Started by 72,000 citizens
On 9 September 1946, 72,000 citizens gathered to start the first private university in the Honam area. Its predecessor, Gwangju Evening Academy, was approved and opened on 29 September.
Chosun University
Chosun · Gwangju
Chosun University is a private university in Gwangju. Chosun says 72,000 citizens gathered in 1946 to start the first private university in the Honam area. Exchange students study and live on its one campus in Dong-gu.
- Founded
- 1946 by local citizens
- Campus
- Dong-gu, Gwangju Songjeong Station, then bus Songjeong 98
- Dorm
- Global House rooms with their own bathroom
- Course load
- About 15 to 19 credits depends on your Korean level
Pioneerhj, CC BY-SA 3.0What Chosun is like
Things Korean students all know that are new when you arrive.
A shed with earthen walls
Chosun says it began in a modest building, a shed with yellow earthen walls and paper windows. It calls itself the first institution of higher learning in Korea set up by local citizens.
Three founding ideals
The Founders' Association set three ideals. One is education built around the individual, one links school to society, and one gives scholarships to talented students.
The 學 and Joseon emblem
The emblem combines the Chinese character 學, meaning learn, with Joseon, the traditional name of Korea. Chosun says it kept the original shape and gave it a modern style.
A crane, a pine and Mudeungsan
The university's characters are based on a white crane, a pine tree and Mudeungsan mountain. Chosun says the crane and the pine stand for the university's blue conviction.
- Words you'll hear
- Jodae 조대 Short for Chosun University
- Seoseok 서석 The neighbourhood name in the campus address
- Mudeungsan 무등산 The mountain on Chosun's characters
- Sugang 수강신청 Course registration
From Chosun University's official English pages (ideals, an early-history post) and its Korean UI page, checked on 26 October 2026.
People
Events and help for international students at Chosun.
Country chats
Country chats are for everyone from that country studying anywhere in Korea, not only at Chosun.
Netherlands
Germany
France
Spain
Italy
Sweden
Finland
PolandGoing with friends? Make a group in A-CHA for your own crew and send them the invite link.
A-CHA events
All eventsOpen to every international student in Korea, not only at Chosun.
Flash meetups. Anyone can start or join a short meetup in the app, like dinner tonight or a hike on Saturday.
Around campus
Chosun has one campus, in Dong-gu, Gwangju, and exchange students study and live there.
Address in Korean
광주광역시 동구 조선대길 146
146 Chosundae-gil, Dong-gu, Gwangju 61452
Also on Kakao Map and Google Maps. Naver and Kakao work best in Korea.
- From the KTX
- Get off at Gwangju-Songjeong Station and take bus Songjeong 98 to the College of Engineering stop.
- From the bus terminal
- From U-Square (Gwangcheon) Bus Terminal, express buses Sunhwan 01A, Suwan 03 and Geumho 36 go towards campus.
- City buses on campus
- Buses 419 and Geumnam 57 start at Haeoreum Hall on campus and stop at Culture Complex (Munhwa Jeondang) Station.
- Campus shuttle
- The campus is big, so shuttle buses run on three routes. The Global House route goes past Haeoreum dorm, the International Building and the Founders Memorial Tower.
- International office
- International Affairs Team, 1st floor of the International Building. English-language exchange questions go to hrkang99@chosun.ac.kr, +82-62-230-6955.
Every place to eat near campus.
174places to eat near GwangjuVegetarian options 79Each place shows the menu in English and Korean and walking directions.
Before you come
0 / 7For Autumn 2026. The emails from the school come first. Use this list to check nothing is missing. Ticks stay in this browser only.
Not an official Chosun page. Dates and rules change. Check the details on Chosun's official site before you apply or book anything. Chosun exchange programme ↗ Checked on 21 October 2026
Your home university has to nominate you officially, and you need to have finished at least one semester there. Exchange students don't pay tuition at Chosun.
Fill in the online form and attach your documents, print it and give it to your home university, which emails it to Chosun with a recommendation letter. Chosun won't process an application with a missing document. Spring applications close by 30 November and autumn by 30 May.
How to apply ↗For autumn 2026 Chosun asked for a photo, your passport page, a certificate of enrolment and a transcript in English, a recommendation from your home university and a TOPIK score if you have one.
Exchange students come on a D-2-6 visa for up to one year, with multiple entry. Chosun posts you the original certificate of admission and a copy of its business registration for the embassy.
National Health Insurance starts on the day you register for your residence card. You pay next month's fee by the 25th of each month, and unpaid fees can block your treatment and your visa extension.
Chosun's autumn 2026 factsheet puts your first costs in Korea at a little over ₩2,000,000. That includes ₩35,000 for the residence card, ₩20,000 for the health check, the dorm fee and food.
The dorms don't give you bedding. Buy a blanket, pillow and mattress pad after you arrive. The bed pad size is 1,980 × 980 × 210 mm.
Other dates
- 15 DecemberFinal exams
- 22 DecemberAutumn semester ends
After you arrive
Residence card
Register within 90 days of arriving.
You fill in the form and hand in your papers at orientation, then go to immigration with other new students to give your fingerprints.
You need the card to open a phone contract in your own name, open a bank account and sign up for most Korean apps.
Booking the immigration visit. Papers, fee and HiKorea screens step by step. Read the guide
- Documents
- The application form, your passport and a copy, a passport photo on a white background, a certificate of enrolment, your housing contract and the ₩35,000 fee.
- How long
- Chosun says the card takes about 3 to 4 weeks. The international office tells you when it's ready.
- Your PIN
- When you give your fingerprints you choose a 4-digit PIN. It can't be one number repeated or a run like 1234. If you forget it or get it wrong 10 times, you have to go to immigration in person to reset it.
- Changes
- Report a new address within 15 days of moving, at your local community centre or at immigration. Report a new passport to immigration within 15 days as well. Both are free.
- Extending your stay
- Apply from one month before your visa ends. The fee is ₩60,000. With a GPA of 2.2 or lower, see the international office first.
- Health insurance cost
- For 2026, students on a D-2 visa pay about ₩79,000 a month. Paying late can shorten your next visa extension.
- Fee
- The government fee for the card is ₩35,000.
- Trips abroad
- Don't travel to other countries until your card is out. A single-entry visa works only once, so leaving early can stop you from coming back on it.
- Immigration helpline
- Call 1345 with visa or residence card questions. It answers in English and other languages on weekdays from 9:00 to 22:00. From abroad, dial +82-2-1345.
Going to Chosun with a friend? Send them this page.
Housing
Chosun's factsheet offers exchange students Global House. Chosun gives you the dorm you chose when there's space, but you may be placed in another one.
Global House
About ₩954,000a semester in a twin room, or ₩1,431,000 for a single
- Rooms
- Twin and single rooms, each with its own bathroom.
- Meals
- You must buy a meal plan with the dorm fee: ₩315,000 for one meal a day or ₩585,000 for two. You can't change it during the semester.
- Kitchen
- No cooking. There's a cafeteria on the ground floor, a lounge and a health room.
- Paying
- You pay each semester at a bank after you arrive.
Before you apply
- Health check. Before you move in you need a health check at the Dong-gu public health centre, and you need insurance. Students with infectious diseases can't move in.
- Not allowed. Kick scooters, TVs, gas burners, heaters, irons, kettles, toasters, electric blankets and rice cookers.
Chosun's dorm page, checked on 21 October 2026. The autumn 2026 factsheet lists slightly lower fees. Checked on 21 October 2026.
Food and living
From Chosun's own pages.
- Campus food
- Wednesday lunch is the busiest time on campus because there are no classes then. The Baekhak cafeteria, Solmaru and Ipseok Hall are on Chosun's map of places to eat.
- Living off campus
- You can rent your own place near campus. Tell the international office, and report your new address to the Dong-gu district office.
Room search sites in English
Korean universities point exchange students to these. They're private companies with no tie to any school. Don't send a deposit before you've seen the contract.
Finding a room. Browse rooms near campus in the app. If nothing fits, tell us what you need and we'll ask local agents for you, free.
Courses
Chosun's autumn 2026 factsheet sorts exchange students by Korean level. It doesn't list courses taught in English, so ask the international office what you can take.
- TOPIK 3 or higher
- You take Korean-taught courses: Korean reading and writing, listening and discussion, presentation and report writing, and vocabulary and expression at 3 credits each, plus Korean traditional culture at 2. Add 4 to 6 credits of general courses, for about 17 to 19 credits.
- Below TOPIK 3
- You take five Korean classes at the language institute: reading, grammar, writing, speaking and listening, and Korean language and culture. That's 15 credits.
- General courses
- Examples from the factsheet are Korean folklore, taekwondo in English, English conversation, international manners, and Korean food and K-Food.
- Grades
- Out of 4.5. An A+ is 95 to 100, an A is 90 to 94, and below 60 is an F.
3 more
- Changing courses
- For autumn 2026 you could change or cancel courses from 1 to 7 September. Course registration for spring 2027 is 15 to 19 February.
- Exams
- In autumn 2026, midterms are 19 to 23 October and finals 15 to 21 December.
- Attendance
- Korean universities usually fail you after a set number of absences, whatever your grades. Ask each professor in week one.
Questions exchange students ask
How much is the dorm at Chosun?
Global House · On campus
About ₩954,000
A semester in a twin room, or ₩1,431,000 for a single
What about living off campus at Chosun?
You can rent your own place near campus.
Tell the international office, and report your new address to the Dong-gu district office.
What do I need for the visa to study at Chosun?
Exchange students come on a D-2-6 visa for up to one year, with multiple entry.
Chosun posts you the original certificate of admission and a copy of its business registration for the embassy.
Is there a group chat for Chosun exchange students?
Yes.
Chosun has a room on A-CHA where exchange students meet, and you can join before you land.
How do I get my residence card at Chosun?
Register within 90 days of arriving.
You fill in the form and hand in your papers at orientation, then go to immigration with other new students to give your fingerprints.
Do exchange students at Chosun need health insurance?
National Health Insurance starts on the day you register for your residence card.
You pay next month's fee by the 25th of each month, and unpaid fees can block your treatment and your visa extension.
How many credits can I take at Chosun?
About 15 to 19 credits
How do I apply to Chosun as an exchange student?
Fill in the online form and attach your documents, print it and give it to your home university, which emails it to Chosun with a recommendation letter.
Chosun won't process an application with a missing document.
Spring applications close by 30 November and autumn by 30 May.
Who do I contact at Chosun?
Official links and help
International Affairs Team+82-62-230-6955
hrkang99@chosun.ac.krStudent life
- Culture trips
- Every semester, in April and November, the international office runs a Korean culture trip. Sign up through the notices on its website.
- International sports day
- In autumn 2026 the international office is running a football tournament for international students, with teams entered in October.
- Library Buddy Desk
- Until 27 November 2026, the Global Bookscape Lounge on the library's 5th floor helps international students use the library, with a session every Tuesday from 14:00 to 15:00.
- Sports grounds
- Students can use the two artificial turf fields, the hockey field, 9 tennis courts and the table tennis room for free.
- Festivals
- Chosun's festivals often bring K-pop idols and rappers. Big concerts happen at Haeoreum Hall, next to the Central Library.
- Exchange programme
- Academic calendar 2026 (PDF)
- Residence card and visa
- Dormitories
- Health insurance
- International notices