The government of South Korea has been on a drive to attract foreign talent. This led to the establishment of the Korean government scholarship program aiming to attract highly intelligent students from overseas to South Korea. This scholarship program is overseen by South Korea’s Institute for International Education. The scholarship is aimed at attracting scholars from abroad or Koreans who are domiciled outside the country. If you meet certain criteria, you may be eligible for this scholarship.
Since the objective of the Korean Government Scholarship Program (KGSP) is the integration of foreign prodigies into Korean society through the absorption of Korean culture, when applicants are accepted, they are mandated to undergo a one-year study of the Korean language upon arrival in the country. This period of cultural exploration through language is followed by a university program running for a period of 2 to 4 years.
The timeframe of studies is dependent on the study level. The program has seen considerable progress since its establishment in 1967. In 2015 alone, individuals from over 140 countries participated in the program. The language challenge is still a big menace to the program as it has led to several beneficiaries not being able to complete their programs.
For successful applicants, the Korean Government Scholarship Program comes with lots of benefits, one of which is the Korean government’s financial support. The benefit also includes air fair as successful applicants move from their home country to South Korea.
Participating countries
Scholarship could also be a way of strengthening bonds with other countries. In the case of the KGSP, Currently, not all countries are eligible for the Korean Government Scholarship Program. This scholarship program is only available to citizens from 157 countries. Before starting the application process, please ensure that your country is eligible. If your Country is Not available, You may check out this MasterCard Scholarship Here!
Benefits of Participating in the Korean Government Scholarship Program
There are several things to benefit when you succeed and become one of the beneficiaries of the KGSP. Apart from the Opportunity to explore Korea and improve your network, other amazing benefits await. There could be other personal reasons you desire the scholarship. That could satisfy some personal benefits; added to that, you stand to benefit the following when you succeed with the scholarship process.
Cultural integration: The Korean Government Scholarship Program aims to enrich the culture and society of South Korea by bringing bright brains from around the world to South Korea on a scholarship.
This program offers the learning of not just the Korean culture but other cultures from around the world. Since participants are drawn from several countries, it means that there’s a cultural melting pot. Aside from the cultures and other knowledge you could gain from other participants, Korean society has a lot to offer foreigners. Individuals who are successfully accepted into the program have a lot to gain and also offer in terms of cultural integration.
Exposure to advanced learning: South Korea is one of the most advanced countries on earth. Several beneficiaries of the scholarship program will find the great institutions that South Korea offers amazing, even though the program is designed to attract scholars from around the world. Even the best brains would have a lot of new things to learn while in South Korea.
Financial Support: Successful participants are given numerous financial support by the government of South Korea. This support is usually delivered as a monthly allowance package. The financial support of about 800,000 KRW is available to undergraduate beneficiaries while about 1000,000 KRW is made available to graduate participants monthly. This isn’t the end of the financial support successful applicants get to enjoy, as there are other stipend packages and allowances.
Diverse University Option
Several South Korean universities participate in the Korean Government Scholarship Program. This gives applicants several choices of university and even programs of study. Note that initial university and program choices can’t be changed once the application is successful. Participants aspiring for a bachelor’s degree have the enrollment allocation into a four-year program, while those on master’s degree pursuit are given a 2 years allocation.
Language Institute and program
This aspect of the program is undergone in a language institution further from the university of choice. The objective of language institutions being situated away from participants is to give a more in-depth integration into Korean society and culture for participants. This is because as participants take these voyages to and from the language institute, interactions happen.
The option of language institutions is overseen by the NIIED (National Institute for International Education). This language institute is where the one-year Korean language intensive study takes place. The language institute is also not subject to change once the program is initiated.
There is the chance of waiver of the language program depending on participants’ performance. It may also be subject to extension should participants not meet expectations. The progress in the language program is assessed using the TOPIC (Test of Proficiency in Korean). Participants with exceptional TOPIC performance may qualify for additional monthly allowances and other benefits.
Excellent performance in TOPIC may reduce language study by six months, while low TOPIC performance may extend language study time by six months. It is then important that interested individuals may need to start studying the Korean language beforehand to avoid such delay.
Requirements
Crucial requirements for the Korean Government Scholarship Program include but are not limited to these items outlined here: 1. Letter of recommendation (2) Academic transcript (4) copy of participant’s passport (4) personal statement (5) motivation letter (6) Medical test (7) a D-2 visa category; this applies to individuals without a resident visa. Several other requirements are needed for the scholarship process; we advise you to visit the inquiry website that we included at the end of this post for more up-to-date information.
Conclusion
The Korean Government Scholarship Program has benefited several international students and offered them opportunities to study in and explore South Korea. More than 3000 foreign scholars have participated in and completed the program since its establishment. You could be one of the lucky participants in the program. Go through the KGSP information website below to discover more of the requirements; if you have what it takes, then give it a try. We wish you all the best.
For more information and application updates, Click Here!