One of Korea's top three
SKY stands for Seoul National, Korea and Yonsei, the three universities in Korea that are hardest to get into. KU describes itself as one of the country's oldest and largest universities.
Korea University
KU · Seoul
A private university founded in 1905. Along with Seoul National University and Yonsei, it's one of the three universities in Korea that are hardest to get into, known together as SKY. Exchange students all study and live at the Anam campus in Seoul.
- Founded
- 1905 Private university
- Campus
- Anam only Line 6, Korea University and Anam stations
- Dorm
- From ₩1,713,600 a semester, autumn 2026 rates
- Course load
- Up to 19 credits for undergraduates
Ksiom, CC BY-SA 3.0, resizedWhat KU is like
Things Korean students all know that are new when you arrive.
The autumn games against Yonsei
Every autumn KU plays Yonsei at football, baseball, basketball, ice hockey and rugby in Jamsil. The games go back more than 80 years, and Yonsei students call them Yon-Ko-Jeon. Exchange students go with their KUBA buddy group.
The last night of the May festival
KU's festival runs for a week around 5 May, the school's anniversary, with a street festival on Chamsari Street. It ends with the Ipselenti cheering night. You'll see it if you come in spring.
International Students' Festival
Every autumn KU's international students share their countries' culture and food at a festival. If you come in autumn, you can take part.
School colour and the tiger
KU's colour is crimson and its animal is the tiger. A stone tiger has stood on the east hill of the Anam campus since 1963.
A campus without cars
No cars drive through the campus. Under the lawn of the Central Plaza is an underground plaza with reading rooms and other facilities. The Main Hall and the Main Library, built with money raised across the country, are national historic sites.
- Words you'll hear
- Godae 고대 Short for Korea University
- Chamsari-gil 참살이길 The student street by Anam Station
- KUPID The student portal, where you print certificates
- Sugang 수강신청 Course registration, on sugang.korea.ac.kr
From KU's official English pages (about KU, student life, symbols and history) and the GSC buddy page, checked on 25 October 2026. The line about SKY is A-CHA's own explanation.
People
Buddies, language exchange and clubs for international students at KU.
LECA
A club where Korean and international students meet. KU's own pages don't link this account, so we can't confirm who runs it.
- How to join
- Fill in their Google Form and you're added to the group chat.
- When they recruit
- About six weeks around the start of each semester.
- Fee
- Yes
KUBA
KU's buddy programme, run by KU students. Exchange and visiting students join automatically, and a KU buddy emails you before the semester and helps you pick courses. At orientation in February and August (two to three days, you're expected to come) you're put in a group of exchange students and KUBA buddies, and you go through the semester's events with that group: Field Day in April and September, a field trip near Seoul, cheering orientation, Ipselenti on the last night of the May festival and the Korea University and Yonsei games in September. The school says the point is friendships that last. Photos and notices go up on @koreauniv_kuba_official, though KU's own pages don't link that account, so we can't confirm who runs it.
- How to join
- Nothing to do. Your buddy writes first.
- When they recruit
- Every semester, orientation in February and August.
- Fee
- No
Korea University
KU's main Instagram.
@koreauniv.officialInstagram accounts checked on 2 October 2026.
Country chats
Country chats are for everyone from that country studying anywhere in Korea, not only at KU.
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 KU.
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 and live at Anam, the main campus in Seoul. Courses at the Sejong campus are closed to them, and Sejong University is a different school.
Address in Korean
서울특별시 성북구 안암로 145
145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841
Also on Kakao Map and Google Maps. Naver and Kakao work best in Korea.
- Subway
- Line 6. Korea University Station Exit 1 for the humanities side, Anam Station Exit 4 for science and engineering. The central plaza is 10 minutes on foot from Korea University Station Exit 1, or 5 from Anam Station Exit 2.
- From Incheon Airport
- Airport limousine 6102 to Seongnye Elementary School (Korea University) for ₩18,000, then a taxi for about ₩4,000. The bus takes about 1 hour 15 minutes and comes about every 1.5 hours. The dorm is 1.2 km uphill from the stop, too steep with luggage. Or the airport railroad to Gongdeok and Line 6 to Korea University or Anam, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
- International Office
- The Global Service Center is in room 202 of Dongwon Global Leadership Hall, weekdays 9:00 to 17:30 in term and 10:00 to 17:00 in vacations, closed from 12:00 to 13:00.
- Where students eat
- Mostly in the Anam food alley and along Gaeunsa-gil, both a couple of minutes from Anam Station.
Cheonggyecheon, Gwangjang Market and old palaces, plus every place to eat near campus.
2,123places to eat near AnamRestaurants 1,403 · Cafés 477 · Bars & pubs 243 · Vegetarian options 171 · · Open late 425Each place shows the menu in English and Korean and walking directions.
3.2 km from campus
Cheonggyecheon Night Walk
The stream is lit every night. In winter the lantern festival overlaps with the Bamdokkaebi Night Market's Cheonggyecheon site on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
3.3 km from campus
DDP Night Illumination
The LED rose garden and Seoul Light only run in season, so check the schedule first.
3.3 km from campus
Sindangdong Tteokbokki Town
The birthplace of jeukseok tteokbokki (즉석떡볶이), cooked at your table. Many places take orders from two portions up.
3.4 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.
3.6 km from campus
Gwangjang Market
The food alley runs 09:00-23:00 every day. Only the regular shops close on Sundays.
- Coffee & dessert 327
- Korean BBQ 215
- Soups & stews 202
- Korean home food 173
- Pocha 156
- Western 126
- Seafood 115
- Japanese 114
- Street food 111
- Fried chicken 101
- Bakery 94
- Pub & Bar 87
Checked by A-CHA
- 소문난의정부부대찌개 3호점
- 래디컬브루잉클럽
- 비나레스토랑
- 이수영피자
- 미식본좌
- 샤브온당고대안암점
- 용초수
- 특별식당
- 일월의제면소
- 청룡분식
- 베브릿지고려대점
- 매스플레이트
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 KU page. Dates and rules change. Check the details on KU's official site before you apply or book anything. KU Global Service Center ↗ Checked on 19 October 2026
Online only, 1 to 31 October for spring 2027, with a US$50 fee that isn't refunded. Review takes 6 to 8 weeks, then you send proof of funds, and admission papers follow in 1 to 2 weeks.
A GPA of 2.5 out of 4.0. Undergraduates need two semesters done before applying, graduate and transfer students one. You need to be able to take classes in Korean or English, and no test score is asked for.
The Global KU Scholarship is for exchange students nominated by a partner university. Amounts and deadlines are on the GSC scholarship page.
Scholarships ↗An English transcript, a GPA conversion form, an essay, your passport, a health certificate (for spring, from a check between August and October), a pledge and a photo. Students from outside the OECD, counted by citizenship, post an apostilled certificate of enrolment by 15 November for spring. If your university's country isn't in the Apostille Convention, a confirmation from a Korean embassy or consulate there works, and universities in China send a CHSI certificate. Prepare your bank statement only after KU's acceptance email.
Exchange students need a D-2-6 visa. Apply at a Korean embassy or consulate with your certificate of admission, which comes from December for spring. Don't enter Korea on a K-ETA.
Send proof of travel insurance by 31 January for spring. The certificate must be in English and show your name, with health cover in Korea for the whole semester. After your residence card registration you join National Health Insurance, about ₩79,000 a month in 2026.
Proof of two MMR shots and a negative TB test taken within 90 days of moving in, so from 1 January for spring.
Orientation for exchange and visiting students is on 26 February 2027, the same day as the entrance ceremony, and classes start on 2 March. Both dates are tentative.
Other dates
- 18 DecemberLast day of the autumn semester
- 15 FebruaryCourse registration
After you arrive
Residence card
Register within 90 days of arriving.
Go to your local immigration office. Don't travel to other countries before the card is issued. A single-entry visa is used up when you leave, and you may need a new one to come back.
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
- Your passport, the application form, two 3.5 × 4.5 cm photos, a certificate of enrolment and proof of address. The fee is ₩35,000 since January 2025.Visa and residence card guide ↗
- Leaving Korea
- D-2 holders leave when the semester ends, by 31 July after spring and 31 January after autumn.
- Staying longer
- To extend your stay, bring your passport, residence card, an enrolment certificate, a tuition receipt, a bank statement in your name and proof of address. The fee is ₩60,000.Visa extension guide ↗
- Changes
- If you get a new passport, tell KU, because the number on your certificate of admission has to match it. Report a new passport or a new address to immigration within 15 days.
- Helplines
- 1345 answers immigration and visa questions in English. At KU, write to studyabroad@korea.ac.kr.
Going to KU with a friend? Send them this page.
Housing
A place isn't guaranteed. Apply on dorm.korea.ac.kr, first come first served, in December and January for spring.
International Houses
₩1,713,600 to ₩2,380,000a semester, autumn 2026 rates
- Rooms
- CJ International House and Anam International House have singles for ₩2,380,000 and doubles for ₩1,844,500. Frontier House has doubles for ₩1,713,600.
- Buildings
- CJ I-House holds about 230 with suite bathrooms. Anam I-House holds about 350, two people to a bathroom. Frontier House holds 943. Rooms are furnished.
- Who goes where
- Rooms and roommates are random. When singles fill up you get a double, and with many applicants, Frontier House. Partner school exchange students come first.
- Curfew
- The rules don't set one. You can't move in between 22:00 and 9:00.
- Visitors
- Bringing in an outsider gets you sent out. Sleeping in someone else's room costs 5 penalty points.
- Alcohol
- Smoking or drinking in the building gets you sent out. Bringing alcohol in costs 6 points.
- Cooking
- No rice cookers, fridges, gas burners or heaters in your room, and having one can get you sent out at once. The International Houses have shared kitchens, Frontier House has none.
- Bedding
- A mattress and mattress cover only. Bring your own pillow, blanket and mattress pad.
- Getting there
- 500 m from Anam Station on Line 6 toward Gaeunsa. From Korea University Station, bus Seongbuk 20 to the dorm stop.
- Contact
- reslife@korea.ac.kr or +82-2-3290-1554. Front desks: CJ International House +82-2-3290-1806, Anam International House +82-2-3290-1711. Frontier House has its own office on +82-2-3290-1553.
Before you apply
- Apply online. Spring applications are in December and January. For autumn 2026 they ran 15 to 18 June, with results and payment 1 to 12 July.
- Refunds. Move out with 30 or more days left and you get a prorated refund minus 10%. With less than 30 days left there's no refund. You can't ask to change rooms or roommates.
Korea University's autumn 2026 exchange dorm notice and the dormitory website. Checked on 19 October 2026.
- If you don't get a room
- The GSC housing page explains room types, where to search and what to check before you sign. You can also write to studyabroad@korea.ac.kr.
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
- Up to 19 credits for undergraduates and 12 for graduate students. Undergraduates can't take graduate courses.
- Course list
- Spring courses go up on sugang.korea.ac.kr in mid January. Courses marked X) are open to exchange students.
- Registration
- Spring 2027 registration is 15 to 19 February, after a preliminary round on 2 to 4 February. You save courses to a wish list, then register, change and withdraw. Each class sets aside about 25% of its seats for exchange students, and if the exchange students who list a course stay within that share, they're registered automatically. Graduate courses skip the wish list and withdrawal steps, and nothing changes after the withdrawal period. Business, media, international studies and psychology fill fastest.
- What you can't take
- Medicine, nursing, pharmacy, law, teacher education, cyber defence, art and design, smart mobility, communications engineering and semiconductor engineering, plus every course at the Sejong campus. Other courses may be restricted too. Graduate exchange students take courses only at the Graduate School and the Graduate School of International Studies.
4 more
- Korean classes
- There are Korean courses for credit. The Korean Language Center runs paid courses that carry no credit. The GSC runs a free Korean class during the break, with sign-ups in May and November.
- Have a backup
- A seat in any course isn't guaranteed, so pick a few spares. Some lab sessions are taught in Korean by TAs, so email the professor if that matters to you.
- Support for disabilities
- With an accommodation letter from your home university, KU can give you 1.5 times the exam time, a separate room and later assignment deadlines.
- Transcripts
- Grades are out of 4.5. Spring grades come out in early July and transcripts are sent between 15 and 31 July. Questions about a grade go to the professor during the grade revision period. You can print certificates yourself on KUPID.
Questions exchange students ask
How does course registration work at KU?
Spring 2027 registration is 15 to 19 February, after a preliminary round on 2 to 4 February.
You save courses to a wish list, then register, change and withdraw.
Each class sets aside about 25% of its seats for exchange students, and if the exchange students who list a course stay within that share, they're registered automatically.
Graduate courses skip the wish list and withdrawal steps, and nothing changes after the withdrawal period.
Business, media, international studies and psychology fill fastest.
How much is the dorm at KU?
International Houses · On campus
From the last semester₩1,713,600 to ₩2,380,000
A semester, autumn 2026 rates
Does the KU dorm have a curfew?
The rules don't set one.
You can't move in between 22:00 and 9:00.
Does the KU dorm give you bedding?
A mattress and mattress cover only.
Bring your own pillow, blanket and mattress pad.
What do I need for the visa to study at KU?
Exchange students need a D-2-6 visa.
Apply at a Korean embassy or consulate with your certificate of admission, which comes from December for spring.
Don't enter Korea on a K-ETA.
How do exchange students meet KU students?
KUBA
KU's buddy programme, run by KU students.
Exchange and visiting students join automatically, and a KU buddy emails you before the semester and helps you pick courses.
At orientation in February and August (two to three days, you're expected to come) you're put in a group of exchange students and KUBA buddies, and you go through the semester's events with that group: Field Day in April and September, a field trip near Seoul, cheering orientation, Ipselenti on the last night of the May festival and the Korea University and Yonsei games in September.
The school says the point is friendships that last.
Photos and notices go up on @koreauniv_kuba_official, though KU's own pages don't link that account, so we can't confirm who runs it.
Is there a group chat for KU exchange students?
Yes.
KU has a room on A-CHA where exchange students meet, and you can join before you land.
When should I arrive at KU?
Orientation for exchange and visiting students is on 26 February 2027, the same day as the entrance ceremony, and classes start on 2 March.
Both dates are tentative.
How do I get my residence card at KU?
Register within 90 days of arriving.
Go to your local immigration office.
Don't travel to other countries before the card is issued.
A single-entry visa is used up when you leave, and you may need a new one to come back.
Do exchange students at KU need health insurance?
Send proof of travel insurance by 31 January for spring.
The certificate must be in English and show your name, with health cover in Korea for the whole semester.
After your residence card registration you join National Health Insurance, about ₩79,000 a month in 2026.
How many credits can I take at KU?
Up to 19 credits for undergraduates and 12 for graduate students.
Undergraduates can't take graduate courses.
How do I apply to KU as an exchange student?
Online only, 1 to 31 October for spring 2027, with a US$50 fee that isn't refunded.
Review takes 6 to 8 weeks, then you send proof of funds, and admission papers follow in 1 to 2 weeks.
Who do I contact at KU?
Official links and help
Global Service Center+82-2-3290-5118 · Weekdays 9:00 to 17:30
studyabroad@korea.ac.krStudent life
- Language exchange
- The GSC pairs you with a Korean student for language exchange. Sign up in February or August.
- Health
- The KU Health Center is in Central Plaza, B1 room 112, +82-2-3290-1571. The Student Counseling Center is on the same floor in room 114, +82-2-3290-1540. On the science campus, the health center is in Hana Square B1, room 102, +82-2-3290-1572.
- Library
- The Main Library's Information Center is open 9:00 to 22:00 on weekdays and 9:00 to 15:00 on Saturdays, with shorter hours in vacations. It's closed on public holidays. Bring your student ID.
Where to ask. GSC: Part-time work needs a permit from immigration first and a GPA of 2.0 or more last semester. Ask the GSC at studyabroad@korea.ac.kr. Open ↗
- Global Service Center
- Visa and residence card
- Insurance
- Academic calendar
- Dormitory
- Getting to campus