Built for a new country
Shin Ik-hee (pen name Haegong) and others from the Provisional Government founded Kookmin in 1946 to train the people an independent, democratic Korea needed.
Kookmin University
Kookmin · Seoul
A university in Jeongneung, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, set up in 1946 by Shin Ik-hee and other figures of Korea's Provisional Government. Kookmin calls itself the first private university founded after liberation in 1945. Exchange students all study on this campus.
- Founded
- 1946 by Shin Ik-hee and others
- Campus
- Jeongneung Ui-Sinseol Line, Jeongneung Station
- Dorm
- From ₩772,720 a semester, autumn 2026 fees
- Course load
- 12 to 15 credits recommended, 10 at least
Kookmin University, resizedWhat Kookmin is like
Things Korean students all know that are new when you arrive.
A motto in the founder's words
The motto 以校爲家 事必歸正 comes from founder Shin Ik-hee. Alumni carved it on a monument by the Yongduri statue.
The statue by the fountain
Yongduri is the university statue, standing by a fountain. Stairs beside it lead up to the Garden of Sungkok, which has seasonal flowers, benches and a view over much of the campus.
The May festival
Kookmin's spring festival, Daedongje, is held in May. In 2017 it had department pubs, bands on two nights and a student talent show.
- Words you'll hear
- Gukmindae 국민대 What Koreans call Kookmin University
- Yongduri 용두리 The university statue by the fountain
- Jeongneung 정릉 The neighbourhood the campus is in
- Sugang 수강신청 Course registration
From Kookmin's official English pages (introduction, campus map, KMU News on campus places and the festival) and a news post on the Shin Ik-hee motto monument, checked on 26 October 2026.
People
Kookmin has more than 65 clubs. Exchange students mostly join sports ones, like the taekwondo club TEARANG or hiking.
GPS
Global Peers, Kookmin students picked by the International Affairs Team to be buddies. They also run the group chats for exchange students, help with orientation, course registration and moving in, and hold a welcome dinner and a farewell dinner.
- When they recruit
- Recruits its Korean buddies in February for spring and August for autumn.
Instagram accounts checked on 19 October 2026.
Country chats
Country chats are for everyone from that country studying anywhere in Korea, not only at Kookmin.
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 Kookmin.
Flash meetups. Anyone can start or join a short meetup in the app, like dinner tonight or a hike on Saturday.
Around campus
Kookmin has one campus, in Jeongneung in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, right below Bukhansan. Exchange students all study here.
Address in Korean
서울특별시 성북구 정릉로 77
77 Jeongneung-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02707
Also on Kakao Map and Google Maps. Naver and Kakao work best in Korea.
- Subway
- Jeongneung Station on the Ui-Sinseol Line. From Gireum Station on Line 4, take Exit 3 and then bus 171, 1213 or 7211.
- From central Seoul
- Bus 1020 or 1711 from Gyeongbokgung Station Exit 3 or Gwanghwamun Station Exit 2.
- International office
- International Affairs, Room 202 in the Global Center. Weekdays 9:00 to 17:00, closed for lunch 12:00 to 13:00.
- Food prices
- A meal in the student cafeteria is ₩4,000 to ₩7,000. Restaurants nearby are ₩8,000 to ₩12,000.
- Students
- 18,331 students, and 11.9% of them are international.
Bukhansan and Bukchon within 4 km of campus, and every place to eat nearby.
284places to eat near JeongneungRestaurants 183 · Cafés 65 · Bars & pubs 36 · Vegetarian options 25 · Open late 67Each place shows the menu in English and Korean and walking directions.
0.6 km from campus
Bukhansan National Park
Baegundae peak is a 4-5 hour round trip, an hour from the city center. Crampons are essential in winter.
4.2 km from campus
Changgyeonggung Palace
Along with Deoksugung it stays open until 21:00, last admission 20:00. Those are the two palaces you can walk after dark. It closes on Mondays, the opposite of Gyeongbokgung.
4.3 km from campus
Changdeokgung Secret Garden
Garden tours run six times a day, starting on the hour from 10:00. The last one is at 15:00 from November to February, and at 16:00 from March to October. Each slot takes 100 people per language, 50 booked online and 50 sold at the gate. So arriving early still works when the online slots are gone. Changdeokgung is closed on Mondays.
4.3 km from campus
Bukchon Hanok Village
Tourists are barred from the lanes from 17:00 until 10:00 the next morning. Breaking the rule carries a 100,000 won fine.
4.5 km from campus
MMCA Seoul
Wednesday and Saturday evening openings are free. It closes for the day on the first Tuesday of June, September, and December.
- Coffee & dessert 43
- Soups & stews 32
- Korean BBQ 28
- Pocha 23
- Bakery 20
- Street food 19
- Fried chicken 19
- Western 18
- Korean home food 16
- Japanese 14
- Pub & Bar 13
- Seafood 13
Checked by A-CHA
- 지세지세
- 언더그라운드커피웍스정릉
- 레도피자
- 꿀사발떡볶이
- 차담
- 레스고케이펍
- 채움늘
- 정릉마루
- 피플즈플레이스
- 밥은화국민대점
- 북악루
- 맛짱
Before you come
0 / 8For 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 Kookmin page. Dates and rules change. Check the details on Kookmin's official site before you apply or book anything. Kookmin exchange programme ↗ Checked on 19 October 2026
Your home university nominates you by 30 October 2026, then you apply by 27 November 2026.
A GPA of 3.0 out of 4.5, and TOPIK 3 or TOEFL iBT 72, IELTS 6.0 or TOEIC 800. You need a bank certificate for ₩6,000,000 for one semester or ₩14,000,000 for two.
Kookmin sends admission letters from early January. You need yours for the visa.
Exchange students come on a D-2-6 visa.
Buy accident and illness insurance at home and send proof before your visa papers. Once you have a residence card you are also enrolled in National Health Insurance. Keep your home insurance after that.
You pay tuition to your home university, not to Kookmin. Textbooks cost ₩30,000 to ₩50,000 each, about ₩150,000 to ₩300,000 a semester, and used ones are rare. Design and art students may pay for their own materials.
Kookmin estimates about ₩580,000 a month for living costs. A phone plan is about ₩30,000.
Kookmin hasn't set the spring 2027 dates yet. It suggests arriving 2 to 3 days before classes. Orientation is mandatory, and in autumn 2026 it was on 31 August, the day before classes. There is no airport pickup, and Kookmin sends its own directions.
Other dates
- 2 MarchSemester starts
- 2 MarchCourse changes
- 20 AprilMidterms
- 8 JuneFinals
- 21 JuneSpring semester ends
After you arrive
Residence card
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
- Health insurance
- Registering for your residence card also signs you up for National Health Insurance. If you bought private insurance before you registered, you can ask NHIS for an exemption.
- Your address
- If you live off campus, check that your address can be used to register for the card before you sign.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Kookmin with a friend? Send them this page.
Housing
Kookmin has a dorm on campus and two nearby. A room isn't guaranteed, and rooms are given out at random.
Kookmin dorms
₩772,720 to ₩927,270a semester in autumn 2026, cleaning fee included
- On campus
- Four buildings, mostly rooms for four, from ₩796,240. Some room types cost more, so check the fee in your housing notice.
- Jeongneung
- Four floors, a 10-minute walk from the back gate, rooms for four. ₩796,240.
- Gireum
- Twelve floors at Exit 8 of Gireum Station on Line 4. ₩927,270 for two, ₩808,560 for three, ₩772,720 for four.
- Rooms
- Every room has its own shower and toilet. There's no shared kitchen, only a fridge and microwave.
- Cooking
- No appliances that heat, cooking ones included.
- Curfew
- The dorm sets a closing time each semester. Coming in after it costs 2 penalty points and bringing in alcohol costs 5. At 10 points you have to leave the dorm.
- Visitors
- No outsiders inside, and no one can stay over.
- Men and women
- Men can't go into the women's buildings, and women can't go into the men's.
- Meals
- Dinner tickets for the cafeteria on the ground floor of the on-campus dorm.
- Contact
- Dorm office 02-910-5975 or 02-910-5976.
Before you apply
- Not guaranteed. Kookmin can't promise everyone a room, and rooms are given out at random.
- Fee waiver. If your university's agreement with Kookmin waives the dorm fee, you don't pay it.
Kookmin's spring 2027 factsheet and dorm website. Fees are from autumn 2026. Checked on 19 October 2026.
Off campus
You pay the landlord directly.
- Other places
- Kookmin points to Raon-Stay, which isn't linked to the university, Enkor Stay, Airbnb and goshiwon rooms.
- Residence card address
- Check the place gives you an address you can register for your residence card.
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
- How much
- Kookmin recommends 12 to 15 credits. The least is 10 and the most is 17 to 19.
- Registration
- Online, 2 to 3 weeks before the semester. Popular courses fill up.
- Changes
- You can change courses from 2 to 8 March.
- Exams
- Midterms 20 to 26 April and finals 8 to 14 June. Make-up classes run 15 to 21 June.
5 more
- Grades
- Out of 4.5. An A+ is 95 to 100, and 59 or below is an F. Spring grades come out 15 to 25 June.
- Limited
- Fine Arts, Architecture, Creative Engineering, Design, Science and Technology, Computer Science and Automotive Engineering have few courses in other languages and may need the department's approval. The School of Music and the School of Performing Arts are closed to exchange students.
- Courses in English
- Kookmin lists the courses it offers on its English site.Offered courses ↗
- Korean
- Kookmin runs a 10-week Korean course, 4 hours a day on weekdays. Its pages list the fee at both ₩1,450,000 and ₩1,650,000, so ask the office for this term's price.
- 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 Kookmin?
Online, 2 to 3 weeks before the semester.
Popular courses fill up.
Are there courses taught in English at Kookmin?
Kookmin lists the courses it offers on its English site.
How much is the dorm at Kookmin?
Kookmin dorms · On campus, Jeongneung and Gireum
From the last semester₩772,720 to ₩927,270
A semester in autumn 2026, cleaning fee included
Does the Kookmin dorm have a curfew?
The dorm sets a closing time each semester.
Coming in after it costs 2 penalty points and bringing in alcohol costs 5.
At 10 points you have to leave the dorm.
What do I need for the visa to study at Kookmin?
Exchange students come on a D-2-6 visa.
How do exchange students meet Kookmin students?
GPS
Global Peers, Kookmin students picked by the International Affairs Team to be buddies.
They also run the group chats for exchange students, help with orientation, course registration and moving in, and hold a welcome dinner and a farewell dinner.
Is there a group chat for Kookmin exchange students?
Yes.
Kookmin has a room on A-CHA where exchange students meet, and you can join before you land.
When should I arrive at Kookmin?
Kookmin hasn't set the spring 2027 dates yet.
It suggests arriving 2 to 3 days before classes.
Orientation is mandatory, and in autumn 2026 it was on 31 August, the day before classes.
There is no airport pickup, and Kookmin sends its own directions.
Do exchange students at Kookmin need health insurance?
Registering for your residence card also signs you up for National Health Insurance.
If you bought private insurance before you registered, you can ask NHIS for an exemption.
How many credits can I take at Kookmin?
Kookmin recommends 12 to 15 credits.
The least is 10 and the most is 17 to 19.
How do I apply to Kookmin as an exchange student?
Your home university nominates you by 30 October 2026, then you apply by 27 November 2026.
Who do I contact at Kookmin?
Official links and help
International Affairs+82-2-910-5806 · Weekdays 9:00 to 17:00
incoming@kookmin.ac.krStudent life
- Gym
- The Wellness Center costs ₩35,000 a month.
- Exchange programme
- Spring 2027 factsheet (PDF)
- Living in Korea
- Offered courses
- Dorm (Korean)
- GPS buddies
- Directions