Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) 2027 for Graduate Students: Fully Funded Study in South Korea (Application Prep Guide)

Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) 2027 for Graduate Students: Fully Funded Study in South Korea (Application Prep Guide)

Important status note — please read first: there are two different GKS 2027 cycles, and confusing them wastes an application. The undergraduate (GKS-U) embassy track closed on 30 September 2026 — do not apply to it. This article is about the graduate (GKS-G) track for master's and doctoral study, whose 2027 call has not yet been published. It is expected in February 2027, following the 2026 pattern (opened 12 February, closed 25 February 2026). Everything below is a prep guide based on the official guidelines and recent cycles, so you can prepare every document now and apply the moment the call opens.

What is the Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) 2027 for graduate students?

The Global Korea Scholarship is the South Korean government's flagship fully funded scholarship, run by the National Institute for International Education (NIIED). The graduate track funds master's and doctoral degrees at Korean universities, covering full tuition, airfare, a monthly living allowance of KRW 1,000,000 for Master's and doctoral students, a settlement allowance, one year of Korean language training before the degree, and medical insurance. The 2027 graduate call is expected in February 2027, and applicants apply through either an embassy track or a university track.

Why Korea, and why prepare now

South Korea combines world-class universities, a large English-taught graduate catalogue, and a scholarship that genuinely covers the full cost — tuition plus living costs plus a funded language year. The catch is the window: the 2026 graduate call lasted roughly two weeks. Applicants who had authenticated documents, recommendation letters and a study plan ready could apply calmly; everyone else ran out of time. The 2027 call is expected to be just as short.

What the scholarship covers

• Full tuition fees for the degree programme (within the programme's cap, per the call).
• Monthly living allowance — Master's and doctoral students receive a monthly living allowance of KRW 1,000,000. The higher KRW 1,500,000 rate is only for Research-program scholars, not for degree students.
• Return airfare (economy class) between your home country and Korea.
• Settlement allowance on arrival.
• One year of Korean language training before the degree begins — with the important condition that you must reach TOPIK Level 3 or above to proceed to the degree, or the scholarship can end.
• Medical insurance during the scholarship period.
• Research and thesis support in recent cycles for graduate scholars.

A citable scale note: the 2026 graduate round alone offered around 2,000 places, and the 2027 undergraduate round added 286 — GKS is one of the largest government scholarship programmes in Asia, which is why its short windows still attract tens of thousands of applicants. Apply with that competition in mind: a complete, well-prepared application is the minimum, not the advantage.

The two tracks: embassy vs university

Track	How it works	Who it suits
Embassy track	Apply through the Korean embassy in your country; the embassy selects and recommends candidates to NIIED, which matches them with universities	Applicants who want NIIED to place them, or whose target universities are highly competitive
University track	Apply directly to one university and department; the university recommends you to NIIED	Applicants with a clear first-choice university, or a professor contact there

You must choose one track — you cannot apply through both in the same cycle. Embassies and universities each publish their own submission guidelines and internal deadlines, which can be earlier than NIIED's headline window. When the 2027 call opens, check your embassy's notice and your target university's notice first, not just the NIIED guideline.

Who can apply: eligibility (recent-cycle pattern)

• Citizenship: you and your parents must hold non-Korean citizenship. Applicants with Korean citizenship (including dual citizens) are not eligible.
• Age: under 40 years old for the graduate track (in the 2026 cycle: born after 1 September 1986 — the 2027 cut-off will shift by one year; confirm it in the call).
• Degree: a bachelor's degree (for master's applicants) or a master's degree (for doctoral applicants), completed or expected by the date specified in the call.
• Grades: a cumulative GPA of 80% or above on a 100-point scale, or ranking in the top 20% of your graduating class.
• Health: physically and mentally fit for long-term study abroad; a medical check is part of the process.
• Language: no single mandatory test score for all applicants, but English or Korean proficiency evidence strengthens your application — and you must complete the Korean language year to TOPIK Level 3 before starting the degree.
• Previous GKS scholars and applicants who have previously received a Korean government scholarship are generally excluded — check the call's exact rule.

Documents to prepare now

1. Application form (from the official guideline when published).
2. Personal statement and study plan — the single most important document. Name your research interest, why Korea, why that university and department, and what you will do with the degree afterwards.
3. Recommendation letters (usually two) from professors who know your academic work.
4. Authenticated degree certificates and transcripts — authentication (apostille or consular confirmation) takes weeks in many countries. Start it now.
5. Proof of citizenship for you and your parents.
6. Language proficiency certificates, if you hold them (English and/or Korean).
7. CV, awards, publications or portfolio evidence relevant to your field.
8. Medical certificate, if required by your embassy or university track.

How to apply (expected process)

1. Watch Study in Korea: the 2027 graduate guideline will appear on studyinkorea.go.kr. Check it weekly from January 2027.
2. Choose your track (embassy or university) and read that track's own notice and deadline.
3. Submit your documents to the embassy or university — NIIED does not accept direct applications from individuals; it receives candidates only through the embassy's or university's recommendation.
4. Selection rounds: first-round selection by the embassy or university, second-round selection by NIIED, and university admission review for embassy-track candidates.
5. Final results are announced by NIIED, followed by visa, entry and language-training arrangements.

GKS itself charges no application fee — you apply free via the Study in Korea portal (studyinkorea.go.kr) or your Korean embassy. Document authentication, courier delivery or medical exams may still cost money, depending on your country's requirements.

Expected timeline for GKS-G 2027

Stage	Expected date	Status
Graduate call published	February 2027	Expected (2026: 12 Feb)
Application deadline	Late February 2027	Expected (2026: 25 Feb)
Selection rounds	March–June 2027	Expected pattern
Language training begins	Autumn 2027	Expected pattern
Degree begins	2028 (after language year)	Programme design

Frequently asked questions

Is the Global Korea Scholarship 2027 open now? For graduate students: no, the 2027 graduate call has not been published yet; it is expected in February 2027. For undergraduates: the 2027 embassy track closed on 30 September 2026. Do not confuse the two cycles.

Do I need IELTS or TOPIK to apply? There is no single mandatory score for all graduate applicants, but language evidence strengthens your application, and you must reach TOPIK Level 3 during the funded language year to start your degree.

Can I apply through both the embassy and university tracks? No. You must choose one track per cycle.

What does GKS cover? Full tuition, airfare, a monthly living allowance (KRW 1,000,000 per month for Master's and doctoral students), settlement allowance, one year of Korean language training, and medical insurance.

What GPA do I need? 80% or above on a 100-point scale, or top 20% of your class, in recent cycles.

Conclusion

The Global Korea Scholarship 2027 for graduate students is one of the most generous fully funded routes to a master's or PhD in Asia — but its window is brutally short, and its undergraduate cycle has already closed. If you want the graduate track, use the months before February 2027 properly: authenticate your documents, secure strong recommendations, write a study plan that names a real research direction, and decide your track. When the call opens on Study in Korea, you will submit on day one. For another fully funded government scholarship with a similar prep window, see our Stipendium Hungaricum 2027-28 prep guide and our Yale Young African Scholars 2027 guide.

By Opportunity Wave, 25 October 2026. Sources: Study in Korea (studyinkorea.go.kr) official GKS guidelines; 2026 graduate call pattern (opened 12 February, closed 25 February 2026); 2027 undergraduate guideline (embassy track 15–30 September 2026, now closed). Expected graduate dates are NOT confirmed until NIIED publishes the 2027 graduate call — always verify on Study in Korea before relying on them.