2026 Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) | Undergraduate and Postgraduate – South Korea

Location: South Korea

Program: Undergraduate and Postgraduate

Eligibility: International Students

Duration: Varies by Program

Deadline: March 31, 2026

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The Global Korea Scholarship (GKS), also known as the Korean Government Scholarship Program (KGSP), is one of the world’s most prestigious and comprehensive fully funded government scholarship programmes, offered by the South Korean Ministry of Education and administered by the National Institute for International Education (NIIED). For the 2026 cycle, the programme aims to bring approximately 1,820 graduate scholars and 280 undergraduate scholars from over 157 countries to study at more than 80 top-ranked Korean universities, covering all major academic disciplines from humanities, social sciences, and business to natural sciences, engineering, medicine, and the arts. The scholarship is entirely self-contained, covering 100% of tuition fees, a generous monthly living allowance of KRW 900,000 (approximately USD 680), round-trip international airfare, a settlement allowance of KRW 200,000 upon arrival, full health insurance, Korean language training fees, and additional incentive grants for Korean language proficiency.

The National Institute for International Education (NIIED) is a government agency under South Korea’s Ministry of Education, established in 1990 with the mission of promoting international educational exchange and enhancing Korea’s global academic partnerships. South Korea is today one of Asia’s most dynamic higher education destinations, home to world-renowned institutions including Seoul National University, Korea University, Yonsei University, KAIST, and POSTECH, all of which rank consistently among the top universities in Asia and globally. With one of the fastest-growing research and innovation ecosystems in the world, South Korea offers GKS scholars access to state-of-the-art facilities, globally competitive academic programmes, and an extraordinarily vibrant cultural environment.

Benefits of the Scholarship

This scholarship will provide the following to its recipients:

Full tuition fees Coverage
Monthly living allowance for degree program students
One-time settlement allowance of upon arrival in South Korea
Round-trip economy class airfare — international travel to Korea at the start and back home upon completion
Comprehensive health insurance coverage throughout the scholarship period
Korean language training
Degree Completion Grant of KRW 100,000 upon final departure
An additional KRW 300,000 for passing TOPIK Level 5 or higher in the speaking section (for undergraduate scholars)
Other benefits

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Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for this scholarship, applicants must meet the following:

Must be a citizen of a country designated by NIIED as eligible to participate in the GKS programme
Neither of the applicant’s parents may be a Korean citizen
For Undergraduate applicants: must be under 25 years of age as of March 1, 2026 (i.e., born after March 1, 2001); must be a high school graduate or expected to graduate by December 31, 2025
For Graduate (Master’s/PhD) applicants: must be under 40 years of age as of September 1, 2026 (i.e., born after September 1, 1986); for academic instructors from ODA (Official Development Assistance) countries, the age limit is extended to 45 years
Must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 80% or be ranked in the top 20% of their graduating class (at the high school level for undergraduate applicants, and at the undergraduate/Master’s level for graduate applicants)
Must be in good physical and mental health a medical certificate confirming health status is required
Must not have previously received a Korean government scholarship for higher education
Must apply through either the Embassy Track or the University Track applying to both in the same cycle results in automatic disqualification
May submit TOPIK (Korean) or English language proficiency scores (TOEFL iBT or IELTS), which add points to the application, though these are not mandatory applicants without language scores will be assessed on their personal statement and study plan
Must only apply to universities and departments listed in the official ‘University Information’ file posted on the GKS Notice board of the Study in Korea website

Note: Kindly check the official webpage for full and detailed requirements

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Selection Criteria

The GKS selection process is rigorous, multi-staged, and highly competitive, conducted through either the Embassy Track or the University Track. In the Embassy Track, applications undergo three rounds of evaluation the first round is conducted by the Korean Embassy in the applicant’s home country, which selects a shortlist of recommended candidates; the second round is a review by NIIED, which applies national quotas and assesses all embassy-recommended candidates against a standardised evaluation framework; and the third round involves the three universities nominated by the applicant, each of which independently reviews the NIIED-cleared applications and makes admission decisions.