It began with radio
On 20 May 1934 Dr Cho Kwang-woon opened Chosun Radio Training Centre. It was upgraded to Chosun Radio Engineering Institute in 1940.
Kwangwoon University
Kwangwoon · Seoul
A university in Nowon-gu, north-east Seoul, that began as a radio training school in 1934. Exchange students study at its one campus.
- Founded
- 1934 as a radio training school
- Campus
- Seoul Line 1, Kwangwoon Univ. Station
- Dorm
- ₩1,889,920 a semester, plus a ₩100,000 deposit
- Course load
- 12 to 19 credits
Kwangwoon University, resizedWhat Kwangwoon is like
Things Korean students all know that are new when you arrive.
From electronics college to university
A four-year electronics engineering college was approved in January 1964 and took the name Kwangwoon in October 1964. It became Kwangwoon College in 1983 and Kwangwoon University after gaining university status.
A seal with a book and a winged horse
The seal, created in 1983, joins a book for intellect, a place of learning and the bima, the university's symbol. Its Latin motto is Veritas et Lux, 'truth and light'.
Brown and white
The school colours are KwangWoon Brown and white. The school says the brown square shows the spirit of its members and the white lines show learning that seeks truth.
The station took the school's name
On 25 February 2013 Seongbuk Station was renamed Kwangwoon University Station, the station you use to get to campus.
- Words you'll hear
- Bima 비마 The winged horse on the school seal
- KLAS Kwangwoon's online portal for classes and grades
- Sugang 수강신청 Course registration
From Kwangwoon's official history and symbol pages, in English and Korean, checked on 26 October 2026. The English history page gives 1930 for the first school, but the Korean page and the school's other pages say 1934, so this card follows 1934.
People
The International Office pairs you with a Korean student and holds lunches and a party night each semester.
KIF
Kwangwoon International Friends, a mentor group under the International Office. Korean and international students plan a sports day, Han River picnics and snacks at exam time.
@kif_kwuBuddy programme
One Korean student and one international student meet at least seven times a semester, with a culture day for all the pairs.
- How to join
- Sign up in your first one or two weeks. Kwangwoon emails the details.
Instagram accounts checked on 21 October 2026.
Country chats
Country chats are for everyone from that country studying anywhere in Korea, not only at Kwangwoon.
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 Kwangwoon.
Flash meetups. Anyone can start or join a short meetup in the app, like dinner tonight or a hike on Saturday.
Around campus
Kwangwoon has one campus, in Nowon-gu in north-east Seoul, a short walk from Kwangwoon University Station on Line 1.
Address in Korean
서울특별시 노원구 광운로 20
20 Kwangwoon-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul 01897
Also on Kakao Map and Google Maps. Naver and Kakao work best in Korea.
- Subway
- Line 1 to Kwangwoon University Station, then a 6-minute walk. On Line 6, walk 10 minutes from Exit 1 of Seokgye Station. From Line 7, change to Line 6 at Taereung.
- Free shuttle
- On weekday mornings in the semester a free bus runs from Taereung Station Exit 1 and Seokgye Station Exit 1 to campus, 8:20 to 10:30, every 9 to 12 minutes.
- Bus
- Blue bus 261 stops at the front gate. Green buses 1017 and 1137 also stop at Kwangwoon.
- International Office
- Rooms 102 and 103 in Hwado Hall. Open 9:00 to 17:30 on weekdays in the semester and 10:00 to 16:00 in the break.
Every place to eat near campus.
1,249places to eat near WolgyeRestaurants 868 · Cafés 248 · Bars & pubs 133 · Vegetarian options 132 · · Open late 259Each place shows the menu in English and Korean and walking directions.
- Coffee & dessert 172
- Korean BBQ 165
- Soups & stews 118
- Korean home food 104
- Street food 93
- Pocha 84
- Fried chicken 80
- Seafood 69
- Western 68
- Noodles 49
- Pub & Bar 49
- Bakery 48
Checked by A-CHA
- 브레댄코 광운대점
- 공차 광운대점Gong Cha
- 설빙서울 광운대점Sulbing
- 장수국수
- 푸른스시
- 베르데
- 이층집
- 소담밥상
- 하이레
- 맛불
- 미식성
- 빠말
Before you come
0 / 6The emails from the school come first. Use this list to check nothing is missing. Ticks stay in this browser only.
Not an official Kwangwoon page. Dates and rules change. Check the details on Kwangwoon's official site before you apply or book anything. Kwangwoon inbound exchange ↗ Checked on 21 October 2026
Your home university nominates you by 1 November for spring or 1 May for autumn. It then emails your papers as one PDF per student by 30 November or 31 May. You don't send them yourself. It takes about a month.
Inbound exchange ↗Students at partner universities, for one semester or a year. You need TOEFL iBT 61, IELTS 5.0 or TOPIK 4, or proof of two finished Korean university courses. There is no GPA rule unless your agreement has one.
The application form, a certificate of enrolment and transcript in English, a passport copy and your test score. Students from outside the OECD also need an apostille on the enrolment certificate.
Get your D-2-6 visa at home before you come. Kwangwoon says this matters most for students from Europe.
Free from Incheon or Gimpo if you land on the set days, around 16 and 17 February for spring. Email your ticket to international@kw.ac.kr three weeks before and land by 12:00.
Around 18 February for spring and 18 August for autumn, and you have to come. It has a campus and library tour, a Korean level test and course registration.
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
- When
- Within 90 days of arriving. Late registration means a fine.
- Papers
- The application form, passport, visa copy, a 3.5 × 4.5 cm photo from the last six months, a certificate of enrolment and proof of address such as a dorm letter. Bring a TB check result unless you gave one to the embassy.
- Health insurance
- You're in National Health Insurance once your card is issued, about ₩90,000 a month. You can't join before you register. Orientation explains the rest.
- Insurance questions
- Call National Health Insurance on +82-33-811-2000. It answers in English, Chinese, Vietnamese and Uzbek.
- 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 Kwangwoon with a friend? Send them this page.
Housing
You can live in the dorm or find your own place.
Bitsoljae
₩1,889,920a semester, plus a ₩100,000 deposit
- Rooms
- Two to a room with a bathroom, bed, desk, wardrobe and air conditioning.
- Shared
- Laundry, gym, seminar rooms, a shared kitchen and parcel lockers.
- Meals
- Not included.
- Bedding
- Bring or buy your own blanket, pillow and sheets.
- Paying
- Cash in Korean won only.
Before you apply
- Apply early. The dorm deadline is 15 November for spring and 15 May for autumn, before the exchange deadline.
- Health papers. Send proof of two MMR shots and a negative TB result before you come.
Kwangwoon's inbound exchange page and dorm page. Checked on 21 October 2026.
- Arriving early
- If you land before the recommended arrival day, you need somewhere else to stay until then.
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
- 12 to 19 credits a semester. One credit is one hour of class a week.
- Language
- Courses are in Korean apart from the ones taught in English. Semiconductor Systems Engineering has an English track.
- What you can take
- Any undergraduate course, and courses only for international students. Kwangwoon suggests a department close to your major at home.
- Korean classes
- 3-credit undergraduate Korean at intermediate and advanced levels. Without an English or TOPIK score you can only take these.
2 more
- Class times
- Classes run in 75-minute periods from 9:00, with the last period starting at 16:30.
- Grades
- From A+ (95 and up) down to D0 (60 to 64). Below 60 is an F, and some courses are pass or fail.
Questions exchange students ask
How much is the dorm at Kwangwoon?
Bitsoljae · On campus
₩1,889,920
A semester, plus a ₩100,000 deposit
Does the Kwangwoon dorm give you bedding?
Bring or buy your own blanket, pillow and sheets.
What do I need for the visa to study at Kwangwoon?
Get your D-2-6 visa at home before you come.
Kwangwoon says this matters most for students from Europe.
How do exchange students meet Kwangwoon students?
Buddy programme
One Korean student and one international student meet at least seven times a semester, with a culture day for all the pairs.
Is there a group chat for Kwangwoon exchange students?
Yes.
Kwangwoon has a room on A-CHA where exchange students meet, and you can join before you land.
When should I arrive at Kwangwoon?
Around 18 February for spring and 18 August for autumn, and you have to come.
It has a campus and library tour, a Korean level test and course registration.
How do I get my residence card at Kwangwoon?
Within 90 days of arriving.
Late registration means a fine.
Do exchange students at Kwangwoon need health insurance?
You're in National Health Insurance once your card is issued, about ₩90,000 a month.
You can't join before you register.
Orientation explains the rest.
How many credits can I take at Kwangwoon?
12 to 19 credits a semester.
One credit is one hour of class a week.
How do I apply to Kwangwoon as an exchange student?
Your home university nominates you by 1 November for spring or 1 May for autumn.
It then emails your papers as one PDF per student by 30 November or 31 May.
You don't send them yourself.
It takes about a month.
Who do I contact at Kwangwoon?
Official links and help
Office of Global Strategy+82-2-940-5014 · Weekdays 9:00 to 17:30
international@kw.ac.krStudent life
- Lunch Talk-Talk
- Every two weeks up to ten international students have lunch with the international student staff and ask about classes, visas and life in Korea.