How to Apply for the Global Korea Scholarship 2027

GKS runs two separate calls each year: GKS-U (undergraduate and associate degrees), announced in September, and GKS-G (master's, PhD and research), announced in February. The steps are the same shape for both; only the months differ. The dates below use the 2027 undergraduate guidelines and the 2026 graduate round, the latest published.

Embassy track, step by step

1. 1
   Before the call opens

   Contact your Korean embassy

   Find the Korean embassy in your country. Ask about GKS application dates, required documents, and any country-specific requirements. Some embassies post info online, others require you to call or visit. Start early — some embassies are notoriously slow to respond.

2. 2
   At least 2 months before the deadline

   Prepare your documents

   This takes longer than you think. Apostille or consular-confirm transcripts and certificates, get your recommendation letter, write your personal statement and study plan. Translations take time. See our full checklist.

3. 3
   Choose up to 3 universities

   List them in order of preference. At least 1 must be a Type B (regional) university; R-GKS undergraduate applicants pick up to 2 Type B universities only. Research each programme carefully — you can only choose departments in NIIED's "University Information" file, and some have extra language requirements. Read our university placement guide.

4. 4
   Undergrad: 15–30 Sep 2026 · Graduate: Feb (12–25 Feb in 2026)

   Apply online on Study in Korea

   Fill in the forms and upload scanned documents on studyinkorea.go.kr by 18:00 Korean time on the closing day. Double-check every document. A missing file or unsigned form has derailed applications before.

5. 5
   Undergrad: by 16 Oct · Graduate: mid-March

   Embassy screening and interview

   If shortlisted, attend the embassy interview. Format varies wildly by country. Prepare for academic questions, "Why Korea?", and your study plan. See our interview guide. If you pass, print and sign your forms and hand the originals to the embassy by its deadline.

6. 6
   Undergrad: at NIIED by 30 Oct · Graduate: by 1 April

   Embassy forwards your file to NIIED

   Your embassy sends its recommended candidates to NIIED in Korea. You wait. Nothing to do here except be patient.

7. 7
   Undergrad: Nov – 7 Jan 2027 · Graduate: May – late June

   Results

   Results come in stages: NIIED's second round, then the three universities review you, then you confirm your final university on Study in Korea, then the final announcement. Check the GKS Notice board obsessively during this period — everyone does. NIIED doesn't notify you individually.

University track, step by step

1. 1
   Months before the call

   Research and contact the university

   Choose ONE university and ONE department. For a PhD, email potential supervisors. Check the university's GKS application page — some universities have their own additional requirements. If a professor agrees to supervise you, mention it in your application — it carries weight.

2. 2
   Prepare documents

   The same NIIED forms and certificates as the embassy track: personal statement, study plan, transcripts, recommendation letter. Get everything apostilled and translated. See our document checklist.

3. 3
   Undergrad: Sep – Nov 2026 · Graduate: Feb – Apr, set by each university

   Submit to the university in Korea

   Graduate applications go in person or by post; undergraduate universities set their own method. This is where people panic. International mail to Korea takes 7–14 days. Use DHL, FedEx, or EMS with tracking. Regular post is gambling. Send at least 2 weeks before the deadline and keep tracking numbers.

4. 4
   University reviews your application

   The university reviews and ranks all its GKS applicants and recommends its top picks to NIIED. Some departments are very responsive, others go silent for weeks.

5. 5
   Undergrad: December, final 7 Jan 2027 · Graduate: early June, final late June

   NIIED final decision

   NIIED makes the final call. Even if the university recommended you, NIIED can still reject you (though this is uncommon). There is no third round on this track.

Document checklist

Track your progress. Check off items as you complete them.

The apostille confusion

This trips up more applicants than almost anything else. An apostille is an international certification that your document is legitimate. It's required for countries that signed the Hague Apostille Convention (most countries).

If your country is NOT part of the Hague Convention, you need consular confirmation instead — which means getting your documents verified by the Korean embassy in your country.

The process varies by country and can take 2–6 weeks. In some countries, you need to go through multiple government offices. Budget plenty of time for this. Many scholars have missed deadlines because the apostille took longer than expected. You only need the authenticated originals once you pass the first round, but you won't have time to start then.

Read our detailed documents guide for the full rules.