Do you need Korean to apply? Check your exact program.

The general rule is easy to say and easy to get wrong: most undergraduate programs are Korean-taught, many programs are English-taught, and it changes program by program. So pick your university and the program you want, and see the specific answer with the published TOPIK bar.

The Korean requirement at every university in the directory

Across the 78 undergraduate universities here, 37 list only Korean-taught programs for international students and 41 list at least one English-taught program. TOPIK 3 is the most common published floor, at 73 of them. One publishes no Korean requirement at all in the source. These are whole-university figures: scan for your shortlist here, then check your exact program in the checker above, because the bar is set department by department.

Graduate-only institutions

These 14 institutions appear in the directory through their graduate programs. The GKS-G source records fewer language and TOPIK details than the undergraduate one, so treat a blank Korean requirement as unpublished rather than as none.

Now go and get the level

A TOPIK bar is a deadline, not a verdict. These guides cover the test itself, how to sidestep it with an English-taught degree, and the two routes people actually take to reach the level: a funded scholarship year, or a term or two at a university language institute.

TOPIK Explained (2027): Levels, Test Dates, and What Score You Need

What is TOPIK, and what level do you actually need? The two tests, the six levels, how often it runs, and the scores that unlock admission, GKS, and graduation.

10 min read

Study in Korea in English: English-Taught Degrees and TOPIK, Explained (2027)

You do not need to speak Korean to earn a degree in Korea. How English-taught programs work, what TOPIK is, and when you actually need it.

11 min read

English-Taught Degree Programs in Korea (2027): How to Find the Real Ones

Plenty of programs say English-taught and are not. The English-taught versus English-track trap, how it differs by level and field, and how to confirm a program is really in English before you commit.

11 min read

From Language Institute to Korean University: TOPIK, Admission, and the D-4 to D-2 Switch

For many students the language year is step one of a degree. The TOPIK level you need, how long it takes to get there, and how the D-4 to D-2 visa change works from inside Korea.

10 min read

Korean Language Programs in Korea: Study Korean for a Year at a University Institute

Thousands of students move to Korea each year just to learn Korean at a university language institute. How the terms work, what it costs, the visa you need, and where a language year can take you.

13 min read

How to Study at a Korean Language School: A Complete Beginner's Guide

Know nothing and unsure where to start? The whole path in order: self-funded or scholarship, choosing a school, the documents, the D-4 visa, and your first day. Written for a complete beginner.

11 min read

Yonsei KLI, SNU, Sogang, Ewha: How to Choose a Korean Language Institute

Yonsei, SNU, Korea, Sogang, Ewha, Hanyang: what actually differs between the famous language institutes, what each one publishes about its own program, and how to pick for your goal and budget.

11 min read

How Much Does It Cost to Study Korean in Korea? Tuition and Living Costs

Tuition per term at the famous institutes, what housing actually costs, and a realistic full-year total, so you can budget the language year before you commit to it.

10 min read