From Yongsan to Sangsu-dong
Hongik started on 25 April 1946 in Yongsan-gu, took the name Hongik University in 1947 and moved to Sangsu-dong in Mapo-gu in 1955.
Hongik University
Hongik · Seoul
A university in Mapo-gu, Seoul, founded in 1946, with about 22,000 students. Exchange students study at the Seoul campus, in the middle of Hongdae.
- Founded
- 1946 as Hong-Moon Higher Educational Institute
- Campus
- Seoul Line 2, Hongik Univ. Station
- Dorm
- About ₩1,700,000 a semester, meals not included
- Residence card
- Within 90 days of arriving in Korea
Minseong Kim, CC BY-SA 4.0, croppedWhat Hongik is like
Things Korean students all know that are new when you arrive.
Art all over campus
Hongik's museum lists 12 artworks around the Seoul campus, such as six bronze figures in front of the engineering college from 1967 and Eternal Smile in front of the main building from 1973.
The neighbourhood named after the school
Hongdae is short for Hongik Daehakgyo, Hongik University in Korean, and it's what everyone calls the area around campus. It's one of Seoul's busiest places for clubs, bars and live music.
Service for all humankind
Hongik says it was founded on the idea of service for the benefit of all humankind.
- Words you'll hear
- Hongdae 홍대 Short for Hongik University, and the area around it
- Sangsu 상수 The Line 6 station by the back gate
- Sugang 수강신청 Course registration
From Hongik's official English pages (history, Hongik at a glance, about Hongik and the Wa-U artworks), checked on 26 October 2026. The Hongdae card is A-CHA's own note.
People
Help and people for international students at Hongik.
Buddy Programme
Hongik students who speak your language help you from arrival to departure, with the bank, your phone and classes.
- When they recruit
- Hongik picks its buddies around January and July.
HISC
Hongik's international student council, listed by the international office. Exchange students write that it runs events for them.
@hongik_hiscInstagram accounts checked on 19 October 2026.
Country chats
Country chats are for everyone from that country studying anywhere in Korea, not only at Hongik.
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 Hongik.
Flash meetups. Anyone can start or join a short meetup in the app, like dinner tonight or a hike on Saturday.
Around campus
Exchange students study at the Seoul campus in Mapo-gu. Hongik also has a Sejong campus in Sejong City, which is a different place from Sejong University in Seoul.
Address in Korean
서울특별시 마포구 와우산로 94
94 Wausan-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul 04066
Also on Kakao Map and Google Maps. Naver and Kakao work best in Korea.
- Subway
- Hongik Univ. Station on Line 2, Exit 9, then 9 minutes on foot to the main gate. From Sangsu Station on Line 6, Exit 2 is 3 minutes from the back gate.
- From Incheon Airport
- Airport bus 6002 to the Hongik Univ. Station stop, then 9 minutes to the main gate. Or the AREX train to Hongik Univ. Station, Exit 4, then 16 minutes.
- International office
- Room 107 in the IT Center (Q107). Exchange questions go to icenter1@hongik.ac.kr or +82-2-320-1043.
- Student support
- The International Student Support Division helps with visas, insurance and life in Seoul, huiss@hongik.ac.kr or +82-2-320-3222.
- Student lounge
- The ISL is in the IT Center (Q109), open 9:30 to 19:30 in term and 10:00 to 17:00 in the holidays. Closed at weekends and on public holidays.
Street busking right next to campus and Mangwon Market a short walk away, with every place to eat nearby.
1,174places to eat near SeoulRestaurants 679 · Cafés 344 · Bars & pubs 151 · Vegetarian options 269 · · Open late 285Each place shows the menu in English and Korean and walking directions.
0.6 km from campus
Hongdae Busking Street
Performances cluster on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. Almost everything is cancelled when it rains.
1.3 km from campus
Yeonnam Gyeongui Line Park
Known as Yeontral Park. A picnic on a mat is the whole point, so there is no reason to go in the rain.
1.8 km from campus
Mangwon Market
Open daily 08:00-22:00 with no closing day. It is a working neighborhood market, used mostly by locals.
2.3 km from campus
Seonyudo Park
An island park on the Han River. Easy to reach by transit, and easy to slot between city stops when you want to walk and sit for a while.
3.7 km from campus
Seodaemun Prison History Hall
09:30-18:00 in summer, 09:30-17:00 in winter. When a Monday falls on a public holiday, it closes the following day instead.
- Coffee & dessert 240
- Western 114
- Japanese 94
- Korean BBQ 92
- Pub & Bar 91
- Soups & stews 64
- Pocha 60
- Street food 58
- Korean home food 54
- Fried chicken 53
- Juice & tea 52
- Bakery 41
Checked by A-CHA
- 홍대예티
- 마루샤브스카이 홍대직영점
- 클럽에반스Try: Nachos and Cheese, Kahlua Milk, Blue Hawaii
- 다락투
- 길상양꼬치
- 아임도넛 홍대점
- 식스티즈
- 알누오보
- 언덕
- 지로우라멘
- 스탠스커피
- 비터스Try: Zezé, Gambas al Ajillo, Melon and Jamón Plate
Before you come
0 / 7For Spring 2027. The emails from the school come first. Use this list to check nothing is missing. Ticks stay in this browser only.
Not an official Hongik page. Dates and rules change. Check the details on Hongik's official site before you apply or book anything. Hongik exchange programme ↗ Checked on 19 October 2026
Your home university nominates you by 31 October 2026, then you apply by 30 November 2026. Your original papers have to arrive by post before the deadline.
Undergraduates nominated by a partner university. Master's students only with advanced Korean. You need to be able to study in Korean or English, but there's no language test. Most stay one semester, and a year at most.
The application form, a study plan, a professor's recommendation, your original transcript, an original certificate of enrolment issued within 6 months, an original bank certificate and a copy of your passport. Art, design and architecture students add a portfolio.
Your certificate of enrolment needs an apostille or confirmation from a Korean consulate. Students from China can use CHSI.
No tuition and no application fee for exchange students. The bank certificate must show ₩7,500,000 for one semester or ₩20,000,000 for a year, in your name or a parent's, issued within 14 days of applying.
Results come by the fourth week of December.
Exchange students come on a D-2-6 visa. Hongik's visa page explains the steps.
Visa guide ↗
Other dates
- Third and fourth weeks of FebruaryCourse registration
- Late FebruaryDorm move-in
- 2 MarchSemester starts
- First week of MarchCourse changes
- Mid-AprilMidterms
- Mid-JuneFinals
After you arrive
Residence card
Register within 90 days of arriving.
Everyone staying more than 90 days has to, and missing the deadline can lead to a fine or deportation.
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
- How
- Book a visit on HiKorea, then take the booking to the immigration office.Residence card guide ↗
- Documents
- The application form, your passport and a copy, a copy of your visa, a photo taken within 3 months, a certificate of enrolment, a TB test result if you need one and ₩35,000 in cash.
- Moving house
- Report your new address within 15 days on HiKorea, at the immigration office or at a community centre, or you can be fined.
- Health insurance
- Hongik requires insurance if you stay 90 days or more. National Health Insurance starts once you register for your residence card, and NHIS tells you the monthly premium on 1577-1000. Hongik also has a group plan with KB, about ₩34,000 for 6 months. With other insurance, hand in a copy of the certificate every semester.
- Staying longer
- You can ask to extend your stay in the last 2 months before it runs out. Hongik's visa page lists the documents, and the fee is ₩60,000 in cash.Visa guide ↗
- 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.
- Leaving mid-semester
- Before you leave Korea during the semester, fill in a departure report at the International Student Support office, and sign it again when you're back. Skipping it can cost you your visa.
- 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 Hongik with a friend? Send them this page.
Housing
Exchange students get priority for Hongik's dorm. Apply on the dorm website.
Dormitory II
About ₩1,700,000a semester, meals not included
- Building
- 24 floors. Rooms for two, each with its own bathroom.
- Men and women
- Both live in this building, in separate rooms. 250 rooms are for men and 277 for women.
- In the room
- Desks, beds, wardrobes, a LAN line, a phone and bookshelves.
- Dates
- Late February to mid-June for spring.
- Curfew
- The doors are shut from 1:00 to 5:00, with a roll call at 1:00.
- Nights away
- Book them online in advance. You can't after 23:30.
- Cooking
- No electrical appliances or anything flammable.
- Alcohol
- No drinking or smoking, and bringing alcohol in counts the same.
- Penalty points
- At 7 penalty points you have to leave the dorm, and you can't move back in for a year.
- Contact
- Dormitory II office: 02-320-2402 to 2405. You apply on dorm.hongik.ac.kr.
- Visitors
- No outsiders. Bringing one in gets you expelled.
Before you apply
- Pay in cash. Cash only, in full before you move in. There are no refunds once you've paid.
- Health papers. A TB test from the last 3 months, in English if done at home, and proof of two measles shots at least 4 weeks apart. Without a health certificate on move-in day you can't move in.
Hongik's spring 2027 factsheet, its international office pages and the dorm rules. Checked on 19 October 2026.
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
- Registration
- In the third and fourth weeks of February, on Student Classnet under course registration.
- How much
- 2 to 18 credits a semester.
- In English
- About 10% of undergraduate courses are in English, and every major is open to exchange students.
- Course list
- Search the timetable in English.Course timetable ↗
5 more
- Changes
- You can change courses until the first week of March.
- Exams
- Midterms in mid-April and finals in mid-June.
- Grades
- You can see your grades by the first week of July. Transcripts go to you or your home university after the semester.
- Korean
- The Korean Language Institute is separate from exchange classes and costs ₩1,750,000 a semester, plus a ₩100,000 application fee.
- 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 does course registration work at Hongik?
In the third and fourth weeks of February, on Student Classnet under course registration.
Are there courses taught in English at Hongik?
About 10% of undergraduate courses are in English, and every major is open to exchange students.
How much is the dorm at Hongik?
Dormitory II · On campus
About ₩1,700,000
A semester, meals not included
Does the Hongik dorm have a curfew?
The doors are shut from 1:00 to 5:00, with a roll call at 1:00.
What do I need for the visa to study at Hongik?
Exchange students come on a D-2-6 visa.
Hongik's visa page explains the steps.
How do exchange students meet Hongik students?
Buddy Programme
Hongik students who speak your language help you from arrival to departure, with the bank, your phone and classes.
Is there a group chat for Hongik exchange students?
Yes.
Hongik 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 Hongik?
Register within 90 days of arriving.
Everyone staying more than 90 days has to, and missing the deadline can lead to a fine or deportation.
Do exchange students at Hongik need health insurance?
Hongik requires insurance if you stay 90 days or more.
National Health Insurance starts once you register for your residence card, and NHIS tells you the monthly premium on 1577-1000.
Hongik also has a group plan with KB, about ₩34,000 for 6 months.
With other insurance, hand in a copy of the certificate every semester.
How many credits can I take at Hongik?
2 to 18 credits a semester.
How do I apply to Hongik as an exchange student?
Your home university nominates you by 31 October 2026, then you apply by 30 November 2026.
Your original papers have to arrive by post before the deadline.
Who do I contact at Hongik?
Official links and help
International Exchange Division+82-2-320-1043
icenter1@hongik.ac.krStudent life
- Mentors
- Hongik pairs international students with a Korean or international student who isn't a first-year. Teams meet for at least 50 hours a semester.
- Counselling
- The Student Counselling Center in Q301 sees international students, with Chinese and English interpreting. higuidance@hongik.ac.kr or 02-320-1356.
- Writing Clinic
- Help with writing in Korean, in Q213, open to every student.
- Exchange programme
- Spring 2027 factsheet
- Residence card
- Insurance
- Course registration
- Dorm
- Directions