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2026–2027 fees
What it costs
Tuition is only part of it. D-4 applicants usually pay two terms up front, show a bank balance for the visa, and pay rent from the first week. Here's the full picture.
Tuition and up-front payment
| Institute | Tuition / term | Application fee | Bank balance | D-4 minimum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yonsei KLI | KRW 1,960,000 | KRW 130,000 | USD 10,000 | 2 terms; 4 terms for many countries incl. Nepal, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Mongolia, all of Africa |
| Sogang KLEC | KRW 1,860,000 (morning) | KRW 100,000 | USD 10,000 (own name) | 2 terms |
| Korea University KLC | KRW 1,800,000 | KRW 120,000 | KRW 10,000,000 | 2 terms; 4 for Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Vietnam |
| SNU LEI | KRW 1,800,000 (morning) | KRW 100,000 | KRW 10,000,000 | Not stated |
| SKKU SLI | KRW 1,780,000 (Seoul) | KRW 80,000 | KRW 10,000,000 | 2 terms |
| Ewha ELC | KRW 1,850,000 | KRW 120,000 | KRW 10,000,000 (for two terms) | 2 terms paid up front |
| Kyung Hee IIE | KRW 1,850,000 | KRW 120,000 (once) | KRW 10,000,000 | 2 terms paid up front |
| Kyungpook KLP | KRW 1,400,000 | KRW 70,000 | USD 10,000 | Not stated |
| Chungnam ILEC | KRW 1,400,000 | KRW 70,000 | KRW 8,000,000 | Not stated |
Official fees as published in Oct 2026. Most rise slightly each year; textbooks are extra.
A first year, roughly
| Item | Seoul | Daejeon / Daegu |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition, 4 terms | KRW 7.1–7.8 million | KRW 5.6 million |
| Application fee | KRW 80,000–130,000 | KRW 70,000 |
| Housing, 12 months (our estimate) | From about KRW 2.4 million (SNU twin) to 17 million (private studio) | Usually less |
| Insurance, alien registration, textbooks | Several hundred thousand KRW | Similar |
| Food, transport, phone | Your own budget | Lower than Seoul |
What this really means
Tuition rows come from official fees. Housing ranges from SNU's on-campus twin at KRW 600,000 a term to a studio at KRW 1.45 million a month (Yonsei's partner residence, 2025 price); most students in Seoul rent a room near campus. Our own rough guide for a modest life in Seoul is KRW 1–1.5 million a month on top of tuition, less outside Seoul. It's our estimate, not an official figure.
Dormitories
| Institute | On-campus or managed housing |
|---|---|
| SNU | Twin from KRW 600,000 / term; may be limited from Spring 2027 |
| Chungnam | KRW 1,400,000 / term with weekday meals, first term |
| SKKU (Suwon) | KRW 1,200,000 / term; none in Seoul |
| Korea University | KRW 1,450,000 / term, new students, one term |
| Kyung Hee | KRW 1,450,000–2,450,000 / term |
| Yonsei | KRW 1,440,000–2,320,000 / term; very limited |
The bank balance is not a fee
The balance is proof you can support yourself; it stays your money. But it must be real and stable. In our experience, money borrowed and deposited the week before, then withdrawn, invites trouble, and some institutes ask for the balance to have been held for 3 months or more.
Keep reading
How it works
Ten steps from choosing a program to your first class, and how long each takes.
Documents
What to prepare, how to certify it, and the extra papers for some countries.
Costs
Tuition, housing, the bank balance you need and what a first year really costs.
D-4 visa
Who qualifies, how to apply, part-time work, attendance and extensions.
Before you apply
The mistakes that cost students their visa or their money.
From language school to university
How a year of Korean leads into a degree, and which universities reward it.
Compare institutes
Nine university language institutes side by side, with 2027 dates and fees.
From Nepal
Consular confirmation, the NOC, and which institutes add extra rules.
From Uzbekistan
Apostille, the 3-month bank balance rule, and when you need a CCVI.
Sources and verification
Tuition, fees and dormitory prices from each institute's official pages (see institute pages), checked Oct 14, 2026. Monthly living cost is K-Admission's own estimate.
K-Admission is independent and not affiliated with any university or language institute. Rules change every term; always confirm in the institute's official guide before you apply.