Global Korea Scholarship (GKS / KGSP)

IELTS/TOEFL and TOPIK are not mandatory but are strongly recommended. Even a moderate score significantly strengthens your application. You can apply without language certificates, but competing candidates with scores have an advantage.

The one-year Korean language course is provided to all GKS scholars before the degree program begins. It prepares you for academic and daily life in Korea. This year is fully funded - tuition, accommodation, and stipend all continue during the language year.

GKS provides KRW 1,000,000/month for Master's students (~USD 750) and KRW 1,500,000/month for PhD students (~USD 1,100). These amounts are generally sufficient to cover accommodation, food, and transport in Korean university cities. Many students manage to save each month, especially in smaller university cities outside Seoul.

Your Study Plan for GKS should be specific and well-structured. It must clearly explain: what you plan to research or study, why Korea specifically (mention specific faculty, labs, or university programs), what academic foundation you bring to this field, and how the degree will contribute to your home country's development and your own professional goals on your return. Vague, generic plans are one of the most common reasons GKS applications fail. Link your plan to actual Korean universities' research strengths and, if possible, reference specific professors whose work aligns with yours.

For GKS, your academic documents must be attested by HEC (Higher Education Commission) and MOFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs). First, get your degrees and transcripts verified and attested by HEC at hec.gov.pk. Then, take the HEC-attested documents to MOFA for apostille-style attestation. The process takes 4-8 weeks total, and must be completed before the Embassy Track deadline in mid-September. Do not leave this for the last minute.

TOPIK is not mandatory for GKS, but submitting a TOPIK score significantly strengthens your application, especially if you are applying for a Korean-language program. TOPIK Level 3 or above is generally considered competitive. Even for English-taught programs, TOPIK Level 1-2 demonstrates genuine interest in Korea and commitment to integrating into the academic environment. You will receive intensive Korean language training during the funded one-year preparatory course regardless of your starting level.

GKS scholars can work part-time with the university's permission, subject to the conditions set by their institution and Korean immigration law. However, since the GKS allowance is designed to cover all living costs, most scholars do not need to work. Working part-time is optional and must not interfere with academic performance, which affects scholarship continuation.