What the name means
The founder, Dr Seo Seok-jo, believed that heaven heals and a doctor only helps. He built the name from three characters: 順 (obey), 天 (heaven) and 鄕 (hometown).
Soonchunhyang University
SCH · Asan
Soonchunhyang University began in 1978 as a medical college and now has many colleges and university hospitals. It has one campus, in Sinchang, Asan. Exchange students study and live here.
- Founded
- 1978 as a medical college
- Campus
- Sinchang Line 1, Sinchang Station
- Dorm
- Global Village every exchange student lives on campus
- Course load
- 16 to 18 credits a semester
Moodeapo, CC BY-SA 4.0, resizedWhat SCH is like
Things Korean students all know that are new when you arrive.
A medical college first
The school opened in March 1978 as Soonchunhyang Medical College. It took the name Soonchunhyang University in 1980 and became a full university in 1990.
The back gate
The back gate was rebuilt and named Hyangseol East Gate on 2 April 2021, after the founder's pen name. Seen from above, its shape draws the Korean letter ㅅ and the character 人, for "person".
Service, truth, practice
The school's spirit is "Service, Truth, Practice: Love for Humanity". In October 2022 it replaced its three-colour symbol with one sky blue, which it says means a wide window toward hope.
- Words you'll hear
- Hyangseol 향설 The founder's pen name, used for the back gate
- Sinchang 신창 The station and town by campus
- Sugang 수강신청 Course registration
From Soonchunhyang's official pages (history, founder, spirit) and two articles in the university newspaper on the back gate and the new symbol, checked on 26 October 2026.
People
Events and help for international students at SCH.
Country chats
Country chats are for everyone from that country studying anywhere in Korea, not only at SCH.
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 SCH.
Flash meetups. Anyone can start or join a short meetup in the app, like dinner tonight or a hike on Saturday.
Around campus
SCH has one campus, in Sinchang, Asan, about 100 km from Seoul. Exchange students all study and live here.
Address in Korean
충남 아산시 순천향로 22
22 Soonchunhyang-ro, Asan-si, Chungcheongnam-do 31538
Also on Kakao Map and Google Maps. Naver and Kakao work best in Korea.
- Subway
- Sinchang (Soonchunhyang Univ.) Station on Line 1. A free school shuttle runs between the station and campus, leaving the back gate stop 10 minutes before each train.
- From Seoul
- About 40 minutes by KTX, or about 1 hour 30 minutes by regular train.
- Airport pickup
- For 2025, SCH picked up new international students at Incheon Airport for free if they landed on the official arrival days between 10:00 and 18:00. Check with SCH that it runs for your semester.
- Nearby towns
- Onyang is 5 minutes away on the subway, with a cinema. Cheonan is about 25 minutes, with department stores, cinemas and galleries.
- International office
- Office of Global Education & Exchange, room 301 in the BRIX Building. Exchange questions go to astudies@sch.ac.kr, +82-41-530-1383.
Every place to eat near campus.
27places to eat near AsanVegetarian options 13Each place shows the menu in English and Korean and walking directions.
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 SCH page. Dates and rules change. Check the details on SCH's official site before you apply or book anything. SCH exchange programme ↗ Checked on 21 October 2026
Your home university nominates you, then you apply online with the nomination form, a medical form, a personal statement, an official transcript in English and a colour scan of your passport. For spring 2027, applications close on 6 November 2026. Acceptance emails come about a month after the deadline.
How to apply ↗You can't apply to the exchange programme directly. Students without a nomination can still come as visiting students and pay full tuition.
You need a student visa (D-2). Contact the Korean embassy or consulate as soon as your certificate of admission arrives, as each one asks for slightly different papers. SCH emails the university documents some of them want.
For native English speakers from partner universities in the US and some European countries. In 2025 it waived the Global Village fee of ₩872,000, paid back up to ₩800,000 of your flight and gave ₩120,000 a week for 10 weeks. In return you do 1:1 English language exchange with Korean students for 8 to 12 hours a week, share a room with a Korean student and join SCH's cultural events.
Cultural Internship ↗To live in the dorm you need a TB skin test or chest X-ray dated within one month of moving in. Send it after you're accepted.
You need insurance for your whole stay, either from home or bought from a Korean company when you arrive. National Health Insurance starts automatically from the day you register for your residence card.
Come on the official arrival days, 22 and 23 February 2027, when the dorms open. Orientation on 25 and 26 February is compulsory, and course registration is finalised there.
Bring some cash for your first days: about US$10 for a room key deposit you get back when you leave, US$5 for the residence card photo and US$5 for your student card.
Other dates
- 7 DecemberFinal exams
- 18 DecemberAutumn semester ends
- 3 MarchSemester starts
- 18 JuneSpring semester ends
After you arrive
Residence card
Register within 90 days of arriving.
The international office helps you apply, and you then go to immigration to give your fingerprints.
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
- The application form, your passport and a copy of its photo page, a 3.5 × 4.5 cm colour photo on white taken in the last 6 months, a certificate of enrolment, proof of where you live and a TB certificate if it applies to you.
- How long
- SCH says the card takes about 4 to 6 weeks after you apply.
- Immigration office
- The Cheonan branch of Daejeon Immigration is a 15-minute walk from Exit 2 of Asan Station (Line 1), 041-621-1347. The Asan Multicultural Immigration Plus Center is 7 minutes from Exit 1 of Onyangoncheon Station, 041-549-7441.
- Tell SCH first
- If anything on your card changes, tell the international office before you report it to immigration.
- 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.
- Extending your stay
- Immigration looks at your grades and attendance. With a GPA of 2.0 or lower, or attendance under 80%, an extension may be refused.
- Part-time work
- Get permission before you start any job, and work in no more than 2 places. From your second semester you also need at least a C average (2.0).
- Bank
- Shinhan Bank is in Building 7 on campus, weekdays 9:00 to 16:00. Bring your passport or residence card to exchange money.
- Health insurance cost
- For 2026, students on a D-2 visa pay about ₩79,000 a month. Paying late can shorten your next visa extension.
- 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.
- 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 SCH with a friend? Send them this page.
Housing
Living in the dorm is compulsory for exchange students, and your exchange application counts as your dorm application.
Global Village
About ₩872,000a semester, from SCH's 2025 information sheet
- Rooms
- Suites for 12 students, with six bedrooms around a shared living room. Each suite has 2 bathrooms, 2 showers and 2 sinks, and every room has air conditioning.
- Who
- International and Korean students live together. Men's and women's dorms are separate.
- Kitchen
- Two kitchens with induction cookers, plus microwaves, toasters and large fridges.
- Also
- Dining area, study lounges and washing machines.
Before you apply
- TB test. You can't move in without a TB skin test or chest X-ray dated within one month of your move-in date.
SCH's 2025 information sheet and dorm page. SCH hasn't published a newer fee. Checked on 21 October 2026.
Eating and living costs
Prices from SCH's own pages.
- Campus food
- The food courts in the Student Union and Hyangseol dorm 2 cost ₩3,000 to ₩23,000. Hyangseol dorm 1 serves Korean meals for ₩5,000, Hyangseol dorm 3 has ₩3,000 to ₩6,000 dishes, and students can also eat at the staff cafeteria for ₩5,000.
- Living costs
- SCH's guide to living in Asan puts a student at about ₩580,000 a month, with food at ₩200,000 to ₩400,000 and a phone at ₩30,000.
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
- At least 16 credits and at most 18.
- Taught in English
- International Studies courses are in English. They cover Korean culture and literature, Korean society and history, education, international and Korean business, and international and Korean politics. Korean language and culture courses are taught in Korean.
- Korean
- Korean classes are optional and you can take up to 4. There's no placement test, so read the syllabus and pick a level. Your transcript won't show the level.
- Culture courses
- You can take only 1 culture course. Culture courses and the Cultural Internship Discussion class are pass or fail, and everyone doing language exchange attends that class even without credit.
5 more
- Registration
- You register online after you're accepted, and it's finalised at orientation. You can add or drop courses only in the first week. After that you can't drop a class.
- Grades
- Out of 4.5. An A+ is 95 to 100 and below 60 is an F. Grades are curved: A+ and A go to at most 30% of a class, and A+ to B to at most 65%.
- Exams
- Midterms are in week 8 and finals at the end of the 16-week semester.
- Attendance
- Korean universities usually fail you after a set number of absences, whatever your grades. Ask each professor in week one.
- Transcripts
- Request your transcript on SCH's exchange site.Transcript request ↗
Questions exchange students ask
How does course registration work at SCH?
You register online after you're accepted, and it's finalised at orientation.
You can add or drop courses only in the first week.
After that you can't drop a class.
Are there courses taught in English at SCH?
International Studies courses are in English.
They cover Korean culture and literature, Korean society and history, education, international and Korean business, and international and Korean politics.
Korean language and culture courses are taught in Korean.
How much is the dorm at SCH?
Global Village · On campus
From the last semesterAbout ₩872,000
A semester, from SCH's 2025 information sheet
What do I need for the visa to study at SCH?
You need a student visa (D-2).
Contact the Korean embassy or consulate as soon as your certificate of admission arrives, as each one asks for slightly different papers.
SCH emails the university documents some of them want.
Is there a group chat for SCH exchange students?
Yes.
SCH has a room on A-CHA where exchange students meet, and you can join before you land.
When should I arrive at SCH?
Come on the official arrival days, 22 and 23 February 2027, when the dorms open.
Orientation on 25 and 26 February is compulsory, and course registration is finalised there.
How do I get my residence card at SCH?
Register within 90 days of arriving.
The international office helps you apply, and you then go to immigration to give your fingerprints.
Do exchange students at SCH need health insurance?
You need insurance for your whole stay, either from home or bought from a Korean company when you arrive.
National Health Insurance starts automatically from the day you register for your residence card.
How many credits can I take at SCH?
At least 16 credits and at most 18.
How do I apply to SCH as an exchange student?
Your home university nominates you, then you apply online with the nomination form, a medical form, a personal statement, an official transcript in English and a colour scan of your passport.
For spring 2027, applications close on 6 November 2026.
Acceptance emails come about a month after the deadline.
Who do I contact at SCH?
Official links and help
Office of Global Education & Exchange+82-41-530-1383
astudies@sch.ac.krStudent life
- International events
- Every semester starts with an orientation and campus tour. Global Day is SCH's biggest international event, International Coffee Hour happens in Global Village, and a Farewell Party closes the semester.
- PHOENIXIA
- SCH's festival, with booths in the day and Korean celebrities performing each night.
- Prayer room
- The Islamic Lounge is on the first floor of Hyangseol dorm 1.
- Clinic
- A free clinic on the main floor of Hyangseol dorm 2 has a nurse and over-the-counter medicine.
- Gym
- In Hyangseol dorm 1 and the basement of Hyangseol dorm 2. ₩25,000 to ₩80,000 depending on how long you join, or ₩2,000 a day.
- Exchange programme
- Important dates
- 2025 information sheet (PDF)
- Residence card
- Global Village
- Courses