Spring 2027 Korean language institute applications open Nov. 1: Catholic, Seoul National close Dec. 24, Yonsei Jan. 15, Korea, Kyung Hee Jan. 22; tuition at 10 schools KRW 1,300,000–1,960,000

Applications for the spring 2027 regular programs at university Korean language institutes have opened, starting with Catholic University of Korea on Nov. 1 and Seoul National University on Nov. 2. Ajou University (Nov. 9) and Pusan National University (Nov. 30) follow, and on Dec. 7 Yonsei University, Sungkyunkwan University, Korea University, Kyung Hee University and Ewha Womans University open their application periods. For general applicants, the first to close is Pusan National University (Dec. 18); Catholic University, Seoul National University and Ajou close on Dec. 24, Yonsei on Jan. 15, Korea University, Kyung Hee and Sungkyunkwan on Jan. 22, and Ewha on Jan. 26. Tuition for one term (around 10 weeks) ranges from KRW 1,300,000 at Yeungnam University to KRW 1,960,000 at Yonsei. Applicants who need a D-4 visa face earlier document deadlines or separate nationality-specific deadlines at seven of the schools. Applicants from Ajou’s “visa-required countries” face a Dec. 11 deadline, earlier than Pusan National University’s.

The 10 schools by application opening date

Even within the same “spring term,” start dates differ by more than a month. Pusan National University starts on Feb. 22 and ends on April 30, while Kyung Hee starts on March 29 and ends on June 9. Korea University begins classes on March 18. That is why the start date is the first thing to check when setting an arrival date and a dormitory move-in date.

D-4 visa applicants face earlier deadlines

Entering Korea on a D-4 visa obtained abroad takes more time: original documents must arrive by mail, a Certificate of Admission (standard admission letter) must be issued, and the consulate must review the visa. For that reason, seven schools give D-4 applicants deadlines that fall before the dates in the table.

At Seoul National University, Vietnamese and Mongolian students who need a D-4 visa must apply one term in advance. For summer term admission, for example, documents are due by the spring term document deadline. Applied directly to the spring term, this rule puts the document deadline at Sept. 22, the application deadline for the 2026 winter term. Applicants of these nationalities should first ask the Seoul National University Korean Language Education Center whether they can still apply for spring 2027.

Sungkyunkwan University accepts applications from Nepalese, Mongolian, Myanmar, Bangladeshi and Vietnamese applicants, whose visa issuance is subject to delays, only from Dec. 7 to Dec. 30. At Ajou, the application period for applicants from “visa-required countries” runs from Nov. 9 to Dec. 11, 13 days earlier than the deadline for general applicants (Dec. 24).

Korea University and Ewha review D-4 applications only if the original documents arrive at the office at least two weeks before the deadline. Korea University’s Jan. 22 date is the deadline by which document review and tuition payment must both be completed, so documents are safest submitted two to four weeks before the deadline at the latest. Document review takes one to two weeks from the date of arrival. At Catholic University and Yonsei, D-4 applicants must submit documents at least one week before the deadline, and at Yonsei, original documents sent by mail must arrive at the office within the application period. At Kyung Hee, it can take a month or more from submission of admission documents to obtaining the visa.

Four schools open applications in November

The Catholic University of Korea Korean Language Institute accepts applications from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24, and classes run from March 8 to May 19. Tuition is KRW 1,500,000; registering for a full year (four terms) at once brings a 10% reduction, to KRW 5,400,000. Levels 1 and 2 are taught in afternoon classes and levels 3 to 6 in morning classes.

The Seoul National University Language Education Institute accepts documents online only from Nov. 2 to Dec. 24 and does not take applications by mail or in person. Review begins only once the KRW 100,000 application fee is paid by the deadline, and the fee is nonrefundable. Admission results are sent by email on Jan. 11 at 17:00. Morning classes close early if applications are heavy, in which case only afternoon classes are available. Use of the on-campus dormitory (Gwanaksa dormitory) may be restricted from the spring 2027 term because of remodeling work.

The Ajou University Center for International Education opens applications on Nov. 9. Tuition is KRW 1,550,000 for one term and KRW 3,100,000 for two terms, and D-4 students receive indemnity health insurance free of charge for the duration of their studies. Once finally admitted applicants pay tuition and mail their original documents, the center sends the Certificate of Admission (standard admission letter) and visa documents.

The Pusan National University Language Education Institute accepts applications online from Nov. 30 to Dec. 18 and announces document-screening results on Dec. 31. Classes begin on Feb. 22, the earliest among the schools compared. The KRW 1,500,000 tuition includes textbook and cultural activity costs. The on-campus dormitory costs about KRW 1,500,000 per term, including three meals a day.

Five schools opening Dec. 7, plus Yeungnam

The Yonsei University Korean Language Institute accepts documents and the application fee from Dec. 7 until 17:00 on Jan. 15, and tuition is due by Jan. 22. Applications close early once capacity is reached, and morning-class seats are assigned in the order tuition is paid, so paying within three days of admission is advisable. Applicants who want a dormitory must have their mailed documents arrive by Dec. 24 and pay tuition by Dec. 31.

The Sungkyunkwan University Sungkyun Language Institute accepts applications for both its Seoul and Suwon campuses from Dec. 7 to Jan. 22. Tuition at the Suwon campus rises to KRW 1,550,000 per term starting with the first term of 2027. Applications can close earlier than the announced period if demand is high, and applicants must be 18 or older.

The Korea University Korean Language Center accepts documents from Dec. 7 to Jan. 22. Jan. 22 is also the tuition payment deadline. Classes begin on March 18, and the entrance ceremony is on March 17. The Certificate of Admission (standard admission letter) is issued after registration is completed, about one month before classes begin.

The Kyung Hee University Institute of International Education accepts applications from Dec. 7 to Jan. 22. The placement test and orientation are on March 16, and classes run from March 29 to June 9. The KRW 120,000 application fee is paid only once, with the first application. Required documents also include a tuberculosis medical certificate (test taken within two months of the first day of classes) and measles vaccination records. Students expected to graduate from high school cannot apply.

The Ewha Womans University Language Center accepts new applications from Dec. 7 to Jan. 26, which is also the tuition payment deadline. The KRW 120,000 is an enrollment fee, not an application fee, and is not refunded even if the student cancels. Students registered in the intensive program are enrolled in insurance as a group.

At the Yeungnam University Korean & International Language Institute, the overseas application deadline is Jan. 19 and may be extended depending on nationality. The placement test is on Feb. 16, and dormitory move-in is on Feb. 28. Adding a double-occupancy dormitory room at KRW 792,000 (three months) and a KRW 100,000 deposit to the KRW 80,000 application fee and KRW 1,300,000 tuition brings first-term costs to KRW 2,272,000.

Proof of funds and number of terms

For most schools, the financial requirement is a bank balance certificate showing “KRW 10 million or more, issued within 30 days.” Seoul National University, Sungkyunkwan, Korea University, Kyung Hee and Ajou use this standard, and Ajou also requires the funds to have been on deposit for three months or more. Catholic University applies the same standard. Ewha requires KRW 10 million or more for two terms, and the visa must be applied for within 30 days of the certificate’s issue date. Yonsei accepts USD 10,000 or more, issued within 30 days of the date the documents arrive. Yeungnam requires KRW 8 million for six months.

There are also nationality-specific requirements. Vietnamese applicants to Seoul National University and Korea University must submit a bank balance certificate showing a balance maintained for three months or more, or a certificate of deposit for study-abroad expenses, while Sungkyunkwan requires a certificate of deposit for study-abroad expenses showing KRW 10 million deposited and frozen at Shinhan, Woori or Hana Bank. Chinese applicants must keep deposits frozen for six months or more at Seoul National University, and for at least nine months from the document submission date at Kyung Hee. Uzbek applicants to Seoul National University, Sungkyunkwan and Korea University must maintain the balance for three months or more.

To obtain a D-4 visa, students must register for at least two terms (about six months) at once. Korea University requires Vietnamese, Mongolian and Uzbek nationals to register for a full year of four terms at once, and Catholic University has designated countries including Vietnam, Mongolia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka as countries whose students must register for four terms. The Korean language institutes at Seoul National University, Kyung Hee and Yonsei do not apply for visas on students’ behalf.

What to check before applying

• Check whether your nationality has an earlier deadline: Seoul National University (Vietnam, Mongolia), Sungkyunkwan (Nepal, Mongolia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Vietnam), Ajou (visa-required countries).
• Work backward from the original-document deadline: Korea University and Ewha require arrival two weeks before the deadline, and Catholic University and Yonsei require submission one week before.
• Time the issue date of your bank balance certificate: most schools accept only certificates issued within 30 days (one month), and the reference date differs by school: the application date (Sungkyunkwan, Korea University), the document arrival date (Yonsei) or the application deadline (Kyung Hee).
• Plan your arrival around the start of classes, which differs by school: Feb. 22 at Pusan National University, March 18 at Korea University, March 29 at Kyung Hee.
• Have your graduation certificate apostilled or consular-legalized in advance: Catholic University, Seoul National University, Ajou, Kyung Hee and Ewha require it.

The structure of the costs due all at once at first registration is laid out in our comparison of Korean language institute first-registration costs, and the order for preparing application documents is in our Korean language institute application guide. Readers weighing whether to move straight into a degree program after language study can read our D-4 vs. D-2 comparison together with our comparison of spring 2027 degree programs taking applications in November. Schedules and amounts are based on each Korean language institute’s official announcements as of Oct. 31.