GKS 2027 Scholarship: Embassy Applications Are Closed, University Applications Run Until the End of November

The short answer

Applications through embassies for GKS 2027 are already closed. The window ran from 15 to 30 September 2026, according to the notices from the Korean embassies in Kenya and Bangladesh. Check the dates for your own embassy with it.

The university route is open until the end of November, and each university sets its own deadline. It has 130 places: the UIC programme with 100 places is open to all countries, and 30 more places are for an associate degree. Results are due on 7 January 2027.

We opened two embassy notices and the Korea JoongAng Daily article of 16 September 2026, which summarises the NIIED guidelines. We could not open the guidelines PDF itself. Requirements depend on the university, programme and intake year.

Two routes, and they differ

The undergraduate GKS has two routes. You pick one.

• Through an embassy: 156 scholars from 74 countries. The general programme has 88 places, the overseas Koreans programme 7 and R-GKS 61. You can name up to three universities, and at least one must be regional (type B). Selection has three rounds: the embassy, NIIED and the university.
• Through a university: 130 places. UIC has 100 places for science and engineering with industry partners, and 30 places are for an associate degree at nine universities. You name one university and one major. There is no third round, and NIIED announces the result after the second.

Are you eligible

The main conditions for 2027, according to JoongAng Daily:

• You are under 25, born after 1 March 2002.
• You have finished school or will finish it this year.
• You do not hold a bachelor's degree, did not finish a school or college in Korea and have not held a Korean government degree scholarship before.
• Your citizenship is on the NIIED list and your parents are not Korean citizens. Dual citizenship with Korea rules you out.
• Grades are on a 4.0, 4.3, 4.5, 5.0 or 100-point scale. If your scale is different, you need a statement from your school or ministry and a conversion that your school has confirmed.

What the scholarship pays

It covers tuition, the language course and a return flight. Each month you receive about 1.13 million won in the language year and about 1.2 million won in the degree programme (13.56 and 14.4 million won a year). The student pays for housing, insurance and daily life from this.

The course runs for one year of Korean and then 4–6 years of degree study. With TOPIK level 5 or 6 you skip the language year. Those who reach it in the first six months move to the degree programme from the next semester, which is September 2027.

How selection works: examples from the notices

The Korean embassy in Kenya set this timetable: documents by 30 September, document results by 13 October, interviews on 14 October and interview results by 16 October. In Bangladesh interviews were set for 5–6 October, in English.

Successful applicants then submit documents with an apostille or consular confirmation for NIIED. After the third round you choose a university on the programme's official site by 29 December. The final result is due on 7 January 2027.

Mistakes that cost a place

• Applying to two programmes on the embassy route. You may apply to the general programme or R-GKS, not both. A duplicate cancels the selection, even if it is found after admission.
• Naming only Seoul universities. At least one must be regional.
• Missing a side step. The embassy in Kenya asks for a form by email within 48 hours of applying. Your embassy may have its own steps.
• Sending grades without a note on the scale. If your scale is not on the list above, the document is returned.
• Counting on changing majors later. You cannot change it after admission.
• Not checking the university. Its status affects your visa, see our article on choosing a Korean university.

What you do yourself and where we help

You write the study plan and personal statement, because the committee reads your story, not ours. We check the whole package, edit the texts and confirm deadlines for your date. A GKS application with a study plan costs 20,000 ₽, see GKS, application and study plan. The organiser awards the scholarship, and we do not promise a result.

If you need TOPIK, there is a separate service: TOPIK preparation, 8,000 ₽.

What to do today

If you study science or engineering, pick one university for UIC and find out its deadline. It falls before the end of November, and each university has its own date.

If you cannot make it or do not qualify, prepare for the next round. Dates for 2028 have not been announced. This year the notices came out on 10–14 September. Meanwhile gather your transcript, start the study plan and register for TOPIK.

Want us to look at your case? See Korean universities and Korean scholarships, or fill in the form.

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