Applications for the highly coveted Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) 2027 are preparing to launch worldwide. Administered by the National Institute for International Education (NIIED) under the Korean Ministry of Education, this premium, fully funded initiative invites over 2,000 international students annually to pursue Undergraduate, Master’s, or Doctoral (PhD) degrees at top-tier South Korean universities.
Known for its exceptional coverage, the GKS program entirely waives tuition and provides full flight coverage, alongside a generous monthly stipend, allowing you to experience South Korea’s world-class technological and cultural environment stress-free.
📊 GKS Scholarship Overview
| Detail | Information |
| Sponsor Body | National Institute for International Education (NIIED), South Korea |
| Host Country | South Korea |
| Degree Level | Undergraduate, Taught Master’s, PhD, and Research |
| Funding Level | Fully Funded (100% Tuition, Stipend, Flights, Settlement Cash) |
| Application Tracks | Embassy Track (Apply via Embassy) OR University Track (Direct) |
| Submission Mode | 💻 100% Digital / Online Upload via Study in Korea Portal |
| Next Major Open Window | September – October 2026 (Undergraduate 2027 Intake) |
💰 Scholarship Benefits | Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) 2027
The GKS program covers the entire lifecycle of your degree, beginning with an intensive mandatory language transition period. Financial perks include:
- Full Tuition Waiver: 100% coverage of university admission fees and semester tuition.
- Monthly Living Stipend:
- Undergraduate Grantees: ₩900,000 per month.
- Graduate/Postgraduate Grantees: ₩1,000,000 per month.
- Airfare & Moving Support: * Round-trip economy international flights.
- Settlement Allowance: A one-time lump-sum of ₩200,000 paid immediately upon arrival in Korea.
- Language Training Support: Full funding for a mandatory 1-year Korean Language Course at a designated domestic institution.
- Health Insurance: Monthly medical insurance premiums covered for the absolute duration of the degree.
- TOPIK Excellence Bonus: An extra ₩100,000 per month reward if you attain a TOPIK Level 5 or Level 6 Korean proficiency score.
- Completion Grants: A one-off payment of ₩100,000 to ₩300,000 upon graduation and returning home.
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🎓 Eligibility Criteria | Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) 2027
To successfully clear the initial document screening, you must cross these definitive baselines:
- Nationality: The applicant and both biological parents must hold citizenship in an NIIED-invited country. Dual citizens holding Korean nationality are strictly ineligible.
- Age Boundaries:
- Undergraduate Track: Must be under 25 years of age at the time of entry.
- Graduate Track (Master’s/PhD): Must be under 40 years of age (Active university professors from designated ODA recipient nations are extended up to 45 years of age).
- Academic GPA Thresholds: You must prove an overall Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) from your previous institution equivalent to or higher than:
- 80% or above on a 100-point grading scale, OR
- Rank within the top 20% of your graduating class, OR
- Meet specific score cut-offs:
2.64/4.0,2.80/4.3, or2.91/4.5.
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📅 Expected 2026–2027 Application Cycles
The GKS opens its application loops at completely separate times of the year depending on your intended level of study.
| Study Level | Application Route Opening | Expected Closing Deadline | Academic Semester Start |
| Undergraduate Degrees | Mid-September 2026 | October 2026 | March 2027 |
| Graduate Degrees (Embassy Track) | early February 2027 | late February 2027 | September 2027 |
| Graduate Degrees (University Track) | late February 2027 | April 2027 | September 2027 |
📝 Step-by-Step Application | Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) 2027
You must choose only one single route to apply. Submitting documents to both tracks simultaneously results in an automatic, immediate disqualification.
Route A: The Embassy Track
- Create a membership profile on the central online portal:www.studyinkorea.go.kr.
- Fill out the application form fields and upload clear, verified digital PDF scans of your transcripts, birth certificates, and references.
- Select up to three separate participating Korean universities and majors within Type A or Type B choices.
- If your local embassy selects you during the 1st round, your dossier moves to NIIED for a 2nd review and finally to the individual universities for 3rd-round placement evaluation.
Route B: The University Track
- Navigate directly to the admission system of one single GKS-designated Korean university.
- Complete their specialized digital portal forms and upload your document bundle directly to their database.
- If chosen, you bypass the multi-stage university loop entirely; your file moves from your single chosen university directly to NIIED for final confirmation.
⚠️ Critical Digital Rule Update: NIIED has phased out mandatory physical paper couriers for the initial round. You only mail hard-copy original, apostilled, or embassy-consular certified documents after you are officially selected as a finalist.
🌐 Official Application Portals
- Official Central Node: Study in Korea Portal Run by the Korean Government
- Direct Notifications Grid: Official GKS NIIED Announcements Board
