Kyungpook National University Scholarships for International Students 2026

Most major scholarships used by international students at KNU (especially the Global Korea Scholarship/GKS) are built around full-time study in Korea and typically include an in-country Korean-language component, so they generally don’t align with fully-online degrees.

It depends heavily on the department, but many undergraduate majors run mainly in Korean, while some graduate programs use a mix of English and Korean. For example, Romario Juvita de Carvalho Quintão (Civil Engineering) said, “The courses in my major are conducted 100% in Korean.”

At the graduate level, Angela Michelle Gunawan (Food Biotechnology) explained that her program is “conducted in half English and half Korean,” and noted that “for the assignments, presentation, and exam, foreign students are allowed to use English.”

KNU’s internal scholarships can vary by program/department, but many age limits come from the scholarship provider (especially government scholarships). For GKS (a common route for KNU international students), the National Institute for International Education (NIIED) sets age rules (for example, graduate applicants must generally be under 40 as of the specified date; undergraduate applicants are typically under 25 as of the specified date, with defined exceptions for some categories).

In practice, KNU scholarship recipients span different ages and backgrounds; the safest approach is to check the exact scholarship’s eligibility rules (because the age limit is usually a scholarship rule, not a “KNU rule”).

In general, scholarships used at KNU cover a wide range of subjects, and recipients’ stories show support across many STEM fields. For example, recipients include Romario (Civil Engineering), Angela (Food Biotechnology), Niha (Wood and Paper Science), Ashim Kumar (Ph.D. Plant Biology), and Yuvraj Singh Chaudhry (Master’s in Artificial Intelligence).

• Engineering (including Civil): Supported in practice by scholarships like GKS (e.g., Romario in Civil Engineering).
• STEM (Computer Science/AI, Biology, Chemistry-adjacent fields): Supported by multiple recipients (Plant Biology, AI, Food Bio, Wood & Paper Science).
• Business: KNU offers business programs (e.g., Business Administration appears in KNU’s departmental requirements), and scholarships may apply depending on the provider and department.
• Humanities: KNU has broad humanities offerings (e.g., English Language & Literature, History, Philosophy) and scholarships can apply depending on eligibility.
• Medicine / Health: KNU has a medical lineage (its history includes a College of Medicine). However, international eligibility for clinical medical degrees can be limited and highly Korean-language dependent; always confirm the current intake’s rules if your target is an MD-equivalent program.

For big external scholarships like GKS, eligibility is tied to nationality: applicants must hold citizenship from invited/designated countries (and Korean citizens/dual citizens are not eligible under those rules). Within the KNU ecosystem, this often means scholarships are available to many nationalities, but only if your country is included in that scholarship’s annual list.

Recipients at KNU on Global Scholarships include (among others) a Timorese student (Romario), Indonesian students (Niha and Angela), a Bangladeshi student (Ashim), and an Indian student (Yuvraj), which gives a real-world sense of how broad nationality coverage can be when the scholarship allows it.

KNU evaluates language readiness during screening, and some departments set clear Korean-language requirements (TOPIK) even at the application stage. In KNU’s undergraduate guide, certain majors specify TOPIK requirements (for example, some list “Level 4 TOPIK Certificate (or higher)”), and KNU also notes that international undergraduate students (excluding transfer students) must obtain TOPIK Level 4 or higher before graduation.

For scholarships, language proof can help a lot. Niha said she submitted “my conference paper and IELTS certificate (with a score of 7),” and Romario shared, “I got TOPIK level 4 back in 2022.” Also, KNU’s undergraduate scholarship benefits can be tied directly to TOPIK level (higher TOPIK can mean a larger tuition scholarship in the first semester).

KNU typically uses a qualification screening approach (reviewing your academic background and language proficiency), and requirements can vary by department and degree level rather than one universal GPA cut-off for everyone. In other words, “minimum grade” is often program-specific.

That said, scholarship pathways often include clear academic thresholds. For example, GKS rules include an academic performance threshold (CGPA equivalent to at least 80% in the previous program), and KNU’s graduate scholarship continuation rules can include maintaining a minimum semester grade (e.g., “higher than a B grade” for some internal graduate scholarship considerations).

Strong grades help, but recipients’ stories show that research, publications, and a clear match with a lab or program can be just as important. Ashim Kumar emphasized research strength, noting, “I have published over 10 scientific research papers,” and explained that his SOP/personal statement and research plan helped differentiate his application.

Recipients also show the value of concrete outputs and proof of readiness: Niha highlighted submitting a conference paper plus IELTS 7, while Romario combined a very high GPA (9.7/10) with certificates and activities, and still pointed out the practical importance of language preparation for success in class.

Exact documents vary by level (undergraduate vs graduate) and track, but KNU’s undergraduate guide lists core items like an application form, a statement of purpose and study plan, graduation certificates, and official transcripts (and transfer applicants add college/university records). The guide also explains that verification may require an apostille or embassy verification for academic documents.

Recipient stories show how “real” this paperwork is in practice: Niha stressed that “the documents needed to be apostilled and sent directly to Korea,” and she warned she “had to send my application three times… due to missing documents.” For graduate scholarship routes, Ashim described contacting a professor and adding a recommendation letter from that professor as part of his application strategy.

• Application form (printed from the online system)
• Statement of Purpose & Study Plan (KNU format)
• Graduation certificate(s) and official transcript(s) (high school; plus university records for transfer/graduate)
• Language certificates where required or helpful (TOPIK / IELTS / TOEFL, depending on program and scholarship)
• Verification (apostille or embassy verification), and notarized translations if documents are not in English/Korean

KNU is broad and multi-campus, and its undergraduate admissions guide describes a large academic footprint (multiple colleges/schools and many majors). Offerings include humanities and social sciences (e.g., English Language & Literature, History, Philosophy), natural sciences, engineering and computing (e.g., Computer Science and Engineering), and more.

Scholarship recipients’ courses give concrete examples across departments: Civil Engineering, Food Biotechnology, Wood and Paper Science, Plant Biology, and Artificial Intelligence.

Yes. KNU’s undergraduate international admissions guide lists an application fee of ￦80,000 and explains it must be paid through the online application process. KNU also notes that once the fee is paid, you generally cannot revise the application contents.

For graduate international admissions, the application fee depends on the intake/guide; for example, one KNU graduate admissions guide lists an application fee of KRW 60,000 and similarly notes that non-payment cancels the application. Always confirm the exact amount for your target semester in the latest KNU guide.