It began as a nursery teachers' school
The earliest entry in Kyonggi's history is 1947, when the Jo Yang Nursery Teachers' School was set up in Yeonji-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. It became a junior college in 1954 and a four-year university in 1963.
Kyonggi University
Kyonggi · Suwon
A university that began in Seoul in 1947 as a nursery teachers' school and now has campuses in Suwon and Seoul. Exchange students live and study at the Suwon campus.
- Founded
- 1947 as a nursery teachers' school
- Campus
- Suwon Shinbundang Line, Gwanggyo Station
- Dorm
- ₩1,600,000 a semester plus a ₩100,000 deposit
- Course load
- 11 to 20 credits most students take 12
경기대예술, CC BY-SA 4.0What Kyonggi is like
Things Korean students all know that are new when you arrive.
The move to Suwon
The school got permission in 1979 to move to Yongin, and in 1982 its headquarters moved to Suwon. The Seoul campus is in Seodaemun-gu.
A baby turtle mascot
The mascot is Giryong-i, a baby turtle. Kyonggi says the turtle stands for loyalty, trust, long life, wisdom and perseverance, and its home in the open sea matches the school's aim of reaching out to the wider world.
The juniper and the magnolia
The school tree is the Korean juniper, which keeps its green needles in any climate. The school flower is the white magnolia, which blooms early in spring.
- Words you'll hear
- Gyeonggidae 경기대 Short for Kyonggi University
- Gwanggyo 광교 The area and station by the Suwon campus
- Giryong-i 기룡이 The turtle mascot
- Sugang 수강신청 Course registration
From Kyonggi's official pages: the International Office's English history, and the Korean pages on school symbols, the logo and the mascot, checked on 26 October 2026.
People
The International Office runs a buddy programme and a language exchange for exchange students.
Global K-Buddy
Korean students who signed up to be your friend. They help with course registration, orientation and campus tours, and plan culture trips and outings.
- When they recruit
- You meet your buddy in January for spring.
Kyonggi International Affairs
The International Office's Instagram, linked from its website.
@international_kguInstagram accounts checked on 21 October 2026.
Country chats
Country chats are for everyone from that country studying anywhere in Korea, not only at Kyonggi.
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 Kyonggi.
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 live and study at the Suwon campus. Kyonggi also has a campus in Seoul, but it has no dorm or Korean courses, and most English classes are in Suwon.
Address in Korean
경기도 수원시 영통구 광교산로 154-42 경기대학교
154-42 Gwanggyosan-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do 16227
Also on Kakao Map and Google Maps. Naver and Kakao work best in Korea.
- Subway
- Gwanggyo (Kyonggi University) Station is the last stop of the Shinbundang Line from Gangnam. From Suwon Station on Line 1, buses such as 11, 13, 24 and 32 go to the Kyonggi University entrance.
- From Incheon Airport
- There's no pick-up, so you make your own way. If you move into the dorm on the day you land, arrive at Incheon by 1 pm so you reach the dorm by 4 pm.
- International Office
- Second floor of the Public Relations Center. Inbound students call +82-31-249-8775.
- Global Lounge
- First floor of the Plan M building. It's open to all students, and the buddies and exchange student events meet here.
Suwon Hwaseong Fortress and Paldalmun Market within 4 km of campus.
93places to eat near SuwonVegetarian options 45Each place shows the menu in English and Korean and walking directions.
2.1 km from campus
Banghwasuryujeong Pavilion
The point where the wall meets the pond. Short and scenic rather than a full sightseeing stop.
2.5 km from campus
Suwon Hwaseong Fortress
You walk the fortress wall and read a late-Joseon city from it - the clearest history day trip out of Seoul.
2.7 km from campus
Hwaseong Haenggung Palace
Indoor and outdoor palace grounds in the middle of the wall walk, so the route does not have to break.
3.1 km from campus
Paldalmun Market
Market food and everyday Suwon in one place, for when picking between tourist restaurants gets tiring.
3.7 km from campus
Gwanggyo Lake Park
An ordinary evening walk and picnic spot in Suwon - the kind of place you use if you live here.
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 Kyonggi page. Dates and rules change. Check the details on Kyonggi's official site before you apply or book anything. Kyonggi incoming programmes ↗ Checked on 21 October 2026
Your home university nominates you by the first Friday of November. Kyonggi then emails you a link, and you apply online from the third Monday of October to the last Friday of November. Results come on the first Friday of December.
Students from partner universities, nominated by their home university. There's no nationality limit. You pay tuition at home, and everything else yourself. Without an agreement you can still come as a visiting student and pay Kyonggi's tuition.
For classes in English you need enough English to follow them. Kyonggi sets no test score. For classes in Korean you need TOPIK level 3, or a Korean school certificate or a professor's letter instead.
An enrolment certificate and a bank statement in English, your transcript, a recommendation letter, your home university's code of conduct, the dorm form or an off-campus form, a passport photo and a copy of your passport. What you send depends on your nationality, and Kyonggi emails the details.
Exchange students get a D-2-6 visa, visiting students D-2-8. Kyonggi sends the visa papers between early December and mid-January, and you apply at the Korean embassy at home straight away. You can't get it inside Korea, so never come on a tourist entry.
Kyonggi wants private insurance (student or travel) for your whole stay, and a copy of the certificate by the end of January. It no longer sells insurance itself. You also join National Health Insurance once you register for your card, about ₩79,000 a month in 2026.
Your buddy is introduced in January. Dorm move-in is in the last week of February on the days Kyonggi sets, with no early check-in. Orientation and a campus tour are compulsory for every new student.
Everything except the dorm is paid in cash in the first week of March. You can't pay by card or send money from abroad.
Other dates
- Mid-JanuaryCourse list
- Mid to late MarchGroup residence card application
After you arrive
Residence card
Booking the immigration visit. Papers, fee and HiKorea screens step by step. Read the guide
- Through Kyonggi
- Kyonggi registers exchange and visiting students as a group, from mid-March to the end of March. The International Office sends the papers.
- When it comes
- Usually from mid-April. Until then don't travel to other countries. The student visa works for one entry, so leaving early can stop you from coming back.
- Fee
- ₩35,000, paid in cash with your other fees.
- Immigration office
- Suwon Immigration Office, 39 Bandal-ro, Yeongtong-gu. From Yeongtong Station on the Suin-Bundang Line, take Exit 1 or 2 and walk for 10 minutes.
- Staying longer
- Get approval from your home university first, then send Kyonggi the papers by mid-January. A visa extension costs ₩60,000.
- 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 Kyonggi with a friend? Send them this page.
Housing
Exchange students can live in Dream Tower on the Suwon campus, or find a room off campus on their own.
Dream Tower
₩1,600,000a semester in a twin room, plus a ₩100,000 deposit you get back
- Rooms
- Twin rooms. Building A is for women and building B for men.
- Kitchen
- There's no kitchen and cooking isn't allowed. Fridges are on the even floors and microwaves on the odd floors.
- Meals
- The cafeteria in the building serves lunch and dinner on weekdays.
- Curfew
- The doors close at 2:00 and open again at 5:00.
- Bring
- No bedding or towels. The International Office sells a pillow, duvet and sheet set for ₩40,000 to 50,000 if you ask for it in the pre-arrival survey.
- Rules
- No alcohol, smoking or guests, and no visits to the other building. At 30 penalty points you have to leave, with no refund.
- Holidays
- You can pay to stay one or two more months. Sign-up is in May and November.
Before you apply
- Apply. Send the dorm form with your exchange application. Once your room and roommate are confirmed you can't change them or move out.
- TB test. Take a tuberculosis test at home in the month you move in, with the result in English.
Kyonggi's housing pages, its dorm Q&A and its School Life page. Checked on 21 October 2026.
- Off campus
- Kyonggi won't help you find a room or sign a contract. Before you book, check the landlord can give you a lease with your name, or a copy of their ID with proof they own the place. You need it for your residence card.Housing page ↗
- Living costs
- Kyonggi guesses ₩500,000 to 600,000 a month on top of the dorm. Campus cafeterias cost ₩4,500 to 10,000 a meal.
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
- Course list
- Only students who applied get the list. For spring it comes in mid-January, with a form to choose your classes, and Kyonggi registers you in February. Pick as many as you can, as classes fill up and some don't run.Syllabi ↗
- How much
- 11 to 20 credits. Most exchange students take 12, about four classes. One credit is 15 hours, and most classes are 3 credits.
- Undergraduate only
- Graduate students can come, but Kyonggi offers them undergraduate classes only.
- Attendance
- A usual split is 30% midterm, 30% final, 30% attendance and 10% coursework. Four absences can mean an F. Each professor sets their own rules.
3 more
- Grades
- Graded on a curve, from A+ (4.5) down to F.
- Transcript
- Spring transcripts come out in mid-July. The original goes by post only if your home university asks.
- Korean classes
- The Korean Language Center teaches four hours a day, Monday to Friday, in the morning or the afternoon. It gives no credit. Exchange students pay no admission fee and half the tuition.
Questions exchange students ask
How much is the dorm at Kyonggi?
Dream Tower · On campus
₩1,600,000
A semester in a twin room, plus a ₩100,000 deposit you get back
Does the Kyonggi dorm have a curfew?
The doors close at 2:00 and open again at 5:00.
What about living off campus at Kyonggi?
Kyonggi won't help you find a room or sign a contract.
Before you book, check the landlord can give you a lease with your name, or a copy of their ID with proof they own the place.
You need it for your residence card.
What do I need for the visa to study at Kyonggi?
Exchange students get a D-2-6 visa, visiting students D-2-8.
Kyonggi sends the visa papers between early December and mid-January, and you apply at the Korean embassy at home straight away.
You can't get it inside Korea, so never come on a tourist entry.
How do exchange students meet Kyonggi students?
Global K-Buddy
Korean students who signed up to be your friend.
They help with course registration, orientation and campus tours, and plan culture trips and outings.
Is there a group chat for Kyonggi exchange students?
Yes.
Kyonggi has a room on A-CHA where exchange students meet, and you can join before you land.
When should I arrive at Kyonggi?
Your buddy is introduced in January.
Dorm move-in is in the last week of February on the days Kyonggi sets, with no early check-in.
Orientation and a campus tour are compulsory for every new student.
Do exchange students at Kyonggi need health insurance?
Kyonggi wants private insurance (student or travel) for your whole stay, and a copy of the certificate by the end of January.
It no longer sells insurance itself.
You also join National Health Insurance once you register for your card, about ₩79,000 a month in 2026.
How many credits can I take at Kyonggi?
11 to 20 credits.
Most exchange students take 12, about four classes.
One credit is 15 hours, and most classes are 3 credits.
How do I apply to Kyonggi as an exchange student?
Your home university nominates you by the first Friday of November.
Kyonggi then emails you a link, and you apply online from the third Monday of October to the last Friday of November.
Results come on the first Friday of December.
Who do I contact at Kyonggi?
Official links and help
Office of International Affairs+82-31-249-8775
oia@kyonggi.ac.krStudent life
- TaLK
- You teach your language to three or more Kyonggi students for a semester, and get a scholarship if you finish. Spring sign-up runs from mid-February to early March.
- Events
- Orientation with a welcome party, Korean culture trips during the semester and a farewell party at the end.