Study in South Korea from Pakistan: GKS Scholarship, Costs and Visa (2026)

Why study in South Korea?

South Korea offers a combination that few countries match: top universities, heavy government investment in research, and a scholarship that genuinely covers everything. The country pours money into science, engineering, and technology, and global companies like Samsung, Hyundai, and LG are Korean, so students in technical fields study close to where the work actually happens.

For Pakistani students, the biggest draw is the Global Korea Scholarship, known as GKS. It is one of the most complete government scholarships anywhere, and Pakistan has a steady annual quota. On top of that, Korean degrees are respected worldwide, the campuses are modern and well equipped, and student life is comfortable and safe.

Cost of living is reasonable compared with Western countries, and even self-funded study is far cheaper than the UK, US, or Australia. Add a culture that students from across the world already know through music, film, and food, and the adjustment feels less daunting than many expect.

What is the Global Korea Scholarship?

The Global Korea Scholarship is a fully funded programme run by the Korean government for international students, and it is the main reason most Pakistani students look at Korea. It funds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral study, and the package is hard to beat.

GKS covers your full tuition. It pays a monthly living stipend, gives you a settlement allowance when you arrive and a small amount when you leave, covers a round-trip airfare, and pays for medical insurance. It also includes a one-year Korean language course before your degree begins, which means you arrive, learn the language for a year at no cost, and then start your studies with a real foundation. Students who already hold a high Korean language level can sometimes skip or shorten that year.

How do you apply for GKS?

There are two tracks. The embassy track means you apply through the Korean embassy in Islamabad, and you can choose up to three universities. The university track means you apply directly to one Korean university that handles GKS applications. Each track has its own quota and slightly different rules, so you pick the one that fits your profile.

Applications usually open between September and February depending on the study level, with master’s and doctoral rounds often earlier than undergraduate. You submit transcripts, a personal statement, a study plan, recommendation letters, and a medical self-assessment. Strong applicants are shortlisted for interview. The personal statement and study plan are where you win or lose, so they deserve serious effort.

How much does self-funded study cost?

If you self-fund, Korea is still affordable. Tuition at public universities runs roughly 4,000 to 6,000 US dollars a year, while private universities cost more, around 6,000 to 9,000 dollars a year, and some specialised programmes are higher. Many universities offer their own partial tuition waivers to good international students, which brings the real cost down.

Living costs depend heavily on the city. In Seoul, expect around 700 to 1,000 dollars a month including rent, while smaller cities are noticeably cheaper. University dormitories are the most economical housing and are worth requesting early. Food is affordable if you eat at campus canteens and local spots, and the public transport system is cheap and excellent, so you will not need a car.

For the visa, you will need to show funds covering your first year, so plan your bank statements in advance. If you are comparing Korea with other Asian and European options, our destinations overview lets you weigh costs and outcomes together.

Which Korean universities are best?

Korea’s most famous universities are often grouped as SKY: Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University. Seoul National is the top public university and leads across most fields. Korea University and Yonsei are leading private universities, strong in business, social sciences, and engineering, with large international student communities.

For science and technology, KAIST and POSTECH are world-renowned research institutions and excellent choices for engineering, computer science, and the sciences. Sungkyunkwan University, known as SKKU, is strong and has close ties with Samsung. Hanyang University is highly regarded for engineering and has a strong record of graduate employment.

Choose by programme and by whether the course is taught in English or Korean. Many graduate programmes run fully in English, while undergraduate options in English are growing but more limited, which is another reason the GKS language year is so useful.

How do you apply for admission?

If you go through GKS, your admission and scholarship application move together along the embassy or university track. If you self-fund, you apply directly to each university’s international admissions office, usually online.

For a bachelor’s degree you need your FSc or A-Level results, English proof such as IELTS, and sometimes a Korean language certificate called TOPIK for Korean-taught programmes. For a master’s degree you need a relevant bachelor’s degree, transcripts, English proof usually around IELTS 5.5 to 6.5, a study plan, a personal statement, and recommendation letters. Research-based programmes often want you to contact a potential supervisor in advance.

What documents should you prepare?

Get these ready early: academic transcripts and certificates, your passport, English test results, a personal statement, a study plan, recommendation letters, and a medical self-assessment for GKS. Pakistani documents may need HEC attestation and apostille-style verification, which takes time, so begin the moment you decide to apply. Our counsellors can review your statement and study plan, the two documents that matter most for Korea.

How does the D-2 student visa work?

Once a Korean university admits you, you apply for the D-2 student visa at the Korean embassy in Islamabad. The D-2 is the standard degree-study visa. GKS scholars sometimes receive guidance or a visa issuance number that simplifies the process, but the basic steps are the same for everyone.

The main documents are your admission certificate, a valid passport, the visa application form, proof of funds or your scholarship award, academic records, and the visa fee. The embassy may ask for a certificate of business registration from the university and your own bank statements for self-funded students. After approval, you travel on the D-2 and register for an alien registration card after you arrive in Korea.

What slows applications down?

The usual culprits are incomplete financial proof, missing attestation on Pakistani documents, and applying too close to the intake. Korea also values consistency, so make sure your study history, gaps, and intentions line up across every document. If you have a study gap, prepare a short clear explanation. Applying early and keeping your file tidy is the most reliable way to avoid delays, and you can read more about avoiding common mistakes across our country guides.

Can you work and stay after graduation?

While studying, international students on a D-2 visa can work part-time after their first semester, within an hourly limit set by immigration, and the limit is higher during holidays. You usually need permission from your university and the immigration office first, and a basic level of Korean helps you find these jobs. GKS scholars should check that part-time work fits their scholarship rules.

After graduation, Korea offers a job-seeking visa, the D-10, which gives you time to find skilled employment. Once you have a job offer in a relevant field, you can move onto a work visa such as the E-7. Korea actively wants to keep skilled graduates in technology, engineering, and research, so the pathway from student to worker is realistic for students in those fields.

Korean work culture is demanding, and Korean language ability becomes much more important for most jobs than it is for study. The students who settle best are usually the ones who used their GKS language year well. If you want to compare long-term work options, our guides on destinations like Australia and others lay out the trade-offs.

How important is the Korean language?

For an English-taught graduate degree, you can study and graduate without fluent Korean. For daily life, part-time work, and especially for staying on to work, Korean matters a lot. This is exactly why the GKS language year is so valuable, and why even self-funded students should take Korean classes seriously from the start.