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GKS Application Deadlines 2027

GKS runs two calls a year on different calendars: undergraduates apply in September, graduate students in February. Here are the 2027 dates as they stand on 5 October 2026.

ScholarshipUnion Editorial 3 min read Updated Oct 5, 2026

Correction to older guides

Many guides (including earlier versions of this one) say the embassy track closes in September–October and the university track in February–March. That's not how it works: both tracks of the undergraduate call run in the autumn, and both tracks of the graduate call run in the spring.

Undergraduate timeline (GKS-U 2027)

These are the official dates from NIIED's 2027 GKS-U guidelines, published in September 2026. All times are Korean Standard Time, and NIIED notes the schedule may change.

September 2026
Guidelines announced
Published on Study in Korea. Start preparing earlier: contact your embassy for country-specific requirements and begin gathering documents, arranging apostilles and writing essays in July–August.
15 Sep (11:00) – 30 Sep 2026 (18:00)
Embassy-track online application — closed
Submitted on the Study in Korea website.
3
September – November 2026
University-track applications
Each university sets its own deadline and method. The schedule was moved so that applicants who fail the embassy first round can still apply here.
4
By 16 Oct 2026
Embassy first-round results
Passed? Hand your signed originals to the embassy; they must reach NIIED by 30 October. University-track first-round results come in November, with files at NIIED by 30 November.
5
November – December 2026
NIIED second round
Embassy track: results within November. University track: by mid-December.
6
By 23 Dec 2026 (18:00)
University third round (embassy track only)
Then confirm your final university on Study in Korea by 29 December (18:00). New TOPIK 5–6 certificates go to NIIED by 24 December.
7
7 Jan 2027 (expected)
Final announcement
Invitation letters and entry guidelines are emailed within January 2027.
8
March 2027
Arrive in Korea and start the language year
Your degree starts in March 2028 — or March 2027 if you already hold TOPIK 5 or 6.

Graduate timeline (GKS-G 2027)

The 2027 GKS-G guidelines are not out yet. The dates below are the official 2026 dates, which are the best guide to what to expect in 2027 — confirm on Study in Korea once the call is published, usually in February.

1
Expected around Feb 2027 (2026: 12–25 Feb)
Embassy-track online application
The 2026 window was just two weeks long: 11:00 on 12 February to 18:00 on 25 February. Prepare documents from November–December so you're ready the day it opens.
2
Feb – Apr (set by each university)
University-track deadlines
Submitted in person or by post. Mail early — international shipping takes 1–2 weeks.
3
Mid-March (2026: 16–17 March)
Embassy first-round results and interviews
Embassy files reach NIIED by 1 April, university files by 1 May. See our interview guide.
4
May – June
NIIED and university rounds
NIIED results in early May (embassy) and early June (university); universities decide on embassy candidates by early June, and you confirm your final university by mid-June (12 June in 2026). The waiting is brutal.
5
Late June
Final announcement
Then visa processing. Book flights. Prepare for departure. Connect with other admitted scholars online.
6
Around Aug – Sep 2027
Arrive in Korea
Begin the 1-year Korean language programme in September. Your actual degree starts in September 2028.

Key warning

Embassies interview and collect originals on their own schedules, and university-track deadlines differ from university to university. Do NOT assume you have until the last possible date — contact your embassy or target university early to confirm the exact date. And remember the online system closes at 18:00 Korean time, which may be early morning or the previous evening where you live.

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Application guide →

Step by step for both tracks.

Document checklist →

Everything to prepare in advance.