30, while classes run from December 1, 2026 to February 12, 2027 at HUFS Seoul Campus in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. This recruitment is for the regular Korean language program operated by the Center for Korean Language and Culture.

Check the deadline by nationality group first

HUFS's official regular Korean program information applies Winter 2026 deadlines by dividing applicants into two nationality groups. The deadline for designated countries, high-TB-burden countries, and priority-management country groups is October 16, while the deadline for other country groups is October 30.

Applicants should first check the nationality classification and required-document sections on the official page to determine which route applies to their country, then plan their preparation schedule. Even for the same winter term, deadlines and document requirements differ by nationality group.

Applicants of Vietnamese nationality apply through the HUFS local office in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. HUFS says recruitment in Vietnam usually closes about 3 months before the start of a term, so applicants preparing for the December 1, 2026 start should contact the local office immediately to confirm whether applications are still being accepted. The inquiry email is hufstuyensinh@gmail.com, the phone number is (+84) 0984083880, and applicants can also check the Vietnam Facebook page provided by HUFS. The Hanoi office is at No 15, 23 street, KDT TP Giao Luu, Co Nhue 2 ward, Bac Tu Liem district, Ha Noi, and the Ho Chi Minh City office is at No 26, 11 street, KDC Cityland Parkhill, 10 ward, Go Vap district, Ho Chi Minh City.

The program is held at HUFS Seoul Campus in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul

The Center for Korean Language and Culture regular program is offered at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Seoul Campus, 107 Imun-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. Applicants can use this address to plan housing and commuting routes.

The Center for Korean Language and Culture traces its roots to the Foreign Language Training Institute established in 1974 and adopted its current Center for Korean Language and Culture structure in 2006. The center says about 4,000 learners from roughly 100 countries study there each year. Classes focus on practical communication skills and use Korean-language textbooks developed in-house.

About 200 hours over 10 weeks, divided into Levels 1-6

The Winter 2026 regular program runs for about 200 hours over 10 weeks. Classes are held 5 days a week from Monday through Friday, 4 hours per day, with Levels 1 through 6 offered.

The currently announced schedule is 13:30~17:20 for Levels 1~2 and 09:00~13:00 for Levels 3~6. HUFS notes that class times may be adjusted depending on operational circumstances, so students should arrange other commitments based on their confirmed class and timetable after admission.

In the regular program, students study speaking and listening, reading, and integrated activities by level. At higher levels, the scope expands to formal communication and topics related to Korean society and culture.

Application fee, tuition and insurance total KRW 1,730,000

The required program costs to check at the application stage are divided into the application fee, one-semester tuition, and one-semester insurance premium.

The KRW 1,730,000 total consists of a KRW 100,000 application fee, KRW 1,600,000 tuition, and KRW 30,000 insurance premium. Dormitory fees, remittance charges, airfare, and personal living expenses must be budgeted separately.

The application fee is non-refundable. For semester-specific refund procedures, applicants should check the rules for the relevant term on the official regular Korean program information at the time of application.

Eligibility requires high school graduation or higher

Applicants must have graduated from high school or hold a higher level of education. Students who are expected to graduate from high school are not eligible to apply.

After confirming eligibility, it is efficient to prepare the online application and nationality-specific documents at the same time. In particular, the authentication of academic documents and bank balance certificates follows different preparation and issuance requirements by nationality, so applicants should first open the section for their nationality group.

Prepare nationality-group documents and the bank balance certificate together

For designated countries, high-TB-burden countries, and priority-management country groups, the main required items include a passport copy, home-country ID, proof of family relationship, authenticated graduation and academic-record documents, a bank balance certificate, and, when required, proof covering any gap after graduation. Additional country-specific conditions apply to Mongolia, Vietnam, and Uzbekistan.

For non-academic documents such as proof of family relationship prepared outside China, applicants should also check the required Korean or English notarized translation and consular authentication procedures. Academic documents follow separate routes: academic verification for China, and apostille or consular authentication for other countries.

For bank documents, first check the following criteria.

For countries other than China, the bank balance certificate may be in the applicant’s own name or a parent’s name. If a Chinese applicant submits a balance certificate in a parent’s name, employment-related documents for that parent must also be prepared.

For other country groups, the core documents are a passport, authenticated graduation and academic-record documents, and a bank balance certificate showing at least USD 10,000. At the actual submission stage, applicants should prepare documents based on the row for their nationality in the official nationality-specific document guide.

After the online application, upload scans and submit originals

Applications begin with the HUFS Center for Korean Language and Culture online application. After completing the online form, applicants proceed in order through uploading scanned copies, submitting originals, receiving the review notice, receiving final approval and the invoice, and making payment.

1. Complete the online application.
2. Upload scanned copies of the required documents.
3. Submit the required originals by EMS or in person.
4. Check the document-review result within 5 days after online submission.
5. After receiving final approval and the invoice, pay the stated amount.
6. Receive the standard admission letter by email. If the original is required, you may request shipment after paying the EMS fee.
7. Eligible applicants apply for the dormitory separately.
8. Check the new-student orientation notice posted about 1 week before classes begin, and enter the planned date of entry into Korea in the admissions system.

The mailing address for original documents is (02450) 서울특별시 동대문구 이문로 107 한국외국어대학교 외국어연수평가원 506호 한국어문화교육원 운영팀.

Mentoring and beginner learning support are also available

The mentoring program that connects HUFS undergraduate students with Korean-language trainees forms each team with 1 Korean student and 3~4 Korean-language trainees. It is a support program that gives trainees opportunities outside regular classes to experience campus life and use Korean.

K-Culture and Korean-language activities for beginners, pronunciation support, and one-on-one assistance are also offered. When choosing a school, applicants can compare not only class schedules and costs but also these learning-support programs.

Apply for the dormitory after checking the winter recruitment notice

The 2026 brochure describes Global Hall as a dormitory about 1 minute from the campus main gate, with double rooms and capacity for about 80 residents. Under the brochure’s general 2026 plan, the total is KRW 1,720,000.

As of September 5, 2026, the dormitory page carries a Fall 2026 notice, while the winter-term recruitment notice has not yet been posted. Applicants seeking winter-term housing should check the application period and actual amount once the winter recruitment notice appears on the official dormitory information page. Until then, the brochure’s KRW 1,720,000 can be used as a general 2026 planning figure for accommodation budgeting.

Dormitory costs should be budgeted separately from the KRW 1,730,000 total for the application fee, tuition and insurance.

Check the official application, schedule and contacts together before applying

Complete the application through the Center for Korean Language and Culture online application, and check the schedule and nationality-specific required documents on the official regular Korean program page.

The address for submitting original documents is (02450) Center for Korean Language and Culture Operations Team, Room 506, Foreign Language Training and Testing Center, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, 107 Imun-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul.

Use the following contacts for admission inquiries by region.

• Asian countries excluding Japan and Central Asia: +82-(0)2-2173-3385, korean1@hufs.ac.kr
• Japan, Central Asia, and all other countries: +82-(0)2-2173-2307, korean2@hufs.ac.kr

Winter 2026 applicants can prepare in the following order: nationality group → deadline → academic and financial documents → online upload → original-document submission → invoice payment.

Reporter Lee Chan-ju