Started in a missionary's home
In October 1897 the American Presbyterian missionary W. M. Baird opened the school in part of his own house in Pyongyang. It took the name Soongsil Hakdang in 1901.
Soongsil University
Soongsil · Seoul
A Christian university whose history begins in Pyongyang in 1897. Its motto is Truth and Service. Exchange students study at the one campus in Sangdo, Dongjak-gu, in Seoul.
- Founded
- 1897 in Pyongyang, by W. M. Baird
- Campus
- Sangdo Line 7, Soongsil Univ. Station
- Dorm
- From ₩1,482,400 16 weeks, spring 2026 rate
- Course load
- 3 to 19 credits undergraduates
Benlikeshotchocolate, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resizedWhat Soongsil is like
Things Korean students all know that are new when you arrive.
A college from 1906
A college department opened in October 1906. Soongsil says it started as the first university in Korea. In 1919 the whole student body took part in the March 1st Movement.
Closed, then rebuilt in Seoul
In March 1938 the school was closed after it refused to take part in Japanese shrine worship. It was rebuilt in Seoul in 1954, and moved to its present Sangdo-dong campus in June 1957.
The anthem on the wall
The Ahn Eak-tai Memorial Hall is a lecture building with the score and part of the lyrics of the national anthem carved on its outside wall.
The Korean Christian Museum
The museum on campus holds relics of Korean national culture and of the history of Korean Christianity. Its present building opened in April 2004.
- Words you'll hear
- Sangdo 상도 The neighbourhood the campus is in
- Sugang 수강신청 Course registration
From Soongsil's official history and campus pages, its English overview and the Korean Christian Museum's pages, checked on 26 October 2026.
People
Soongsil holds a cultural event once a month, and a student group looks after exchange students all semester.
SISO
The Soongsil International Student Organization. Its buddies help you settle in and run trips, parties and cultural activities.
@soongsil_sisoInstagram accounts checked on 21 October 2026.
Country chats
Country chats are for everyone from that country studying anywhere in Korea, not only at Soongsil.
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 Soongsil.
Flash meetups. Anyone can start or join a short meetup in the app, like dinner tonight or a hike on Saturday.
Around campus
Soongsil has one campus, in Dongjak-gu in Seoul. The Residence Hall is on it.
Address in Korean
서울특별시 동작구 상도로 369
369 Sangdo-ro, Dongjak-gu, Seoul 06978
Also on Kakao Map and Google Maps. Naver and Kakao work best in Korea.
- Subway
- Line 7 to Soongsil University Station, Exit 3. Take the lift from the gates on the second basement floor.
- Bus
- Blue buses 501, 506, 641, 650, 750A and 750B stop at Soongsil University Station. Buses 742, 752 and 753 also stop at the main gate.
- From Incheon Airport
- Airport bus 6019 from stop 6B at Terminal 1 or stop 27 at Terminal 2, ₩15,000. It takes about an hour. Soongsil has no airport pick-up.
- International Office
- Room 203 in Shinyang Hall.
Nodeul Island and Noryangjin Fish Market within 3 km of campus, and every place to eat nearby.
1,149places to eat near SangdoRestaurants 764 · Cafés 261 · Bars & pubs 124 · Vegetarian options 111 · · Open late 228Each place shows the menu in English and Korean and walking directions.
2.4 km from campus
Nodeul Island
A culture and rest space looking over the Han River - best as a light evening stop on a day when something is on.
3.4 km from campus
National Museum of Korea
Open late on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and the Mirror Pond at night is a sight in itself. First pick on a rainy day.
3.9 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.
3.9 km from campus
Seoul Fireworks Festival
September 5, 2026, at Yeouido and Ichon Hangang Park. It gets packed, so claim a spot from the morning.
Noryangjin Fish Market
The market floor is open every day. Only the dawn auction closes on Sundays and major holidays.
- Coffee & dessert 170
- Korean BBQ 113
- Street food 98
- Western 93
- Soups & stews 86
- Korean home food 79
- Pocha 74
- Fried chicken 74
- Japanese 62
- Bakery 56
- Pub & Bar 50
- Chinese 38
Checked by A-CHA
- 블루힐Try: Dried Squid with Peanuts, French Fries, Fruit Salad
- 28청춘호프포차Try: Mini Dumplings, Ramyeon, Cold Acorn Jelly Soup
- 봄봄
- 공차숭실대점
- 마라탕전문점샹츠마라숭실대 직영점
- 컴포즈커피숭실대 중문점Compose Coffee
- 스팅Try: Tequila Tonic, Jack and Coke, Blue Sapphire
- 취향
- 리얼후라이숭실대점
- 샤로스톤숭실대점
- 크라이치즈버거숭실대점
- 젠사이야
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 Soongsil page. Dates and rules change. Check the details on Soongsil's official site before you apply or book anything. Soongsil exchange programme ↗ Checked on 21 October 2026
Your home university nominates you by 1 November for spring or 1 May for autumn. You then make an account on study.ssu.ac.kr and apply online by 15 November or 15 May. Results come in late November and the acceptance package in early December.
How to apply ↗There is no minimum GPA beyond your home university's rules, and you don't need a language score. For courses in English Soongsil recommends TOEFL iBT 70, IELTS 5 or TOEIC 750, and TOPIK 4 for courses in Korean.
The first part of the application asks for your transcript, a statement of purpose, a passport scan, a photo and the housing form. The second part asks for arrival details, a medical certificate and an insurance form.
It must be valid for at least six months after the semester ends.
Exchange students need a D-2-6 visa. Take the papers in your acceptance package to the Korean embassy or consulate and apply as soon as they arrive. Don't come on a K-ETA.
You can move into the dorm two or three days before classes start. Orientation is usually one or two days before, and every exchange student has to come.
Other dates
- Last spring: 2 MarchClasses start
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
- Help from Soongsil
- Every exchange student has to register. The International Office helps you apply once the semester begins.
- Papers
- The application form, your passport, a 3 × 4 cm photo, a certificate of enrolment and proof of where you live.
- Health insurance
- From the day your card is issued you're in National Health Insurance, about ₩72,000 a month. The bill goes to the address on your card.
- Private insurance too
- You also need travel insurance from home or the private plan Soongsil points to, about ₩100,000 for six months.
- 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 Soongsil with a friend? Send them this page.
Housing
You ask for a room in the online application, with a medical certificate. Soongsil doesn't promise a room to every exchange student.
Soongsil dorms
₩1,482,400 to ₩1,756,00016 weeks, spring 2026 rate
- Residence Hall
- On campus at 369 Sangdo-ro.
- Daeha Villa
- Off campus at 89 Sangdo-ro 55-gil.
- Rooms
- Two to a room with a bathroom, or two bedrooms with bunk beds and a bathroom. You can't pick the room type.
- In the room
- Bed, wardrobe, desk, chair, shower, air conditioning and wifi. Sockets are 220 V.
- Bedding
- Bring your own duvet, pillow and sheets, or buy them at the dorm.
- Over the break
- Tell the International Office and you can stay one more month.
Before you apply
- Room offers. Results come out in mid-January for spring and mid-July for autumn. You might not get the building you asked for.
- Paying. Pay by bank transfer in the first week of the semester.
Soongsil's 2026 spring fact sheet for exchange students. Checked on 21 October 2026.
- Off campus
- You can find your own place. Email the address to the International Office once you have it.
- Living costs
- Soongsil guesses ₩400,000 to 1,000,000 a month for rent, ₩500,000 for food and about ₩350,000 for transport, books and the rest.
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
- 3 to 19 credits for undergraduates and 3 to 12 for graduate students. Most courses are 3 credits, and Soongsil counts a 3-credit course as about 5 to 6 ECTS.
- Language
- About 15% of courses are in English. Most classes in Global Law, Global Commerce, Business Administration and English Language and Literature are taught in English.
- Registration
- Online and first come, first served. The course list is out in early February for spring, and Soongsil emails you the registration dates.
- Limited courses
- Popular courses fill fast and nothing is guaranteed, so have a few backups. IT courses can be closed to you because Korean students need the places. Undergraduates can't take graduate courses.
2 more
- Korean classes
- The Institute of International Education runs a 10-week Korean course in six levels. Exchange students get 30% off, ₩1,190,000 with the application fee. If you take it you still need one regular 3-credit course for your visa.
- Grades
- Soongsil grades out of 4.5. The transcript is uploaded to your account about six weeks after the semester, in mid-July for spring.
Questions exchange students ask
How does course registration work at Soongsil?
Online and first come, first served.
The course list is out in early February for spring, and Soongsil emails you the registration dates.
How much is the dorm at Soongsil?
Soongsil dorms · On and next to campus
From the last semester₩1,482,400 to ₩1,756,000
16 weeks, spring 2026 rate
Does the Soongsil dorm give you bedding?
Bring your own duvet, pillow and sheets, or buy them at the dorm.
What about living off campus at Soongsil?
You can find your own place.
Email the address to the International Office once you have it.
What do I need for the visa to study at Soongsil?
Exchange students need a D-2-6 visa.
Take the papers in your acceptance package to the Korean embassy or consulate and apply as soon as they arrive.
Don't come on a K-ETA.
How do exchange students meet Soongsil students?
SISO
The Soongsil International Student Organization.
Its buddies help you settle in and run trips, parties and cultural activities.
Is there a group chat for Soongsil exchange students?
Yes.
Soongsil has a room on A-CHA where exchange students meet, and you can join before you land.
When should I arrive at Soongsil?
You can move into the dorm two or three days before classes start.
Orientation is usually one or two days before, and every exchange student has to come.
Do exchange students at Soongsil need health insurance?
From the day your card is issued you're in National Health Insurance, about ₩72,000 a month.
The bill goes to the address on your card.
How many credits can I take at Soongsil?
3 to 19 credits for undergraduates and 3 to 12 for graduate students.
Most courses are 3 credits, and Soongsil counts a 3-credit course as about 5 to 6 ECTS.
How do I apply to Soongsil as an exchange student?
Your home university nominates you by 1 November for spring or 1 May for autumn.
You then make an account on study.ssu.ac.kr and apply online by 15 November or 15 May.
Results come in late November and the acceptance package in early December.
Who do I contact at Soongsil?
Office of International Affairs
Official links and help
Office of International Affairs
studyabroad@soongsil.ac.kr