Admissions·East & Southeast Asia· 8 min read

Kyung Hee University Admission Guide for International Students

Applying to Kyung Hee University as an international student: its Seoul and Global campuses, the Medical Center cluster and College of Korean Medicine, Hotel & Tourism Management, the 100% English-taught College of International Studies, and its two campus-based Divisions of Global Admissions.

Last updated 12 July 2026

Key facts

Established: Roots in 1949; named Kyung Hee University in 1960 — verify on the official history page
Campuses: Seoul (Dongdaemun-gu) · Global (Yongin, Giheung-gu) · Gwangneung (Namyangju, mainly research/graduate)
Distinctive strengths: Medical Center cluster incl. the College of Korean Medicine; Hotel & Tourism Management; International Studies; art, design and music
International admissions: Two campus-based Divisions of Global Admissions (Seoul and Global) — apply to the one for your campus; verify officially
Health programs: Medicine / Korean Medicine / Dentistry / Pharmacy are largely Korean-medium and restricted for international entry — verify
English-taught: The College of International Studies (KIC) runs a 100% English-based program — verify the wider English-taught list
Student visa: Student (D-2) after admission — verify on official immigration sites (not immigration advice)

Kyung Hee's identity: two teaching campuses, one university

Kyung Hee University traces its roots to 1949 and took the name Kyung Hee University in 1960. It is a large private university, and its founding principle of "creating a civilized world", together with the Kyung Hee Spirit of "Scholarship and Peace", is still how it frames its own identity. What matters most for an applicant is practical: Kyung Hee is organised across two teaching campuses, and your college — not just your major — decides where you actually study.

The Seoul Campus in Dongdaemun-gu holds most of the humanities, business, natural sciences, the health-science colleges and the College of Hotel & Tourism Management. The Global Campus in Giheung-gu, Yongin (Gyeonggi Province) holds engineering, electronics and information, applied and life sciences, foreign languages and literature, art and design, and the College of International Studies. A smaller Gwangneung Campus in Namyangju is used mainly for research and specialised graduate work.

Alongside their major, undergraduates also study through Humanitas College, Kyung Hee's distinctive general-education college. Exact college placement, campus and program lists change each cycle, so confirm where your intended program sits on Kyung Hee's official pages.

Roots in 1949; named Kyung Hee University in 1960 — verify on the official history page
Seoul Campus (Dongdaemun-gu): humanities, business, health sciences, Hotel & Tourism Management
Global Campus (Yongin, Giheung-gu): engineering, sciences, foreign languages, art & design, International Studies
All undergraduates also take Humanitas College general-education courses

The health-science cluster and the College of Korean Medicine

Kyung Hee is unusual in gathering a full set of health-science colleges around its Medical Center — Medicine, Korean Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy and Nursing Science — with a stated emphasis on combining Western and traditional East Asian clinical practice. Its College of Korean Medicine is one of the oldest such schools in Korea in the secular academic and clinical field of traditional Korean medicine (한의학); this is a licensed medical discipline in Korea, not a religious subject.

For most international undergraduates this cluster is aspirational rather than a direct entry point: these professional health programs are typically taught in Korean, are highly competitive, and often have limited or restricted international-entry routes. Some graduate and research programs in East-West medical science tend to be more open to international students.

If a health-science field is your goal, do not assume an English-taught or open international seat exists — check the specific program's language of instruction, eligibility and any separate entrance requirements on the official pages before committing.

Medical Center gathers Medicine, Korean Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy and Nursing Science
College of Korean Medicine — a secular, licensed clinical discipline (한의학), not a religious subject
Professional health programs are largely Korean-medium and restricted for international entry — verify

Where international students most often apply: hospitality, international studies and the arts

Outside the health sciences, three areas draw many international applicants. The College of Hotel & Tourism Management on the Seoul Campus is one of Korea's long-standing hospitality and tourism schools, offering undergraduate and graduate study in the field.

On the Global Campus, the College of International Studies (KIC) runs what it describes as a 100% English-based program, with a Department of International Studies and a Department of Asian Studies (Global Korean Studies), plus an accelerated combined BA–MA option — so a full English-taught degree here does not require Korean-medium study. Kyung Hee's art and design and music programs add further options for creative fields.

Program names, English-taught availability and combined-degree rules change each cycle, so confirm the current offering for your target major on Kyung Hee's and KIC's official pages.

College of Hotel & Tourism Management (Seoul) — a long-standing hospitality and tourism school
College of International Studies (Global) — a 100% English-based program (International Studies; Asian / Global Korean Studies)
Art, design and music add creative-field options — verify the current English-taught list

How Kyung Hee's international admission is organised

A structural quirk worth planning around: Kyung Hee runs its international admission through two separate Divisions of Global Admissions — one for the Seoul Campus and one for the Global Campus — because the two campuses host different colleges. You generally apply to the office for the campus where your program sits, and deadlines and details can differ between them, so identify your campus first.

Undergraduate international admission usually assesses secondary-school records, language proficiency, a study plan and references, and may include an interview; eligibility typically turns on categories such as holding non-Korean citizenship or having completed schooling abroad. Graduate applicants apply to a specific department or graduate school, where research fit matters for doctoral study.

The exact eligibility categories, required documents and deadlines are precise and are revised each cycle — read the current international-admission guideline for your level and campus in full on the official site.

Two campus-based Divisions of Global Admissions (Seoul and Global) — apply to the right one for your program
Undergraduate: school records, language, study plan, references, possible interview — verify the eligibility categories
Graduate: apply to a specific department/graduate school; research fit matters for PhDs

Funding, language and the visa: use the dedicated guides

The parts of the journey that are the same across Korean universities are covered in depth elsewhere, so treat this briefly. Funding comes either through Kyung Hee's own scholarships (applied for alongside your admission) or the government's Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) University Track — see our GKS guide, and verify quotas and coverage on the official Study in Korea portal. No agent can "guarantee" a Kyung Hee place or a scholarship for a fee; treat any such promise as a scam.

Language follows the medium of instruction: English-taught programs generally accept TOEFL or IELTS, while Korean-medium programs generally require TOPIK — the full picture is in our English-taught-programs and language guides. After you are admitted, most international students need a student (D-2) visa.

This is general information, not immigration advice — verify the current admission, scholarship and visa requirements on Kyung Hee's official pages and the official Korean government sites before acting.

Funding: Kyung Hee scholarships or the GKS University Track — see the GKS guide; verify on studyinkorea.go.kr
Language: English-taught (TOEFL/IELTS) vs Korean-medium (TOPIK) — see the English-taught and language guides
Student (D-2) visa after admission — verify on official immigration sites (not immigration advice)
"Guaranteed admission or scholarship for a fee" = scam

Frequently asked questions

What is Kyung Hee University known for academically?

Kyung Hee is a large multi-faculty university, but the areas that most distinguish it are its health-science cluster around the Medical Center — including a long-established College of Korean Medicine (a secular clinical field) — its College of Hotel & Tourism Management, its English-taught College of International Studies, and its art, design and music programs. Availability and program details change each cycle, so verify the current offering on the official pages.

Can international students study Medicine or Korean Medicine at Kyung Hee?

These professional health programs (Medicine, Korean Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy) are generally taught in Korean, are highly competitive, and often have limited or restricted international-entry routes; some graduate and research programs in East-West medical science tend to be more open. Korean Medicine is a licensed, secular clinical discipline, not a religious subject. Do not assume an English-taught or open seat exists — check the specific program's language and eligibility on the official pages.

Which campus would I study on — Seoul or Global?

It depends on your college. Health sciences, business, humanities and Hotel & Tourism Management are mainly on the Seoul Campus (Dongdaemun-gu); engineering, sciences, foreign languages, art and design and the College of International Studies are on the Global Campus (Yongin, Giheung-gu). Each campus has its own Division of Global Admissions, and deadlines can differ — confirm your campus on the official pages.

Does Kyung Hee have a full degree I can take in English?

Yes — most notably the College of International Studies (KIC) on the Global Campus, which describes its program as 100% English-based (Department of International Studies, and Department of Asian Studies / Global Korean Studies), and some other programs offer English-taught options. Korean-medium degrees generally require TOPIK. The English-taught list changes each cycle, so verify it for your target major on the official pages.

Can an agent guarantee me admission or a scholarship?

No. No agent can guarantee a Kyung Hee place or a scholarship, and any "guaranteed" offer that requires a fee should be treated as a scam. Apply through the Division of Global Admissions for your campus; legitimate scholarships, including GKS, are awarded only through the official application process.

Official sources

This guide explains the process and is for guidance only. Eligibility, dates, fees and rules change every year — always confirm the current details on the official site before you act.

Verified against: Kyung Hee University — Official site (English); Kyung Hee University — About Kyung Hee / Vision (founding principle and spirit); Kyung Hee University — Admissions (English, Divisions of Global Admissions); Kyung Hee University — Undergraduate International Admission (Division of Global Admissions); Kyung Hee University — College of International Studies (KIC), English-based program; Study in Korea (Korean Government) — GKS & study information.

Last verified: 12 July 2026.