Founded by Lee Suk-jong
Dr Lee Suk-jong, whose pen name was Woonjung, created Sungshin Women's School in April 1936. The school's second campus is named Woonjung Green.
Sungshin Women's University
Sungshin · Seoul
A women's university in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, founded in 1936 by Dr Lee Suk-jong. Exchange students are based on the Soojung campus in Donam, and some classes are on the Woonjung Green campus in Mia.
- Founded
- 1936 as Sungshin Women's School
- Campus
- Soojung Line 4, Sungshin Women's Univ. Station
- Dorm
- From ₩1,115,630 a semester, spring 2027 rate
- Course load
- Up to 19 credits for undergraduates
Sungshinpr, CC BY-SA 4.0, resizedWhat Sungshin is like
Things Korean students all know that are new when you arrive.
Becoming a university
In July 1981 the ministry approved the upgrade of Sungshin Women's College to Sungshin Women's University.
Soojung and Woonjung Green
Soojung campus in Donam, Seongbuk-gu has the university headquarters and most colleges. Woonjung Green campus in Gangbuk-gu has colleges that include nursing and engineering.
A campus museum
The Sungshin Campus Museum opened on 14 May 2015. In 2016 the school hosted an international sculpture exhibition for its 80th anniversary.
- Words you'll hear
- Seongsin-yeodae 성신여대 What Koreans call Sungshin Women's University
- Donam 돈암 The neighbourhood of Soojung campus
- Unjeong-geurin 운정그린 The second campus in Mia
- Sugang 수강신청 Course registration
From Sungshin's official English pages (founder's chronology, history and campus guide), checked on 26 October 2026.
People
SISA brings Sungshin and international students together, and Sungshin Global Friends runs a buddy programme and language exchange.
Sungshin Global Friends
Sungshin's free buddy programme. A Korean mentor student helps with your classes and daily life.
- How to join
- Apply if you can keep in touch with your mentor. You need to attend at least 10 sessions and the in-person activities.
- Fee
- No
SISA
Sungshin International Students Association. Sungshin and international students run cultural exchange, help with arrival and orientation, and hold events such as the Sungshin Global Festival and farewell parties.
- How to join
- Follow on Instagram.
Instagram accounts checked on 21 October 2026.
Country chats
Country chats are for everyone from that country studying anywhere in Korea, not only at Sungshin.
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 Sungshin.
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 are based on Soojung campus in Donam, Seongbuk-gu, where the international office and the dorms are. Some classes are on Woonjung Green campus in Mia, further up subway Line 4.
Address in Korean
서울특별시 성북구 보문로34다길 2
2 Bomun-ro 34da-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02844
Also on Kakao Map and Google Maps. Naver and Kakao work best in Korea.
- Subway
- Sungshin Women's Univ. Station on Line 4. From exit 1 the main gate is about 10 minutes on foot.
- From Incheon Airport
- Airport limousine bus 6011 from stop 12A goes to Donam intersection by Sungshin Women's Univ. Station. By train, take AREX to Seoul Station and change to Line 4, about 1 hour 22 minutes in all.
- In a taxi
- Show the driver 성신여자대학교 수정캠퍼스로 가 주세요.
- International Office
- Office of International Affairs and Services, first floor of Sungshin Hall.
- Woonjung Green campus
- The second campus is at 55 Dobong-ro 76ga-gil, Gangbuk-gu, about 8 minutes on foot from exit 1 of Mia Station on Line 4. Nursing is taught there.
- Shuttle
- A free shuttle runs between the two campuses. It leaves Soojung's back gate at 11:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:30 and 17:00, and Woonjung's main gate at 11:30, 13:30, 14:30, 16:00 and 17:30.
Changgyeonggung Palace and Gwangjang Market within 4 km of campus.
2,062places to eat near SoojungRestaurants 1,303 · Cafés 512 · Bars & pubs 247 · Vegetarian options 201 · · Open late 460Each place shows the menu in English and Korean and walking directions.
2.6 km from campus
Changgyeonggung Palace
Along with Deoksugung it stays open until 21:00, last admission 20:00. Those are the two palaces you can walk after dark. It closes on Mondays, the opposite of Gyeongbokgung.
3.1 km from campus
Gwangjang Market
The food alley runs 09:00-23:00 every day. Only the regular shops close on Sundays.
3.2 km from campus
Changdeokgung Secret Garden
Garden tours run six times a day, starting on the hour from 10:00. The last one is at 15:00 from November to February, and at 16:00 from March to October. Each slot takes 100 people per language, 50 booked online and 50 sold at the gate. So arriving early still works when the online slots are gone. Changdeokgung is closed on Mondays.
3.4 km from campus
Bukchon Hanok Village
Tourists are barred from the lanes from 17:00 until 10:00 the next morning. Breaking the rule carries a 100,000 won fine.
3.5 km from campus
Ikseondong Hanok Alley
Cafes and bars packed into narrow hanok alleys. Everything sits close together, so rain barely gets in the way.
- Coffee & dessert 351
- Korean BBQ 215
- Soups & stews 164
- Pocha 156
- Western 147
- Korean home food 144
- Street food 124
- Japanese 112
- Bakery 103
- Fried chicken 102
- Pub & Bar 91
- Seafood 88
Checked by A-CHA
- 뿡어당
- 무드 앤 커피(mood n coffee)
- 슬로우브레드파파
- 성신별장Try: Beef Doenjang Hot Pot, Yukhoe with Water Parsley, Grilled Pork Jowl with Tangy Greens
- 루틴
- 샌드위치하우스
- 시샘달아뜰리에
- 지하야
- 라라면가
- 카페무아
- 까쉬
- 하이플레이스Try: Bocconcini Salad, Brisket Tomato Gochujang Stew, Olive Salad
Before you come
0 / 7For 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 Sungshin page. Dates and rules change. Check the details on Sungshin's official site before you apply or book anything. Sungshin spring 2027 exchange call ↗ Checked on 21 October 2026
Your home university nominates you by 23 October 2026. You apply online from 26 October to 23 November, and your home university posts the original papers so they arrive by 23 November. Sungshin issues the admission letter only after the originals arrive.
Spring 2027 call ↗Men and women can both apply. You need two semesters of study, or one for graduate students, and Korean or English good enough for your classes. A test score isn't required. Sungshin suggests TOPIK 3 or a TOEFL iBT band of 3.5 (59 on tests taken by 20 January 2026).
You need a D-2 student visa. Sungshin emails the admission letter and its business registration certificate at the end of December, and you apply at the Korean embassy at home. Your bank statement needs US$5,200 for one semester or US$10,400 for two.
Come with the D-2 visa. A short-stay entry such as C-3 usually can't be changed to a student visa inside Korea.
Korean private insurance is required. It costs about ₩80,000 once and covers six months, until National Health Insurance starts. Sungshin issues the admission letter only after you pay.
On 12 February 2027. Course registration is explained there.
Dorm move-in is on 23 and 24 February, and the orientation on campus is on 25 February.
Other dates
- JanuaryDorm application
- 17 FebruaryCourse registration
- 23 FebruaryDorm move-in
- 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
- When
- Register within 90 days of arriving.
- Bring
- The application form, your passport and visa, a 3.5 × 4.5 cm photo, a certificate of enrollment, proof of where you live and a TB test result.
- Fee
- The government fee for the card is ₩35,000.
- Health insurance
- National Health Insurance starts once your card is issued, at about ₩79,000 a month in 2026. Japanese and French citizens can each apply to be exempt.
- 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 Sungshin with a friend? Send them this page.
Housing
Every dorm for international students is a 5 to 10 minute walk from campus. Rooms are given at random.
International student dorms
₩1,115,630 to ₩2,940,000a semester, spring 2027 rate
- Rooms
- Doubles, triples and quads, and singles in the studios. Rooms are given at random.
- Sungmiryo
- Run by Sungshin, with shared bathrooms, showers and kitchen. ₩1,115,630 for a quad, ₩1,487,500 for a triple and ₩1,857,380 for a double.
- The House
- A new building, first come, first served. ₩2,097,380 for a double.
- Studios
- Six buildings run by an outside agency, with only international students. ₩1,537,500 for a quad, ₩1,750,000 for a double or triple and ₩2,940,000 for a single.
- Dates
- 23 February to 30 June 2027.
- Over the break
- You can stay if you ask in advance.
- Contact
- intl-dorm@sungshin.ac.kr, +82-2-920-7359.
Before you apply
- Applying. Say yes to the dorm in your online application. A Google Form follows in early January to confirm or cancel.
- Paying. By bank transfer within one or two days of moving in. Bring Korean won, because transfers from abroad, ATMs and cards may not work. Paying late can cost you the room.
- Penalty points. Curfew is midnight. Missing it, drinking or smoking costs 10 points, and letting an outsider in costs 20. At 50 points you leave with no refund.
Sungshin's Fact Sheet for 2027 and its residential hall page. Checked on 21 October 2026.
- Living costs
- Sungshin guesses ₩1,050,000 to ₩1,330,000 a month in Seoul, rent included.
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
- Up to 19 credits for undergraduates, 9 for master's students and 12 for doctoral students. 1 credit is at least 15 hours.
- Your department
- You're placed in the department closest to your major at home.
- English courses
- Some general education and major courses are taught in English, and the list comes out about a month before the semester. Many courses are in Korean, and some English courses still use Korean for textbooks or team projects.
- Registration
- Online and first come, first served, on 17 to 19 February 2027 (tentative). Add and drop is in the first week of March.
5 more
- Two campuses
- Classes can be on Soojung or Woonjung campus. The trip between them may stop you taking back to back classes on both.
- Korean classes
- There are Korean courses in the regular timetable, and a 10-week intensive course (200 hours) at the Institute for International Education. If you take 9 credits or fewer as an undergraduate, the institute waives tuition and you pay ₩160,000 for the application and textbooks. With 10 credits or more you pay ₩960,000 in total.
- Grades
- Out of 4.5, graded on a curve. Sungshin emails transcripts to your home coordinator, with no paper copy.
- Exams
- Midterms are in weeks 7 and 8, and finals in weeks 14 and 15.
- Library
- The loan desk is open 9:00 to 19:00 on weekdays (17:00 in the holidays), and undergraduates can borrow 7 books for 14 days. The Central Plaza and the third floor reading room are open around the clock, with entry closed from 23:30 to 5:00.
Questions exchange students ask
How does course registration work at Sungshin?
Online and first come, first served, on 17 to 19 February 2027 (tentative).
Add and drop is in the first week of March.
Are there courses taught in English at Sungshin?
Some general education and major courses are taught in English, and the list comes out about a month before the semester.
Many courses are in Korean, and some English courses still use Korean for textbooks or team projects.
How much is the dorm at Sungshin?
International student dorms · 5 to 10 minutes' walk
₩1,115,630 to ₩2,940,000
A semester, spring 2027 rate
What do I need for the visa to study at Sungshin?
You need a D-2 student visa.
Sungshin emails the admission letter and its business registration certificate at the end of December, and you apply at the Korean embassy at home.
Your bank statement needs US$5,200 for one semester or US$10,400 for two.
How do exchange students meet Sungshin students?
Sungshin Global Friends
Sungshin's free buddy programme.
A Korean mentor student helps with your classes and daily life.
Is there a group chat for Sungshin exchange students?
Yes.
Sungshin has a room on A-CHA where exchange students meet, and you can join before you land.
When should I arrive at Sungshin?
Dorm move-in is on 23 and 24 February, and the orientation on campus is on 25 February.
How do I get my residence card at Sungshin?
Register within 90 days of arriving.
Do exchange students at Sungshin need health insurance?
National Health Insurance starts once your card is issued, at about ₩79,000 a month in 2026.
Japanese and French citizens can each apply to be exempt.
How many credits can I take at Sungshin?
Up to 19 credits for undergraduates, 9 for master's students and 12 for doctoral students.
1 credit is at least 15 hours.
How do I apply to Sungshin as an exchange student?
Your home university nominates you by 23 October 2026.
You apply online from 26 October to 23 November, and your home university posts the original papers so they arrive by 23 November.
Sungshin issues the admission letter only after the originals arrive.
Who do I contact at Sungshin?
Official links and help
Office of International Affairs and Services+82-2-920-7789
intl-stud@sungshin.ac.krStudent life
- Health centre
- Room 301 of the Administration Hall on Soojung campus, weekdays 9:00 to 17:00 with lunch from 12:00 to 13:00. Care is free. Phone +82-2-920-7341.
- Language exchange
- Sungshin Global Friends tutoring pairs you with a Korean student to teach each other your languages. Finishing it pays a ₩100,000 scholarship.