A Jesuit school from the start
The Jesuits, a Catholic order, founded Sogang College in 1960 and still run the school. A Jesuit community lives on campus.
Sogang University
Sogang · Seoul
A Jesuit university in Sinchon, Seoul, chartered in 1960. Its motto is Obedire Veritati, Latin for obey the truth. Exchange students study and live on its one campus.
- Founded
- 1960 as Sogang College, a Jesuit school
- Campus
- Sinchon Line 2, Sinchon Station
- Dorm
- ₩2,135,800 118 days at Gonzaga Hall, autumn 2026 rate
- Course load
- 9 to 15 credits most courses are 3 credits
Sogang UniversityWhat Sogang is like
Things Korean students all know that are new when you arrive.
The tower by the main entrance
The Albatross tower is the school's symbol. It is shaped from two Korean consonants and carries the motto Obedire Veritati. The alumni association donated it, and it was unveiled on 17 April 1990.
A friendly albatross
Sogang's character is an albatross, drawn from a legendary bird. The school colours are scarlet and silver. Scarlet stands for the Jesuit education tradition, and silver for true value and dependability.
Loyola Library
Loyola Library was finished in 1974 and was Korea's first open-stack library, where readers take books off the shelves themselves. It now holds over 1,000,000 books.
A theatre on campus
Mary Hall opened in 1970 as the university's first professional theatre. It has a 355-seat theatre and a 140-seat small theatre.
- Words you'll hear
- Seogangdae 서강대 What Koreans call Sogang University
- Albatross 알바트로스 The school's character and its tower
- Sinchon 신촌 The student area by Sinchon Station
- Sugang 수강신청 Course registration
From Sogang's official English pages (history, symbols and campus map), checked on 26 October 2026.
People
Every exchange student at Sogang gets a buddy through HUG.
HUG
Hands Up for Gathering, Sogang's international culture club. Korean buddies run trips, parties and Korean tutoring.
- How to join
- You're signed up when you send your exchange application. Your buddy gets in touch two weeks before the semester.
- When they recruit
- Two weeks before each semester.
Instagram accounts checked on 19 October 2026.
Country chats
Country chats are for everyone from that country studying anywhere in Korea, not only at Sogang.
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 Sogang.
Flash meetups. Anyone can start or join a short meetup in the app, like dinner tonight or a hike on Saturday.
Around campus
Sogang has one campus, in Sinchon. The International Office, Gonzaga Hall and HUG are all here.
Address in Korean
서울특별시 마포구 백범로 35
35 Baekbeom-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul 04107
Also on Kakao Map and Google Maps. Naver and Kakao work best in Korea.
- Subway
- Sinchon Station on Line 2, Exit 6, about 8 minutes' walk to the main gate. Daeheung Station on Line 6, Exit 1, about 8 minutes to the south gate.
- From Incheon Airport
- Take the airport limousine for Sinchon Station from stop 5B or 12A on the arrivals floor. Or AREX to Gongdeok and a taxi from there.
- From Gimpo Airport
- Line 9, change to Line 2 at Dangsan and get off at Sinchon.
- International Office
- Office of International Affairs, room 201 in Berchmans Friendship Hall (BW).
- Cost of living
- Sogang's estimate a month: ₩500,000 to ₩1,500,000 for a room, ₩500,000 for food, ₩70,000 for transport and ₩200,000 for the rest. Books are about ₩150,000 once.
Hongdae and Yeonnam-dong are a short ride away, and the app keeps every place to eat near campus.
3,431places to eat near SinchonRestaurants 2,156 · Cafés 834 · Bars & pubs 441 · Vegetarian options 303 · · Open late 658Each place shows the menu in English and Korean and walking directions.
1.6 km from campus
Hongdae Busking Street
Performances cluster on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. Almost everything is cancelled when it rains.
2.0 km from campus
Yeonnam Gyeongui Line Park
Known as Yeontral Park. A picnic on a mat is the whole point, so there is no reason to go in the rain.
2.8 km from campus
Yeouido Hangang Ramen
The instant ramen cookers at the GS25 and CU convenience stores are the whole point. Rain basically rules it out.
2.9 km from campus
Seodaemun Prison History Hall
09:30-18:00 in summer, 09:30-17:00 in winter. When a Monday falls on a public holiday, it closes the following day instead.
3.1 km from campus
Mangwon Market
Open daily 08:00-22:00 with no closing day. It is a working neighborhood market, used mostly by locals.
3.2 km from campus
Seoul Museum of Art
Tuesday to Thursday 10:00-20:00, Friday 10:00-21:00. Weekend hours change with the season.
3.4 km from campus
Deoksugung Stone Wall Road
Open in the evening until 21:00. Of the four main palaces, this is the one that works best after dark.
3.6 km from campus
Seonyudo Park
An island park on the Han River. Easy to reach by transit, and easy to slot between city stops when you want to walk and sit for a while.
3.6 km from campus
War Memorial of Korea
The outdoor exhibition area is large, so the weather affects part of the visit.
- Coffee & dessert 626
- Korean BBQ 307
- Western 303
- Korean home food 291
- Japanese 239
- Soups & stews 239
- Pocha 237
- Pub & Bar 204
- Street food 191
- Seafood 140
- Bakery 116
- Chinese 115
Checked by A-CHA
- 순이네칼국수
- 마포광안리
- 서강포차Try: Chive Pancake, Kimchi Pancake, Squid Scallion Pancake
- 더크레딧
- 고주파
- 호핀치
- 카밀드
- 피제리아더키
- 리정원 경의선숲길 대흥점
- 수엠부
- 비로소커피
- 옹고집
Before you come
0 / 6For 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 Sogang page. Dates and rules change. Check the details on Sogang's official site before you apply or book anything. Sogang exchange programme ↗ Checked on 19 October 2026
Your home university nominates you by 15 November, then you apply on Sogang's online platform by 30 November. Students from non-OECD countries also post original documents by 30 November.
No minimum grade, though Sogang suggests 80 out of 100. A language score isn't required. Sogang suggests TOEFL iBT 79 or IELTS 6.5, and TOPIK level 4 for courses in Korean.
A passport valid for six months past the semester, a photo, a bank statement showing US$5,000 a semester and your transcript or enrolment certificate.
You need a D-2-6 visa from the Korean embassy or consulate before you come. Apply as soon as your acceptance package arrives.
You need travel insurance and National Health Insurance. NHIS is about ₩79,000 a month in 2026.
About a week before the semester. Orientation is usually three or four days before it starts, and it may be online.
Other dates
- Mid to late JanuaryCourse registration
- 3 MarchSemester starts
After you arrive
Residence card
Staying more than 90 days?
Then you register for a residence card after you arrive. The International Office helps with it when the semester starts.
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
- Bank account
- You can open one at the bank on campus after you arrive. Bring your passport and an enrolment certificate, which the International Office gives out once the semester starts. Your buddy can help.
- Insurance proof
- If you didn't send proof of your health insurance before you came, hand a copy to the International Office in the first few days of the semester.
- 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 Sogang with a friend? Send them this page.
Housing
Gonzaga Hall is the international dorm on campus, next to the back gate, with about 900 residents. Apply for it with your exchange application. Sogang's exchange pages say every exchange student who applies gets a room. You need the health report and a TB result to move in.
Gonzaga Hall
₩2,135,800for 118 days at the autumn 2026 rate, or ₩3,077,000 for 170 days
- Rooms
- Doubles only, each with a bed, wardrobe and desk, a bathroom with shower, air conditioning and Wi-Fi.
- In the building
- A laundry room, study areas, a gym and a prayer room. Bring a 220V plug adapter.
- Meals
- Meals aren't included in the fee. Ask the dorm office whether a meal plan runs this semester.
- Cooking
- Not allowed outside the guest rooms. Cooking appliances, electric heaters and alcohol aren't allowed.
- Curfew
- 24:00 to 05:00. Ask for a night away on the dorm website or app.
- Bedding
- Bring your own or buy it here. You can also rent it through a partner company.
- Health check
- You need a health report signed by a doctor to apply.
- Moving in
- Everyone goes to the Gonzaga orientation on move-in day.
Before you apply
- Penalty points. At 150 points in a semester you're called in for a talk, and at 200 you can be asked to leave.
- Alcohol. Drinking inside Gonzaga Hall gets you evicted for good.
- TB test. Bring a normal tuberculosis result from a health centre or hospital, issued within a month before move-in. Without it you can't get into your room.
- Cancelling. Cancel less than 10 days before move-in and ₩100,000 is kept.
- Dorm office. gonzaga@sogang.ac.kr or 02-705-8811.
Sogang's information sheets for 2026/27 and 2027/28 (spring 2026 fee) and the Gonzaga Hall residence agreement. Fees can change. Checked on 19 October 2026.
- Living off campus
- Sogang points to EnKo Sharehouse and HomestayKorea. Goshiwons and share houses nearby cost roughly US$250 to US$850 a month.
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
- Undergraduates take 9 to 15 credits and graduate students 3 to 12. Only KGP60 students can take more than 15, and undergraduates can't take graduate courses. Most courses are 3 credits, and for undergraduates one credit is 15 hours of class, counted as 2 ECTS.
- Registration
- Exchange students get their own round before the semester, in late January or early February, and Sogang emails the dates. The course list is final about a month before the semester.
- English courses
- About 15 to 20% of courses are taught in English.
- Graduate students
- Check that your program has courses in English before you sign your learning agreement. If the list looks short, email the department.
4 more
- Hard to get
- Business, Journalism, Media & Entertainment and Art & Technology are in high demand.
- Korean
- Korean classes are optional. KAP200 is 12 credits of intensive Korean, free for Korean Studies majors and minors with a recommendation letter, and you can add one 3-credit course to it. KGP60 is 3 credits for ₩800,000. Korean Language and Culture is 3 credits with no fee.
- Timetable
- Your timetable and classrooms are on the SAINT portal. Check them before the first day. The login is in the handbook you get at orientation.
- Grades
- Grades run from A+ (4.3) to F (0.0), and FA means you failed by missing too many classes. Spring transcripts come out in early August.
Questions exchange students ask
How does course registration work at Sogang?
Exchange students get their own round before the semester, in late January or early February, and Sogang emails the dates.
The course list is final about a month before the semester.
Are there courses taught in English at Sogang?
About 15 to 20% of courses are taught in English.
How much is the dorm at Sogang?
Gonzaga Hall · On campus, by the back gate
From the last semester₩2,135,800
For 118 days at the autumn 2026 rate, or ₩3,077,000 for 170 days
Does the Sogang dorm have a curfew?
24:00 to 05:00.
Ask for a night away on the dorm website or app.
Does the Sogang dorm give you bedding?
Bring your own or buy it here.
You can also rent it through a partner company.
What about living off campus at Sogang?
Sogang points to EnKo Sharehouse and HomestayKorea.
Goshiwons and share houses nearby cost roughly US$250 to US$850 a month.
What do I need for the visa to study at Sogang?
You need a D-2-6 visa from the Korean embassy or consulate before you come.
Apply as soon as your acceptance package arrives.
How do exchange students meet Sogang students?
HUG
Hands Up for Gathering, Sogang's international culture club.
Korean buddies run trips, parties and Korean tutoring.
Is there a group chat for Sogang exchange students?
Yes.
Sogang has a room on A-CHA where exchange students meet, and you can join before you land.
When should I arrive at Sogang?
About a week before the semester.
Orientation is usually three or four days before it starts, and it may be online.
How do I get my residence card at Sogang?
Staying more than 90 days?
Then you register for a residence card after you arrive.
The International Office helps with it when the semester starts.
Do exchange students at Sogang need health insurance?
You need travel insurance and National Health Insurance.
NHIS is about ₩79,000 a month in 2026.
How many credits can I take at Sogang?
Undergraduates take 9 to 15 credits and graduate students 3 to 12.
Only KGP60 students can take more than 15, and undergraduates can't take graduate courses.
Most courses are 3 credits, and for undergraduates one credit is 15 hours of class, counted as 2 ECTS.
How do I apply to Sogang as an exchange student?
Your home university nominates you by 15 November, then you apply on Sogang's online platform by 30 November.
Students from non-OECD countries also post original documents by 30 November.
Who do I contact at Sogang?
Official links and help
Office of International Affairs+82-2-705-8118
oia@sogang.ac.krWhere to ask. International Office: Each region has its own address: oia.europe@sogang.ac.kr, oia.americas@sogang.ac.kr or oia.apacmea@sogang.ac.kr. Open ↗
Living in Korea.Packing, weather by semester, parcels, phone, bank and trash rules are the same for every school.