Korean language courses in South Korea

Features of admission to language schools in South Korea

Korean can be studied at university centers or private schools. The second option is less popular, given that you can study in schools for no more than 3 months — embassies issue long-term visas only for university courses^[8].

University courses usually last for semesters (4 per year) and start every 3 months, but short-term programs are also available for 3-6 weeks. In order to enroll, a student must receive a complete secondary education in his home country and collect a package of documents with a certified translation. The student must be at least 17 years old.

Students can also participate in the Buddy program. You are assigned a mentor — a university student who can help you learn and practice the language, as well as get accustomed to life in Korea.

Upon completion of regular courses, you will receive a certificate confirming the language level. It can be presented instead of the TOPIK certificate when entering a university.

For enrollment, you must:

• Choose the appropriate course
• Fill out the application on the website or send it by mail
• Pay the registration fee
• Collect and send the necessary documents
• Receive confirmation of the course booking
• Pay the full cost of the course
• Receive an invitation
• Take a test upon arrival to determine the language level

Documents for enrolling in university courses:

• Passport copy
• Photograph
• Study plan explaining the need for and plans following the course
• Motivation letter with a description of past study/work experience
• Copy of previous educational documents (original and translation)
• Copy of the transcript with grades
• Bank account statement (not less than 3,000 USD)
• Medical insurance

Read the list of documents carefully, as it can vary greatly depending on the university. In addition, some centers conduct interviews with the candidate.

Private language centers have more loyal requirements — they accept students of different ages, starting from 13-14 years old, and simply require an application for enrollment.

Learning process in Korean language courses

In one semester (10 weeks), a student masters one level of the language. To complete a course and move on to the next level, a student must attend 80-90% of classes and get at least 70% on the test. Otherwise, the school may not count the program as completed and fail to issue a certificate. In this case, you will not be able to extend your visa for the next semester.

During the lessons, students work on practical language skills — speaking, reading, writing, and listening. Programs involve full immersion in the language and cultural environment: acquaintance with Korean culture is an element of the curriculum. Activities include martial arts classes, traditional music, Korean cooking classes, sightseeing, and K-pop classes.

Visa for language courses in South Korea

For short-term courses lasting up to 3 months, it is enough to apply for a type C-3 visa, which allows you to stay in the country for 90 days. The term of consideration is from 1 week.

To enroll in a university program, you need a D-4-1 visa. With it, you can study from 6 months to 2 years. It is valid only for the period of the course. Registration will take 2-4 weeks.

Required documents:

• Visa application form
• 1 photograph
• International passport
• Internal passport
• Payment receipt of the consular fee
• Invitation from a language school
• School accreditation
• Medical certificate confirming the absence of tuberculosis
• Medical insurance
• Document on previous education
• Proof of financial solvency
• Document confirming the relationship (upon presentation of the parents’ bank account)

All documents must be notarized and translated into English or Korean.

Within 90 days after arriving in South Korea, the student must acquire an alien registration card[-.

Most popular language schools in South Korea

Korean courses are offered both at universities and schools. If you are planning to seriously study the language, then it is better to look for centers at universities: it is easier to obtain a visa, and the duration of study is longer. But you can also consider private schools — they offer short-term programs and a wider choice.

SNU KLEC

The Korean Language Education Centre at Seoul National University is one of the accredited government institutions where foreigners can study Korean. More options are offered here compared to other universities, where you can only find regular and short-term programs: summer classes, smart courses, and evening lessons.

In addition, students can choose a variety of extracurricular activities: Samulnori drumming, Hanji Korean paper crafts, and Taekwondo. For an additional fee, the university provides rooms in hostels. The average cost of one semester with accommodation is 1,702 USD.

Lexis

Lexis is a language school in the two largest cities of South Korea: Seoul and Busan. In addition to standard courses, TOPIK preparation, summer camps for teenagers, individual classes, and Pathway programs are offered. During your studies, you also take classes in Korean culture: cuisine, music, cinema, and Korean etiquette.

The school cooperates with three universities: Konkuk, Hangyang, and Sejong. Thanks to this, you can enter these universities without taking the TOPIK exam: you just need to attain the required language level in the Intensive Korean 25 course. The average cost for a week of study without accommodation is 228 USD.