Global Korea Scholarship 2026: Your Fully Funded Path to Study in South Korea

The Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) is one of the most generous fully-funded opportunities for international students, and the 2026 graduate cycle is currently open.

What You Get

GKS covers essentially everything. You receive full tuition for your entire degree program, round-trip airfare, a settlement allowance upon arrival, monthly living stipend, medical insurance, and a full year of Korean language training before your degree begins . For those with TOPIK Level 5 or 6, there's an additional monthly bonus . The program supports Master's degrees (3 years total: 1 year language + 2 years degree), Doctoral degrees (4 years total), and short-term Research programs .

Who Can Apply

You must be a non-Korean citizen, and both your parents must also hold non-Korean citizenship . For graduate programs, you must be under 40 years old and hold a Bachelor's degree (for Master's) or Master's degree (for Doctoral) . Strong academic records are expected .

How to Apply

You must choose one of two tracks — you cannot apply to both :

Embassy Track: Apply through the Korean Embassy in your home country. You can select up to three universities, and at least one must be a Type B (regional) university . Applications go through the Study in Korea online system .

University Track: Apply directly to one designated Korean university. This suits applicants targeting a specific school or who have already contacted a professor .

The Deadline

The 2026 graduate application window is February 12 to February 25, 2026 (18:00 KST) . Applications must be submitted online through www.studyinkorea.go.kr .

Why It Matters

GKS has supported over 19,500 scholars from 161 countries since 1967 . It's more than funding — it's a pathway to study at Korea's top universities like Seoul National, KAIST, and Yonsei . If you're serious about studying in Korea, this is the opportunity to pursue.

Ready to apply? Visit studyinkorea.go.kr before February 25, 2026.