Spring 2027 international admissions: 12 programs at 9 universities close in December, from Gachon and BUFS on Dec. 4 to Yeungnam on Jan. 6, with deadlines and fees compared

Applicants who missed the November deadlines can still apply for the spring 2027 semester (March 2027 entry). Twelve programs at nine universities, namely Gachon University, Busan University of Foreign Studies (BUFS), Sookmyung Women's University, Kwangwoon University, Yeungnam University, Jeonju University, Kyung Hee University, Kookmin University and Dongseo University, are also accepting applications in December. The first to close are the undergraduate round 2 admissions at Gachon University (16:00) and BUFS (17:00) on Friday, Dec. 4; both open on Monday, Nov. 23. Five graduate schools, Jeonju University's School of International Studies and Kookmin University's undergraduate program follow between Dec. 8 and 29, while Dongseo University, Gachon's undergraduate round 3 and Yeungnam's undergraduate round 2 run into the new year, closing Jan. 3–6, 2027. Application fees range from KRW 60,000 for bachelor's and master's applicants at Dongseo to KRW 167,000 (including the application processing fee) at Kyung Hee University's graduate school.

Hansung University's undergraduate round 2, Sogang University's graduate school, and Changwon National University's undergraduate round 2 and graduate school, which also close in December, are covered in our comparison of universities with November deadlines.

Program schedules in order of deadline

More than half of the programs set different deadlines for online applications and documents. At Gachon University (undergraduate and graduate), Sookmyung Women's University, Kwangwoon University, Jeonju University and Yeungnam University's undergraduate program, the document deadline falls one to seven days after the application deadline, while BUFS, Kookmin University and Dongseo University accept applications and documents during the same period. Kyung Hee University accepts documents postmarked by the application deadline. Applicants must check both dates.

All January dates in the table are in 2027. Overseas applicants should calculate deadlines in Korea time (KST) and convert them to local time. In addition to the 11 programs in the table, Yeungnam University's general graduate school is accepting freshman/transfer applications for round 2 from Monday, Nov. 16, to Friday, Dec. 11.

Dec. 4 deadline: Gachon and BUFS undergraduate round 2

Gachon University's undergraduate round 2 closes at 16:00 on Friday, Dec. 4. Online applications open at 10:00 on Monday, Nov. 23, and documents must arrive at the university by 12:00 on Wednesday, Dec. 9. Admission results will be announced on Thursday, Dec. 24; enrollment runs from Dec. 25 to Jan. 3, 2027, and the Standard Certificate of Admission will be issued from Jan. 11 to Feb. 19. For the Korean track, applicants can apply without language scores. Scores such as TOPIK level 3 or higher are optional, but applicants to schools or departments that require TOPIK (or TOPIK IBT) level 4 or higher must submit their scores. The English track requires one of IELTS 5.5, TOEFL iBT 59 or CEFR B2. The application fee is KRW 150,000.

BUFS's undergraduate freshman/transfer round 2 accepts applications until 17:00 the same day, and documents are submitted by mail or in person during the same period, starting Nov. 23. After a preliminary document review on Dec. 16–18, Zoom interviews are scheduled for Dec. 23–30, and admission results are expected on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2027. The Korean track generally requires TOPIK level 3, but applicants to arts/physical education and science/engineering programs can apply with level 2, and BUFS Korean Language Proficiency Test level 3, KIIP level 3 and King Sejong Institute Intermediate 1 are also accepted. Korean proficiency can also be recognized through an oral assessment at the interview. The English track requires one of TOEFL iBT 59, IELTS 5.5, CEFR B2 or NEW TEPS 202. The KRW 80,000 application fee is accepted only by virtual account, not by international transfer, so overseas applicants should secure a payment method first. The bank balance certificate must show KRW 16,000,000 or more.

Dec. 8–11 deadlines: Sookmyung, Kwangwoon and Jeonju

Sookmyung Women's University's general graduate school round 3 accepts applications from 10:00 on Tuesday, Dec. 1, to 17:00 on Tuesday, Dec. 8, and the document submission deadline is 17:00 on Friday, Dec. 11. Interviews and oral examinations will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 29, and admission results announced on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2027. The Korean track requires TOPIK level 3 or higher, and level 4 or higher for applicants to the Department of Child Welfare and East Asian Regional Studies. The English tracks in TESOL, Chemistry, Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Mechanical Systems set thresholds of TOEFL iBT 59 (3.5 for tests taken on or after Jan. 21, 2026), IELTS 5.5 and New TEPS 327. The application fee is KRW 120,000 or USD 120.

Applicants to Kwangwoon University's general graduate school round 2 apply online through Study in Korea (studyinkorea.go.kr) from Monday, Dec. 7, to 18:00 on Friday, Dec. 11, and submit documents in person or by mail by Monday, Dec. 14. Screening runs from Dec. 29 to Jan. 2, 2027; admission results will be announced at 11:00 on Tuesday, Jan. 19, with enrollment on Jan. 19–22. The Standard Certificate of Admission will be issued after Feb. 3. The application fee is KRW 80,000, and applicants pay the KRW 3,500 payment fee. Applicants submit proof of language proficiency, and TOPIK level 3 is the threshold for scholarship selection. Financial documents must be an original bank balance certificate in the name of the applicant or a parent showing KRW 20,000,000 or more. Apostilled (consular-legalized) documents must be submitted as originals, and preparation takes about 30 days or more.

Jeonju University's School of International Studies is an English-based undergraduate program. It accepts round 2 online applications from Tuesday, Dec. 1, to Friday, Dec. 11, and documents must arrive at the university by Friday, Dec. 18. Interviews will be conducted on Wednesday, Dec. 30, through submitted videos; admission results will be announced on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2027, and tuition is due Jan. 11–15. The application fee is KRW 120,000. Documents must be translated and notarized and then either receive consular legalization or carry an apostille. Applicants who miss round 2 can turn to round 3, which runs from Jan. 4 to 13, 2027.

Dec. 18–29 deadlines: Kyung Hee, Gachon graduate school and Kookmin

Kyung Hee University's general graduate school additional (rolling) recruitment is open to science and engineering departments at the Global Campus. Online applications are accepted from 10:00 on Friday, Dec. 11, to 17:00 on Friday, Dec. 18, and documents postmarked by Dec. 18 are accepted. Document screening and interviews take place on Friday, Jan. 8, 2027; admission results will be announced at 15:00 on Friday, Jan. 15, with enrollment on Jan. 18–25. Apostilled final certificates and the original bank balance certificate must be submitted by 16:00 on Monday, Feb. 1, and the Standard Certificate of Admission will be issued from Feb. 3. The Korean requirement is one of the following: TOPIK level 4; graduation from a Korean language department at a foreign university; four or more semesters of study at a university or graduate school in Korea; KIIP level 4 or a KIIP pre-assessment score of 81; or King Sejong Institute Intermediate 2 (excluding online). The required balance is KRW 20,000,000 or more. The application fee is KRW 167,000, including the KRW 7,000 application processing fee.

Gachon University's general graduate school round 3 accepts applications from Wednesday, Dec. 16, to 16:00 on Wednesday, Dec. 23, and documents must arrive by 16:00 on Thursday, Dec. 24. Screening takes place Jan. 4–8, 2027; admission results will be announced on Wednesday, Jan. 20, with enrollment on Jan. 20–29. The language requirement is TOPIK level 3 or higher, or the ability to submit scores before enrollment, and level 4 is required before graduation. Accepted English scores include TOEFL iBT 80, IELTS 5.5, CEFR B2 and NEW TEPS 326. The application fee is KRW 120,000, or KRW 160,000 for the Department of Music.

Kookmin University's undergraduate freshman round 3 accepts applications and documents during the same period, from 10:00 on Monday, Dec. 7, to 16:00 on Tuesday, Dec. 29. Round 3 has no interview; admission results will be announced on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2027, and tuition is due Feb. 3–5. Recruitment units in the College of Design & Arts and the College of Physical Education (sport-specific recruitment) do not admit students in round 3. Those units were open only in round 2. There is no minimum Korean level, and applicants choose what to submit from TOPIK, the university's own test, completion of a language institute program, SKA and others (excluding International College applicants). The application fee is KRW 120,000 for humanities, natural sciences and physical education, and applicants bear the KRW 4,500 application processing fee. Transfer admissions closed on Nov. 26, so there is no December round.

Three that run into the new year: Dongseo, Gachon undergraduate round 3 and Yeungnam undergraduate round 2

Dongseo University's round 2 recruits both undergraduate freshman/transfer students and graduate freshmen. Online applications and document submission share the same period, from Monday, Dec. 21, to 18:00 on Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027, and documents are submitted by mail or in person. Document screening and interviews take place Jan. 4–13, admission results will be announced on Monday, Jan. 18, and tuition is due after the announcement, by the end of January. The semester begins March 2. The application fee is KRW 60,000 for bachelor's and master's applicants and KRW 90,000 for doctoral applicants, and an application not paid within the period is not accepted at all. The Korean track requires one of TOPIK level 3, KIIP level 3 or a KIIP pre-assessment score of 61, or Intermediate 1 at a local King Sejong Institute, and the English track requires one of TOEFL iBT 3.5 (59), IELTS 5.5, CEFR B2 or NEW TEPS 202. Only language scores valid as of the application date may be submitted. The bank balance certificate must show an amount equivalent to KRW 16,000,000 and be submitted as an original issued within 30 days, denominated in U.S. dollars or Korean won. Round 3 (Jan. 25–29) is open only to applicants in special programs with overseas universities or institutions or to those residing in Korea, making round 2 the last chance for applicants living abroad who are not in a special program.

Gachon University's undergraduate round 3 accepts applications from 10:00 on Monday, Dec. 28, to 16:00 on Monday, Jan. 4, 2027, and documents must arrive by 12:00 on Wednesday, Jan. 6. Admission results will be announced on Friday, Jan. 22, with enrollment on Jan. 23–31 and the Standard Certificate of Admission issued from Jan. 25 to Feb. 19. The same admission guidelines as round 2 apply to the application fee (KRW 150,000) and language requirements.

Yeungnam University's undergraduate freshman/transfer round 2 accepts applications from 09:00 on Wednesday, Dec. 9, to 17:00 on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2027. Documents are submitted in person or by mail by Friday, Jan. 8, and admission results will be announced on Monday, Jan. 18. Enrollment runs Jan. 19–21, orientation is on Feb. 26 (scheduled), and the semester begins March 1. The KRW 100,000 application fee must be paid by 17:00 on Jan. 6, and the university covers the application processing agency fee. Applications cannot be canceled after the application deadline, and application fees are not refunded. The Korean requirement, common to freshman and transfer applicants, is one of the following: TOPIK level 3; King Sejong Institute Intermediate 1 (online not accepted); passing YU TOPIK in the second half of 2026; completing level 3 (level 4 for transfer) at a Korean language institute affiliated with a university in Korea; graduating from a high school in Korea that teaches in Korean; or KIIP level 3 (level 4 for transfer) or a KIIP pre-assessment score of 61 (81 for transfer). Students admitted through a requirement other than TOPIK must complete a separate Korean language training course of 300 hours or more during their first year after enrollment.

Results and certificates: about six weeks from a mid-January announcement to the start of classes

The later the round, the shorter the gap between results and the start of the semester. Apart from Gachon University's undergraduate round 2 (Dec. 24), admission results are concentrated in January 2027: Jeonju University on Jan. 6, BUFS on Jan. 12 (expected), Sookmyung Women's University on Jan. 14, Kyung Hee University on Jan. 15, Yeungnam University's undergraduate program and Dongseo University on Jan. 18, Kwangwoon University on Jan. 19, Gachon University's graduate school on Jan. 20, Gachon's undergraduate round 3 on Jan. 22 and Kookmin University on Jan. 26.

At Yeungnam, where the semester begins March 1, and Dongseo, where it begins March 2, about six weeks separate the Jan. 18 announcement from the start of classes. Kookmin announces results on Jan. 26 and collects tuition on Feb. 3–5, so its announcement comes eight days later than Yeungnam's and Dongseo's.

The Standard Certificate of Admission is issued Jan. 11–Feb. 19 for Gachon University's undergraduate round 2, Jan. 25–Feb. 19 for round 3, after Feb. 3 for Kwangwoon University and from Feb. 3 for Kyung Hee University's graduate school. Successful applicants at Kwangwoon and Kyung Hee's graduate school, who receive their certificates after Feb. 3, will have less than a month before March entry. At Gachon's undergraduate program, the application deadlines for rounds 2 and 3 are a month apart, but certificate issuance begins on Jan. 11 and Jan. 25, a two-week gap. Applicants who can get their documents ready will have more time to prepare for entry if they apply in the earlier round.

Apostille and consular legalization take about 30 days or more by Kwangwoon University's estimate, and Kyung Hee University accepts originals until 16:00 on Feb. 1. Anyone applying to a round that closes in December should start the authentication process now, along with the application.

TOPIK: 109th test scores on Dec. 22, 110th test scores on Feb. 4

Alongside application deadlines, applicants should check TOPIK score release dates. Scores for the 108th TOPIK will be released at 15:00 on Thursday, Dec. 10, scores for the 16th TOPIK IBT at 15:00 on Friday, Dec. 18, and scores for the 109th TOPIK at 15:00 on Tuesday, Dec. 22. The 108th scores come out before the deadlines of programs closing on or after Dec. 11, and the 109th scores come out before the application deadlines of Gachon University's graduate school (Dec. 23), Kookmin University's undergraduate round 3 (Dec. 29), Dongseo University (Jan. 3), Gachon's undergraduate round 3 (Jan. 4) and Yeungnam University's undergraduate round 2 (Jan. 6). Gachon and BUFS undergraduate round 2 (Dec. 4) and Sookmyung Women's University (Dec. 8) close before the 108th scores are released.

The 110th TOPIK will be held only in Korea on Sunday, Jan. 10, 2027, with scores released on Thursday, Feb. 4 (see our TOPIK 2027 schedule article for the schedule). Every application deadline in the table falls before this score release. Yeungnam University accepts only TOPIK scores within their validity period as of the application deadline, and Dongseo University accepts only language scores valid as of the application date. Applicants who will not have TOPIK scores before the deadline should look at other routes.

• Apply without language scores: The Korean track of Gachon University's undergraduate rounds 2 and 3 accepts applications without scores (except departments requiring TOPIK level 4).
• No minimum level: Kookmin University's undergraduate round 3 has no minimum Korean level, and applicants choose from several types of proof.
• Recognition through interview: BUFS offers a way to recognize Korean proficiency through an oral assessment at the interview.
• University's own test: Yeungnam University recognizes a pass on YU TOPIK in the second half of 2026, and the fourth test will be held from 15:30 to 18:00 on Friday, Dec. 18. Students admitted through this route must complete 300 hours or more of Korean language training over one year.
• Submission before enrollment: Gachon University's graduate school round 3 also accepts applicants who can submit scores before enrollment.
• Proof other than TOPIK: BUFS, Dongseo University, Yeungnam University's undergraduate program and Kyung Hee University's graduate school, for example, accept KIIP levels, KIIP pre-assessment scores or King Sejong Institute intermediate courses. Kyung Hee's bar is one level higher, at KIIP level 4 (81 points) or King Sejong Institute Intermediate 2.

Application fees and financial documents

Compared by base application fee excluding application processing fees (for Kyung Hee University, KRW 160,000, which is KRW 167,000 minus the KRW 7,000 fee), Dongseo University's KRW 60,000 for bachelor's and master's applicants is the lowest, and KRW 160,000 at Kyung Hee University's graduate school and Gachon University's graduate Department of Music is the highest. BUFS and Kwangwoon University charge KRW 80,000, Yeungnam University KRW 100,000, Sookmyung Women's University, Jeonju University, Gachon's graduate school and Kookmin University KRW 120,000, and Gachon's undergraduate program KRW 150,000. Fee handling also differs by school. For example, applicants pay fees separately at Kwangwoon (KRW 3,500 payment fee) and Kookmin (KRW 4,500 application processing fee), while Yeungnam covers the agency fee. Payment methods also need checking. BUFS accepts only virtual account payments, Dongseo does not accept applications not paid within the period, and Yeungnam does not allow cancellation after the deadline and does not refund application fees.

Kwangwoon University and Kyung Hee University's graduate school require bank balance certificates of KRW 20,000,000 or more, and BUFS and Dongseo University KRW 16,000,000 or more (an equivalent amount for Dongseo). Dongseo accepts only originals issued within 30 days, so a certificate issued too early will have to be reissued.

What to check before applying

• Check whether your department is included in this round. Kyung Hee University's graduate school recruits only science and engineering departments at the Global Campus, and Kookmin University's round 3 does not admit students to recruitment units in the College of Design & Arts and the College of Physical Education (sport-specific recruitment).
• Note the application deadline and the document deadline separately. This applies to Gachon University's undergraduate round 2 (Dec. 4 and Dec. 9), Sookmyung Women's University (Dec. 8 and Dec. 11), Kwangwoon University (Dec. 11 and Dec. 14), Jeonju University (Dec. 11 and Dec. 18), Gachon's graduate school (Dec. 23 and Dec. 24), Gachon's undergraduate round 3 (Jan. 4 and Jan. 6) and Yeungnam University's undergraduate program (Jan. 6 and Jan. 8).
• Check whether the document deadline is based on arrival or postmark. At Gachon University and Jeonju University, documents must arrive by the deadline, while Kyung Hee University accepts documents postmarked by Dec. 18.
• Keep interview dates free: BUFS Zoom interviews on Dec. 23–30, Sookmyung Women's University on Dec. 29, Jeonju University video interview on Dec. 30, Kyung Hee University on Jan. 8 and Dongseo University on Jan. 4–13.
• If you are overseas and not in a special program, you cannot apply to Dongseo University's round 3, so treat the Jan. 3 round 2 deadline as your last.

Apart from Gachon University's undergraduate round 2, admission results are concentrated between Jan. 6 and 26. Schedules, application fees and requirements are based on notices from each university's office of international affairs and admissions office and on admission guidelines as of Nov. 2.