Study abroad in Korea

SOUTH KOREA - Expose yourself to the world!

The South Korea Home Page is the place for students (college, high school and all others) seeking study abroad, language abroad, intern abroad, and volunteer abroad opportunities. Find South Korea study abroad programs! Review the South Korea travel guides! Find fast facts: weather, maps, culture, study abroad info! Expose yourself to the world!

CENTRE FOR THE STUDY OF SOUTH KOREA

The Centre for the Study of Korea was established in the fall of 2006 with the goal of promoting critical approaches to the research of Korea. The Centre also aims to develop pedagogical materials for teaching about Korea both in the university and to the public. The Centre welcomes participation from members of the university community as well as communities throughout the Greater Toronto Area.

The Centre for the Study of South Korea is pleased to announce the winner of the 2008 James Scarth Gale translation prize:
John Frankl (Yonsei University) for his rendering of Yi Sang's Lingering Impressions of a Mountain Village

Centre for the Study of Korea

Asian Institute

Munk Centre for International Studies

1 Devonshire Place, Room 227N

Toronto, ON Canada M5S 3K7

tel: 416.946.8996 fax: 416.946.8838

email:csk@utoronto.ca

Education overview

South Korean high school education is largely based on the Japanese system. This means it is highly exam-based with a great deal of rote-learning and less room for creativity in the classroom than many Westerners are used to. Inevitably, this has an influence on the system at undergraduate level too. However South Korean culture places a very high emphasis on education and getting into the best schools is seen as one of the most important achievements for South Koreans.

According to the British Council, there are over two million undergraduates in South Korea and over 80 per cent choose to pursue a higher education within the country. The pressure on South Korean students is therefore immense. It is perceived that the only way to get ahead, is to attend one of the top universities, known as SKY (Seoul National University, Korea University and Yonsei University). These are the big three in terms of networking and presitige (most politicians and other decision makers have attended them.) Admission to a prestigious university is considered a key achievement, however, South Korea also has a very large number of students studying overseas, predominantly in the USA, China, Japan and the UK (and at postgraduate level).

Unfortunately, South Korean universities are having trouble attracting students to all of their top university courses and even keeping them in the country, particularly since the recession of 1997, which hit South Korea hard. One positive result of this is that many more South Korean courses are now offering partnership schemes with overseas educators meaning that most undergraduate students will spend at least some of their time overseas.

Smaller and more innovative universities exist in South Korea such as Sogang University. Sogang, as well as Yonsei University, Hongik University and Ewha Womans University are all located close to each other in the same area in Seoul, leading to a very vibrant and studenty feel in this part of the city known as Sinchon.

Other top names include: Seoul National University, Korea University, South Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Pusan National University, Kyungpook National University, and a handful of private institutions such as Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), , Hanyang University, Sungkyunkwan University and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.

Pros and cons

State of the art infrastructure Interesting and varied culture, climate and geography Good transport links to Asia and the rest of the world International student accommodation Dormitories exist on many of the main campuses. Private rental is also available but there are some tricky laws and cultural points that you will need to thoroughly check out with the International Student Office before paying any money. Click here for more information, tips and advice on international student accommodation and university housing. When you get your own place in South Korea, be very aware that you may have to leave a HUGE amount of money as a deposit. This not only presents the problem of finding the money in the first place but of having hundreds of thousands of Won in cash when you leave!

English less widely spoken than in some countries Expensive country to study in Very exam-based system