Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) for Indian and South Asian Students: Tracks, Quotas, Eligibility, Stipend and Timeline

Shanthi Mohan

03/11/2026

14 min read

The Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) is the South Korean government’s own scholarship for international degree students. It pays tuition, a year of Korean language training, economy airfare and a yearly allowance, and it runs two separate programmes: GKS-U for bachelor’s and associate degrees, and GKS-G for master’s, PhD and research programmes. Every place is set by a quota, and the quota is different for each country.

This guide is for students in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. It covers the embassy and university tracks, the places each of the five countries gets, who is eligible, what GKS pays, the documents and the timeline, and the TOPIK and language-year rules. Every figure comes from the official application guidelines published by Korea’s National Institute for International Education (NIIED) on Study in Korea: the 2027 GKS-U guidelines (September 2026) and the 2026 GKS-G guidelines (February 2026). We read both on 2 November 2026.

One date matters before anything else. As of 2 November 2026, NIIED has not yet published the 2027 GKS-G (graduate) guidelines. The graduate figures below are from the 2026 cycle, and we have labelled them that way. Expect the 2027 numbers and dates to change.

What is the Global Korea Scholarship (GKS)?

GKS is run by NIIED, an agency of South Korea’s Ministry of Education. The government brought its scholarship programmes together under the GKS name in 2010. A GKS degree scholarship normally starts with one year of Korean language training, followed by the degree, at the same Korean university.

Source: NIIED, 2027 GKS-U Application Guidelines (September 2026) and 2026 GKS-G Application Guidelines (February 2026), Study in Korea GKS notices. Checked 2 November 2026.

Only programmes listed in the “University Information” file attached to each GKS notice are open. Night-school, short-term, online and distance programmes are excluded.

Which GKS cycle is open right now?

The two programmes run on opposite halves of the year. Undergraduate applications open in September; graduate applications open in February.

Source: NIIED 2027 GKS-U and 2026 GKS-G Application Guidelines; GKS notice board, Study in Korea. Checked 2 November 2026.

If you are planning a master’s or PhD, the next window to aim for is the 2027 GKS-G cycle. Study in Korea’s GKS page describes the graduate pattern as an announcement in February, applications in February and March, review from April to June and final results in June. NIIED has not confirmed the 2027 dates, so treat February 2027 as an expectation, not a deadline.

What does the GKS scholarship pay?

GKS pays four things: airfare, Korean language training fees, tuition and a yearly allowance. The amounts are set in Korean won (KRW) in the guidelines, and NIIED says they may change.

Source: NIIED 2027 GKS-U Application Guidelines, section VII, and 2026 GKS-G Application Guidelines, section 9. The guidelines state yearly amounts; the monthly figures are the yearly amount divided by 12. Checked 2 November 2026.

• The allowance is all-inclusive. For GKS-U, NIIED says it covers living costs, accommodation, health insurance, Korean proficiency grants, the TOPIK fee, the settlement allowance and degree completion grants. You pay your own rent out of it.
• Airfare has limits. It is not paid if you already live in Korea when results are announced, or if you fly in from a country other than your own. Domestic travel and travel insurance are not covered.
• Leaving early costs money. A scholar who withdraws within the first three months after enrolling must repay everything received since selection.

We show the amounts in won only, as the guidelines do. Check the current exchange rate on the day you plan your budget.

Embassy track or university track: what is the difference?

You can reach GKS by two routes, and you may only use one per cycle.

NIIED’s guidelines are blunt about one risk on the embassy track. Passing NIIED’s round does not guarantee a university place. Applicants who picked only highly competitive universities can be rejected by all three in the final round. The 2026 GKS-G guidelines record 52 such candidates in 2020, 53 in 2021, 57 in 2022, 52 in 2023 and 86 in 2024.

R-GKS places are reserved for regional (Type B) universities. On the GKS-U embassy track, R-GKS applicants can choose only Type B universities. On the GKS-G university track, R-GKS is a separate programme at Type B universities.

How many GKS places do India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan get?

These are NIIED’s published country quotas. The undergraduate figures are the 2027 cycle. The graduate figures are the 2026 cycle, because the 2027 graduate quotas are not out yet.

Source: NIIED 2027 GKS-U Application Guidelines, section I.3 (embassy track quota table), and 2026 GKS-G Application Guidelines, section 3 (embassy track General and university track General/R-GKS tables). Checked 2 November 2026.

Two more routes sit outside these country numbers. On GKS-U, the UIC (University Industry Cooperation) programme (100 places in science and engineering at 13 institutions) is open to applicants from every country, and the 30 associate degree places are selected separately on the university track. On GKS-G, the R&D (403 places) and Global Network (80 places) programmes are selected by the universities under their own rules, and NIIED lists R&D as open to all countries. The 2026 GKS-G guidelines also say that if a country does not fill its places, candidates from other countries may take them.

What changes for each country?

The rules, benefits and forms are the same for everyone. What differs is the number of places, which embassy runs the first round and how competitive each route is.

India

India has the largest graduate quota of the five: 26 embassy places and 47 university-track places in the 2026 GKS-G cycle, with 42 of the 47 under R-GKS at regional universities. On the undergraduate side there are only 4 embassy places in 2027. The Korean embassy in New Delhi runs the embassy round. Its 2027 GKS-U notice (11 September 2026) said applications were online only, with offline submission not accepted, and that later announcements would appear on the embassy and Korean Education Centre India websites.

Nepal

Nepal has 2 embassy places for 2027 GKS-U, and in 2026 GKS-G had 4 embassy places and 6 university-track places. The Korean embassy in Nepal runs the embassy round. The quota is small next to the demand: Study in Korea’s statistics count 12,784 Nepali students in Korea in 2025, the fifth-largest group. Plan an admission and funding route that does not depend on GKS alongside your application.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh has 3 embassy places for 2027 GKS-U. In 2026 GKS-G it had 7 embassy places and 20 university-track places, 17 of them R-GKS. The Korean embassy in Bangladesh runs the embassy round.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has 2 embassy places for 2027 GKS-U. In 2026 GKS-G it had 7 embassy places and 10 university-track places. The Korean embassy in Sri Lanka runs the embassy round.

Pakistan

Pakistan has 3 embassy places for 2027 GKS-U. In 2026 GKS-G it had 8 embassy places and 17 university-track places, 15 of them R-GKS. The Korean embassy in Pakistan runs the embassy round.

For all five, the embassy contacts are listed in the appendix of each year’s guidelines. Always read your own embassy’s GKS notice too: embassies set their own first-round documents and interview arrangements.

Who is eligible for GKS?

Source: NIIED 2027 GKS-U Application Guidelines, section II, and 2026 GKS-G Application Guidelines, section 4. Checked 2 November 2026.

If your marks are on a scale NIIED does not list, you need a converted transcript that your school or university has officially authenticated. NIIED accepts a conversion printed from a site such as WES or Scholaro only when the institution confirms it. The 2026 GKS-G FAQ adds that a provisional degree certificate is not accepted as proof of graduation, which matters if your university takes months to issue the final one.

What documents does a GKS application need?

The forms are NIIED’s own, numbered and attached to each year’s guidelines. In outline:

• Forms you complete: application form, personal statement, study plan, one letter of recommendation (dated within a year of the deadline), GKS applicant agreement, personal medical assessment and the personal-information consent. PhD and research applicants have extra forms, such as a research proposal for the research programme.
• Required certificates: proof of your and your parents’ citizenship and family relationship, graduation certificates and transcripts for each previous degree. These must be apostilled or consular-confirmed: an apostille if your country belongs to the Apostille Convention, otherwise consular confirmation from the Korean embassy.
• Optional: a TOPIK, TOEFL iBT or IELTS score report, up to five award or activity certificates (GKS-U), and a passport copy.

On the embassy track you fill in the forms and upload scans on Study in Korea. If you pass the first round, you send one set of signed originals and authenticated certificates for NIIED’s round. On the university track you follow the university’s instructions. NIIED keeps every document and returns nothing, so authenticate a certified copy if an original cannot be reissued. NIIED also advises selected scholars to prepare several authenticated graduation certificates before travelling, for the university, the visa and immigration.

How are GKS applicants selected?

Each round checks eligibility first, then competency. Selection committees look at academic record, language ability, activities, contribution to society and international exchange, potential and the completeness of the documents, through document review and an interview. The 2026 GKS-G guidelines note there is no interview in NIIED’s own round.

Language scores turn into points on a fixed scale. A TOPIK Level 5 or above earns full language points; Level 4 or TOEFL iBT 114 (old scale) or IELTS 8.0 earns 90%; Level 3, TOEFL iBT 95 or IELTS 7.0 earns 80%. No score at all still earns 50% on GKS-U. On top of that:

• GKS-U 2027: extra points for TOPIK Level 3 (3%), Level 4 (4%) and Level 5 or above (5%); 5% for science and engineering applicants; 10% for descendants of Korean War veterans.
• GKS-G 2026: 10% for TOPIK Level 3 or above; 5% for science and engineering applicants; 10% for descendants of Korean War veterans.

The undergraduate guidelines also list preferences, not extra points, for applicants from low-income families, science and engineering applicants, and overseas Koreans.

Do you need TOPIK for GKS, and what is the language year?

You do not need a TOPIK score to apply. Both guidelines make Korean and English test scores optional, although some departments set their own minimum, and a score earns points. The 2026 GKS-G FAQ adds that a medium-of-instruction letter cannot replace an English test score.

The language year is where TOPIK becomes compulsory:

• Every degree scholar takes one year of Korean language training, even if the degree is taught in English. The graduate guidelines exempt a few groups, such as research and Global Network scholars.
• You must reach at least TOPIK Level 3 within that year to move on to the degree. Some departments ask for Level 4, and failing to reach it can cost you the scholarship.
• If you already hold TOPIK Level 5 or 6 when selected, you skip the language year and start the degree directly. Reach Level 5 or 6 in the first six months, and you skip the remaining six.
• The language year is at the same university as your degree. The 2026 GKS-G FAQ names six exceptions, including KAIST and POSTECH, which send scholars to another university for the language year.

Only TOPIK sittings inside a set range count: for 2027 GKS-U, paper-based tests 96th to 109th and internet-based tests 4th to 16th.

How should you choose your universities?

On the embassy track you name up to three universities, and at least one must be a Type B (regional) university. Type A covers 28 institutions for 2027 GKS-U and 33 for 2026 GKS-G, among them Seoul National University, KAIST (graduate only), Korea University and Yonsei University. Type B is a longer list of regional universities, such as Pusan National, Kyungpook National and Chonnam National.

• Spread your risk. Three highly competitive Type A choices is how candidates end up rejected by all three in the last round.
• Check the department, not just the university. Only the departments in the University Information file are open, and the official department name must be on the form.
• Count the cost of living. NIIED points out that metropolitan universities are generally more expensive to live near, and the allowance has to cover your accommodation.
• Choose carefully. After final selection you cannot change your field of study or transfer to another university.

Our study in South Korea guide covers universities, costs and the student visa if you are still deciding where to apply.

How should you plan for the 2027 GKS graduate cycle?

If the 2027 GKS-G cycle follows the 2026 pattern, the embassy-track window will be short, about two weeks in February. The slow parts are authentication and recommendation letters, so start them now.

1. November to December 2026: shortlist departments at Type A and Type B universities, and check each department’s own language and admission requirements.
2. December 2026 to January 2027: order transcripts and degree certificates, and start the apostille or consular confirmation. Ask your recommender early.
3. When NIIED publishes the 2027 GKS-G guidelines: check your country’s quota, the dates and the University Information file, and decide between the embassy and university tracks.
4. Application window: submit on Study in Korea (embassy track) or to your one university (university track) before the deadline in KST.
5. If you miss the embassy first round: check whether a university-track deadline is still open.

Watch the GKS notice board and your embassy’s website. NIIED does not tell applicants individually about each round; results are posted there.

Are there scholarships in Korea other than GKS?

Yes. Many Korean universities run their own awards, and several research universities fund graduate students on admission. GKS places for South Asian countries are few, so it is sensible to apply for admission and for university funding at the same time. Our South Korea scholarships list covers the main awards, and the PhD scholarships in South Korea list covers doctoral funding.

GKS applications are made by you, through the Korean embassy or the university. If you want help with the degree side, choosing Korean universities and programmes that fit your profile and preparing the admission application, talk to our admissions counsellors.