Hankuk University of Foreign Studies
한국외국어대학교
Korea's specialist language university, teaching 45 languages alongside politics, business, science and engineering.
- Students
- 19,648
- 17,101 undergraduates
- Tuition
- ₩8.8M
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1954
- QS World Ranking
- #620
- 2027 edition
About HUFS
Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) was founded in 1954 as a college for foreign languages, and its first students studied English, French, Chinese, German, Spanish and Russian. It now calls itself the birthplace of foreign language education in Korea and teaches 45 languages, including 21 critical foreign languages such as Swahili, Uzbek, Persian and Hungarian that the Ministry of Education supports through a national promotion programme.
Language study is the core, but HUFS asks students to use their languages to study the politics, economies and cultures of each region, and it also teaches business, law, education, natural sciences, engineering and AI. In April 2025 it had 17,101 enrolled undergraduates and 2,547 graduate students in 19 colleges and 128 majors. The Seoul Campus in Dongdaemun-gu hosts the major Western and Asian languages, social sciences, business and the English-taught Division of International Studies; the Global Campus in Yongin covers Central and Eastern European, Central Asian and African languages plus science and engineering. A third campus in Songdo opens in March 2027.
HUFS had 2,173 international degree-seeking undergraduates from 90 countries in its latest count, and three in four students take a double major or minor. It suits students who want to pair a language, often a rare one, with a second discipline and aim for careers in diplomacy, trade, media or international business.
Veritas, Pax, Creatio
“Truth, Peace, Creation” — university motto
Why students choose HUFS
You can major in languages rarely taught elsewhere, from Scandinavian, Dutch and Portuguese in Seoul to Polish, Romanian, Ukrainian and East, West or South African languages on the Global Campus.
Three in four students add a double major or minor, and exchange (6+2), study abroad (7+1), 4+4 dual degree and 7+3 bachelor's-master's tracks are built into the programme structure.
International applicants can apply with or without a TOPIK score: those who don't submit one take an interview, and new students below TOPIK 4 get a year of intensive Korean that counts as liberal arts credit.
HUFS ranks 2nd in Korea for cumulative passes of the Foreign Service Examination (2017 to 2020), reflecting its strength in diplomacy and area studies.
Admissions
International undergraduates, March 2027 (spring) and September 2027 (fall) entry
Selectivity
HUFS does not publish an admission rate for international students. Admission for applicants whose parents are both non-Korean has no fixed quota (except the College of Education, capped at 10% of its quota); candidates are scored on paper evaluation (30), language proficiency (30) and interview (40), and evaluation details are not disclosed.
Typical entry requirements
| High school completion | Completed (or will complete before admission) primary and secondary school in or outside Korea; GED, home-schooling, cyber learning and school-equivalency exams are not accepted. The applicant and both parents must be non-Korean citizens, with foreign nationality acquired before the applicant entered high school. |
|---|---|
| Korean track (all departments except International Studies) | Optional: TOPIK level 3 or above, level 3 at HUFS's Center for Korean Language and Culture or another IEQAS university, or King Sejong Institute Intermediate 1; without it, a Korean interview |
| English track (Division of International Studies) | Optional: TOEFL iBT 3.5 (new scale) or IELTS 5.5; native speakers and those with three or more years of English-medium study are exempt. TOPIK 3 is needed to graduate. |
| Transfer (2nd or 3rd year) | Freshman requirements plus a junior college degree, or at least 1 year (sophomore) or 2 years (junior) at a 4-year university with a quarter or half of the required credits |
| English language | IELTS 5.5 · TOEFL iBT 59 Only for the English-taught Division of International Studies: TOEFL iBT 3.5 on the new scale (59 or above for score reports issued before January 20, 2026) or IELTS Academic 5.5. TOEFL ITP and IELTS Indicator are not accepted. |
Deadlines
- March 2027 entry, Early Decision Non-binding PassedSeptember 11, 2026 (closed)
Applications September 1 to 11, 2026; first results October 12, online interview October 17, final results October 30, 2026.
- March 2027 entry, Regular Decision Non-binding Next deadline · In 45 daysNovember 20, 2026
Applications October 19 to November 20, 2026; first results December 14, online interview December 19, final results January 4, 2027; tuition payment January 4 to 15, 2027.
- September 2027 entry, Early Decision Non-bindingMarch 2027 (dates not yet published)
For September 2026 entry this round ran March 3 to 20, 2026.
- September 2027 entry, Regular Decision Non-bindingSpring 2027 (dates not yet published)
For September 2026 entry this round ran April 13 to May 29, 2026.
Dates for March 2027 entry come from HUFS's 2027 Spring International Undergraduate Admissions Guide. September 2027 dates had not been published as of September 29, 2026; the fall 2026 rounds ran in March and April to May 2026.
How to apply
Apply online through HUFS's international admissions site via Uway Apply and pay the KRW 158,000 application fee, then send the printed forms and original documents to the Office of International Admissions and Management by registered mail or in person: personal statement and study plan (in Korean for the Korean track, English for the English track; one study plan per chosen major), notarised and apostilled high school transcripts and graduation certificate, optional TOPIK or English score, passport copies for you and both parents, proof of family relationship, financial certification and optional sealed recommendation letters. You may choose two majors, even on different campuses; interviews are online.
What admissions looks for
- Suitability for your chosen major, judged through your personal statement and study plan.
- Learning motivation and high school achievements, including national college entrance exam scores where you have them.
- Language ability in the language of your track, which counts for 30 of 100 points.
- A strong interview, which carries the largest weight (40 points) and is compulsory if you submit no language score.
- Recommendation letters and other evidence such as awards or certificates.
Tips for applying to HUFS
- 1 Apply in Regular Decision by November 20, 2026 for March 2027 entry; Early Decision for spring has already closed.
- 2 Submit a TOPIK score if you can: TOPIK 4 exempts you from the first-year intensive Korean programme, and TOPIK 5 or 6 earns a 50% or 100% first-semester tuition scholarship.
- 3 If your two choices are in different language tracks, submit proof for both languages, or you will be interviewed in the language of the second choice.
- 4 Start apostille or consular certification of your school documents early; everything must be issued within a year of applying and arrive by the deadline.
- 5 Consider the new Songdo Campus Division of Open Majors, which offers a 50% tuition scholarship and a KRW 1.2 million per semester living allowance until you choose a major.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in KRW
Admission scholarships are awarded automatically at admission: full first-semester tuition for the top 5% (President), half for the top 10% (Vice President), KRW 1,000,000 for the top 20%, and Language Excellence scholarships of 100%, 50% or 30% of first-semester tuition for TOPIK 6, 5 or 4 (or TOEFL iBT 6.0 or IELTS 8.0 for the full award). Global Campus students with an admission score of 80 or more get 30% off tuition for four years, and Songdo Open Majors students get 50% tuition plus a living allowance. Enrolled students can win GPA scholarships of KRW 700,000 to 1,000,000.
- 100% / 50% / 30% of first-semester tuition for TOPIK 6 / 5 / 4
- Language Excellence Scholarship A / B / C
- 30% of tuition for 4 years (admission score of 80 or above)
- HUFS Global Campus Scholarship
- 50% tuition plus KRW 1.2 million per semester, up to four semesters
- Songdo Campus Scholarship (Division of Open Majors)
- KRW 158,000
- Application fee
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (spring from March, fall from September)
Division of International Studies (English track)
Taught 100% in English at the Seoul Campus, open to TOEFL or IELTS holders, with TOPIK 3 required only to graduate.
English for International Conferences and Communication (EICC)
An interpretation-focused English department that admits international freshmen and transfers.
Political Science and Diplomacy
Anchors HUFS's diplomacy pipeline; the university is 2nd in Korea for cumulative Foreign Service Examination passes (2017 to 2020).
College of National Strategic Languages
Polish, Romanian, Czech and Slovak, Hungarian, Ukrainian, Central Asian and African studies on the Global Campus, languages few universities anywhere teach.
Division of KFL (Korean as a Foreign Language)
Korean education and Korean interpretation and translation majors open only to international students.
Language & AI (College of AI Convergence)
Combines HUFS's language expertise with AI, taught at the Seoul Campus.
Research
- HUFS has 3 research centres and 27 research institutes, and is selected by the Ministry of Education for the Critical Foreign Languages Education Promotion Program covering 21 languages.
- The university runs FLEX, a foreign language proficiency examination that HUFS students with double majors must pass to graduate.
- Academic exchange agreements cover 689 universities and institutions in 102 countries (2026).
Schools & faculties
- College of English
- College of Occidental Languages
- College of Asian Languages & Cultures
- College of Chinese
- College of Japanese
- College of Social Science
- College of Business and Economics
- College of Education
- College of National Strategic Languages
- College of Natural Science
- College of Engineering
- College of AI Convergence
HUFS reports ranking 2nd in Korea for cumulative Foreign Service Examination passes (2017 to 2020) and 6th in Korea for the number of alumni who are CEOs of Korea's top 500 companies.
Student life
Most international students are based at the Seoul Campus in Imun-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, whose landmark is the colonnaded main building; others study at the Global Campus in Yongin, and from March 2027 at Songdo, which has no dormitory. With 45 languages taught and 2,173 international undergraduates from 90 countries, you hear many languages on campus. Students who need to build their Korean take a 300-hour intensive semester course designed by the Center for Korean Language and Culture, counted as liberal arts credit, and HUFS also runs an International Summer Session.
- Seoul Campus students live in Global Hall and Global Campus students in HUFS Dorm.
- Three in four students take a double major or minor.
- Exchange (6+2) and study abroad (7+1) programmes send students to partner universities in 102 countries.
- An International Student Support Center helps with visas, arrival and daily life.
Housing. Admitted Seoul Campus students can apply for Global Hall (KRW 2,502,000 for 6 months) and Global Campus students for HUFS Dorm (KRW 1,337,000 for 4 months); the Songdo Campus has no on-campus dormitory.
Location
The Seoul Campus is at 107 Imun-ro in Dongdaemun-gu, north-east Seoul, with the university's Global Hall dormitory just along the same road. The Global Campus is at Mohyeon-eup in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, outside Seoul, and the new Songdo Campus opening in March 2027 is in Songdo, an international business district with its own infrastructure for education and industry. Two-major applicants can choose majors on different campuses.
Nearest airport: Incheon International Airport (ICN); Gimpo International Airport (GMP) for domestic and regional flights
Notable alumni
- AS Ahn Sung-kiFilm actor; Vietnamese major, graduated with top honours
- KC Kim Chong-inEconomist and politician who led both the Democratic Party and the People Power Party; studied German as an undergraduate
- GY Gene YoonChairman of the sportswear company Fila; Political Science and Diplomacy graduate (1974)
- LS Lee Sung-sooFormer CEO of SM Entertainment; International Trade graduate
- MK Moon Kook-hyunFormer Yuhan-Kimberly CEO and 2007 presidential candidate; BA in English (1972)
- OS Oh Se-hoonMayor of Seoul; studied at HUFS before transferring to Korea University, where he graduated in law
- WH Woo Hye-rimSinger (Wonder Girls) and radio host; studied in the EICC department
- YS Yongcheol ShinEconomist and professor at the University of York; BA in English Literature and MA in Economics
Frequently asked questions
Do I need TOPIK to apply to HUFS?
No. Language proof is optional, but applicants without a TOPIK (level 3 or above) or English score must take an interview. TOPIK 4 or higher also exempts you from the first-year intensive Korean programme.
Does HUFS have English-taught undergraduate programmes?
Yes, the Division of International Studies on the Seoul Campus is taught 100% in English and needs TOEFL iBT 3.5 (new scale) or IELTS 5.5, or an exemption. Students must reach TOPIK 3 to graduate.
What is the HUFS application deadline for March 2027?
Regular Decision runs October 19 to November 20, 2026, with final results on January 4, 2027. Early Decision (September 1 to 11, 2026) has closed.
How much is HUFS tuition for international students?
At 2026 fall rates the first year costs about KRW 8.8 million for languages, humanities, social sciences and business and up to about KRW 11 million for engineering and AI programmes, based on two semesters.
Can international students get scholarships at HUFS?
Yes. Scholarships are decided automatically at admission, from full first-semester tuition for the top 5% of applicants to 30%, 50% or 100% off the first semester for TOPIK 4, 5 or 6. There is no separate application.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
- HUFS 2027 Spring General International Undergraduate Admissions Guide (PDF)
- HUFS Office of International Admissions and Management
- HUFS International Admission: About HUFS
- HUFS International Admission: Why HUFS
- HUFS notice: Application for 2027 Spring (Early Decision) is open
- HUFS notice: Application for 2026 Fall (Early Decision), March 3 to 20, 2026
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