The Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) application is now open to international students to study their master or PhD or conduct research at the Korea Development Institute (KDI). GKS at KDI is a fully funded international scholarship at postgraduate levels and research.

The Korea National Institute for International Education (NIIED), responsible for managing all scholarships, has announced this scholarship for the fall 2026.

The primary purpose of this scholarship is to promote international exchanges and mutual friendships between countries by providing international students with opportunities to continue their advanced studies in Korea.

Important Dates and Details

Fall 2026 dates:

• Application and Documents submission start: 3 March 2026
• Application and Documents Submission Deadline:  31 March 2026 (17:00 K.S.T.)
• Document review: March 4- 25, 2026
• Document result: 9 April
• Interview date: April 14-21
• Interview result: April 30
• Document submission and registration for accepted students only: July 1, 2026
• Program Start: September 2026

Spring 2027 dates

• Application and Documents Submission period: July –  August, 2026  (17:00 K.S.T.)
• Document review: September 2- October 6, 2026
• Document review result: October 18, 2026
• Interview date: October 24- 31, 2026
• Interview result:
• Final Result: November 2026
• Document submission and registration: November 29, 2026
• Program entrance: February 2027

• Locations: South Korea
• Funding Organization: Republic of Korea
• Host University: Korea Development Institute (KDI)
• Gender: Male/Female
• Funding Type: Fully-funded
• Degree Level and Duration: 3 Years Master’s Degree, 4 Years Doctoral Degree, and 1 Year Research
• Eligible Countries: All
• Language Required: English (TOEIC, TOEFL, IELTS), Korean (TOPIK)
• Fields of Study: Courses provided by KDI School

Fields of study: 

• Master of Public Policy
• Master of Development Policy
• Master of Public Management
• Master of Data Science for Public Policy and Management
• Master in Intellectual Property and Development Policy
• Executive Master of Public Policy and Management
• PhD in Public Policy
• PhD in Development Policy

Benefits of the Global Korea Scholarship

Global Korea Scholarships and Extensive Scholarships offered by KDI that 100% of students receive scholarships that covers the

• Full tuition fee
• Dormitory
• Living stipend

Successful participants of the GKS program will receive a fully-funded scholarship, including the following benefits:

• Actual one economy round-trip airfare
• Resettlement allowance of 200,000 KRW only once
• Monthly allowance for Master’s/Doctoral: 1 million K.R.W. and for Research: 1,500,000 KRW
• Medical insurance of a standard amount set by NIIED
• Korean Proficiency Grants: 100,000 KRW /month
• Language training Fee: NIIED: 1 million K.R.W. University: the amount that exceeds 1 million K.R.W.
• Research support of 210,000 – 240,000 KRW (per semester)
• Tuition NIIED: up to 5 million K.R.W. University: the amount that exceeds 5 million K.R.W., Admission fee

Eligibility Requirements

There are several eligibility criteria from the GKS and the University that applicants should meet:

• All applicants should be citizens of NIIED-designated countries with an invitation to take part in the GKS program
• Master’s degree applicants should provide a bachelor’s degree, and Ph.D. and research applicants should provide a Master’s degree by  February 2026
• G.P.A. of the entire curriculum from the previous degree program should be 80% or above on a 100-point scale or be ranked in the top 20% of one’s class, or C.G.P.A. must be equal to or above 2.64/4.0, 2.80/4.3, 2.91/4.5 or 3.23/5.0
• Applicants must be under 40 years , and academic professors in one of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) recipients must be under 45 years
• All applicants should demonstrate good mental and physical health.
• Embassy track applicants of the Teaching Professional program should fulfill additional criteria to apply for the program
• Those who are graduated or going to graduate from a Korean high school or a Korean university are NOT eligible to apply
• Previously recipients of scholarships for a degree program from the Korean government were NOT eligible
• Final candidates of the GKS degree program of the past three years are not eligible if they have withdrawn from the program or did not meet qualifications from the program before enrolment
• All GKS applicants must achieve T.O.P.I.K. level 3 to complete their degree program.
• Applicants with dual citizenship with Korean nationals cannot apply
• Foreign applicants whose parents are both foreign nationals are not eligible
• A foreign citizen of Korean origin should meet one of the following terms:
• Their parents should be foreign citizens and submit a notarized copy of their birth certificate and a copy of their passports demonstrating their foreign nationalities.
• Must complete at least 16 years of education, including elementary, middle, high school, and university in a foreign country; submit copies of academic transcripts and graduation certificates.

Required Documents

Applicants should submit the following documents to apply for GKS at KDI:

• Application form
• Personal Statement
• Study plan for master’s and Ph.D. students only
• Research Proposal (only for research applicants)
• N.E. Letter of Recommendation
• Letter of Invitation (from the research program university)
• GKS Applicant Agreement
• Personal Medical Assessment
• Consent to Collect and Use Personal Information
• Applicant’s/Parent(s)’ Proof of Citizenship and family relationship Document
• Bachelor’s Graduation Certificate (or Diploma)
• Transcript Bachelor’s Degree
• Master’s Graduation Certificate (or Diploma)
• Transcript Master’s Degree
• Doctoral Graduation Certificate (only applicable for postdoctoral research)
• Certificate of Employment – for E.S.C.I. professionals under the research program
• Proof of Overseas Korean Document or Proof of Korean Adoptee Document (Optional)
• Proof of Korean Citizenship Renunciation Document (Optional)
• Korean War Veteran’s Descendant Proof (Optional)
• Required Certificates for Current Teaching Professionals (Optional)
• Prospective Teaching Professionals Certificates (Optional)
• Score report of valid T.O.P.I.K. (original) or English Proficiency Test (copy)
• Awards and other certificates (copy)
• Applicant’s Passport (copy)
• English language certificate for programs in english

Program entry requirements: 

• have a bachelor’s degree (3 year program) or equivalent
• English language proficiency (TOEFL iBT 72, IELTS 6, Duolingo 100)

Scholarship Procedure 

Embassy Track:

• The first round of selection by the embassy
• Recommend candidates to NIIED by the embassy
• The second round of selection (NIIED)
• Third round of selection (Embassy Track Candidates)
• The final announcement of GKS Scholars

University Track:

• First Round of Selection by the University
• Recommend Candidates to NIIED (University)
• Second Round of Selection (NIIED)
• Final Announcement of GKS Scholars Step

NIIED is responsible for the GKS program and will invite the Korean Embassy in the invited country or a Korean university in the country to recommend potential undergraduate or graduate candidates.

Candidates can only submit their application and all required supporting documents to the Korean Embassy in their home country or the domestic university concerned. Once they submit their application, NIIED will review and evaluate it and notify the Korean Embassy to invite the final selectees of the GKS program.

How to Apply for the Global Korea Scholarship?

Applicants can apply through the Korean Embassy or the KDI website. Applicants who do not pass the first round of the embassy track may apply to a university track.
Please download the complete application Guide Here before you apply.

Apply Through KDI

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Please visit the KDI website for further details and read the scholarship details HERE.