Global Korea Scholarship for Undergraduate Degrees (GKS-U), Embassy Track

What the scholarship covers

NIIED tuition cap 5,000,000 KRW/yr (university covers excess + admission fee); Korean language program fee 5,200,000 KRW/yr paid in full; round-trip economy airfare (actual cost); monthly allowance ~1,130,000 KRW/month during the language year (13,560,000 KRW/yr) rising to ~1,200,000 KRW/month during the degree program (14,400,000 KRW/yr) - this allowance is described by NIIED as all-inclusive for living costs, accommodation, health insurance, Korean-proficiency grants, TOPIK fees and a settlement allowance.

What you need

• IELTS/TOEFL/TEPS or TOPIKNo English test required; Korean-medium language-then-degree track. English scores are not part of GKS-U eligibility. Not required to apply; applicants who already hold TOPIK level 5-6 skip some/all of the 1-year Korean language program.
• High school graduate (or expected by 31 Dec 2026); CGPA of 80/100 or above, OR top 20% of class rank, OR GPA ≥ 2.64/4.0 (equivalent on 4.3/4.5/5.0 scales).
• Age: Under 25 on application, i.e. born after 1 March 2002
• Application Form
• Personal Statement
• Study Plan
• Recommendation Letter
• GKS Applicant Agreement
• Personal Medical Assessment
• Consent to Collect/Use Personal Information
• Proof of citizenship (applicant + both parents) and family relationship
• High school graduation certificate
• High school transcript
• TOPIK or English proficiency score report (if held)
• Passport copy
• Up to 5 optional award/activity certificates
• Personal Statement (Form 2)
• Study Plan (Form 3)
• Both parents must hold non-Korean citizenship
• No prior Korean-government degree scholarship
• Not currently/recently enrolled at a Korean high school or university

Deadlines

• 30 Sept 2026 Embassy Track online application, 2027 intakePassed. Expect a similar date next cycle.Window: 15 Sept 2026 11:00 KST – 30 Sept 2026 18:00 KST via studyinkorea.go.kr
• 7 Jan 2027 Final announcement of 2027 GKS-U scholars91 days from nowExpected date

Where it leads

Full bachelor's degree at a partner Korean university, admission-fee and tuition-free; TOPIK 5-6 holders are exempted from part/all of the 1-year Korean language year and enter the degree track directly (degree track starts the following September for those who place out mid-way through the language year).

Visa

D-2 (student) visa arranged by NIIED/host university after final selection; Mongolian nationals already holding a D-2/D-4 visa in Korea may not be able to get a new visa issued without first clearing it with Korean Immigration.

Things to know

Mongolia's 2027 Embassy Track quota is 4 scholarships: 2 General Program + 2 R-GKS (regional-university) slots, confirmed on both the official country-quota table and the Korean Embassy in Mongolia's own notice.

Both the Mongolia-specific embassy notice and the NIIED country-quota table independently show Mongolia = 4 (2 General + 2 R-GKS), so this figure is double-confirmed. Intake month (March) is inferred from the guideline's statement that TOPIK 5/6-exempt scholars start their degree program 'the following semester (September 2027)' after a 6-month language period, implying the language year begins around March 2027 - not stated as an explicit calendar date in the sections reviewed.

Sources

• overseas.mofa.go.kr/mn-ko/brd/m_373/view.do?seq=1339551 Official Korean Embassy in Mongolia notice: Mongolia quota (4 = 2 General + 2 R-GKS), selection process, application window 15-30 Sept 2026
• kecmx.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2027-GKS-U-Application-Guidelines-English.pdf Official NIIED 2027 GKS-U Application Guidelines (same document attached to the Mongolia embassy notice): eligibility, documents, schedule, scholarship benefits, Mongolia row in the country-quota table