🎓 Scholarships — South Korea

South Korea is one of the clearest scholarship destinations for MENA students because the Global Korea Scholarship publishes annual tracks, quotas, timelines and application routes. In addition to GKS, many science and technology universities offer strong tuition and stipend packages to admitted international students.

Scholarship map

Detailed guide

Global Korea Scholarship - GKS is the main route. Embassy track is powerful because it lets applicants list several universities, while university track can be better for applicants with a clear target lab or programme. Candidates should never apply to both tracks in a way that violates the annual rules.

MENA quota reading - For 2026 GKS Graduate, the official guide listed a total of 2,000 invitees. Some MENA embassy quotas were explicit, for example Egypt 7, Iran 5, Iraq 5, Jordan 4, Morocco 6, Palestine 3, Syria 4, Tunisia 6, UAE 2, Saudi Arabia 3 and Sudan 2. These numbers change annually.

KAIST - KAIST is ideal for strong STEM applicants. Scholarships are usually tied to admission and academic performance. A strong applicant should show research fit, technical skills, publications or projects and clear reasons for choosing a KAIST lab.

UST - UST connects students with Korean government research institutes. It is especially useful for applied sciences, engineering, biotechnology, environment, energy and advanced technologies. Supervisor and institute fit matter heavily.

Other universities - Korea University, Yonsei, SNU, GIST, POSTECH and KDI School can be excellent alternatives. KDI School is particularly relevant for public policy, development and economics applicants from government, NGO or international development backgrounds.

Application strategy for this country

• Decide early between embassy track and university track for GKS. The best route depends on your country quota, programme choice and whether you already have a target Korean university.
• Use the official annual GKS guide, not old blog posts, because quotas and eligible countries change every year.
• For embassy track, prepare apostilled or consular-legalised documents exactly as the embassy asks.
• For STEM university scholarships, contact potential labs with a concise email, CV and research interest before applying.
• Do not underestimate the Korean language year. It is a major part of GKS planning and can affect degree start timing.

Documents to prepare early

• Passport valid beyond the intended start date, plus scans of any second nationality if relevant.
• Bachelor or master diploma, transcripts and official grading scale. For Italy, Spain and Portugal, plan for legalisation or apostille and sworn translation if requested by the university or visa office.
• English test such as IELTS, TOEFL, PTE or Cambridge, or proof that the previous degree was taught in English when the programme accepts it.
• CV, motivation letter or statement of purpose, recommendation letters and, for PhD routes, a research proposal and supervisor match.
• Financial and family income documents when applying for need-based regional or university support, especially in Italy and some public-university routes.
• GKS forms, personal statement, study plan, recommendation letters, apostilled or consular-confirmed academic documents according to the annual guide and embassy instructions.

Official sources to verify before applying

• Study in Korea - GKS notice: https://www.studyinkorea.go.kr/ko/plan/gksNoticeRead.do?bbsId=BBSMSTR_000000000461&nttId=4420
• 2026 GKS Graduate Application Guidelines PDF: https://gksscholarship.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2026-GKS-G-Application-Guidelines-English.pdf
• KAIST admissions: https://www.kaist.ac.kr/en/html/admission/0201.html
• UST admission information: https://www.ust.ac.kr/admission_eng/sub02_03.do

This is starter guidance and changes often — always confirm on the official source before applying.