Korea opens state scholarships exclusively for refugees

In this unrelated photo, international students at Ajou University attend an event wearing their countries' traditional attire in November 2025. (Yonhap)

The Ministry of Education on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Ministry of Justice to establish a new selection process for state-funded scholarships exclusively for refugees.

Under the agreement, the Education Ministry will create a new track under the Global Korea Scholarship program that will allow five students recommended by the UN's refugee agency to study in Korea each year.

Applications will be reviewed by the students’ preferred universities and the National Institute for International Education, while the Justice Ministry will be responsible for determining refugee status and managing immigration and residency matters.

The Education Ministry said it will issue an official notice in February to select its first cohort of graduate students for the September semester.

Students selected for the program will receive a tuition grant, Korean language training, airfare, and a stipend.

The agreement follows South Korea’s pledge to operate a student refugee program at the UNHCR Global Refugee Forum in 2023.

“South Korea has operated a government-funded scholarship program for international students since 1967 to contribute to the global community through education,” said Vice Education Minister Choi Eun-ok.

“Through today’s agreement, we hope to contribute to strengthening a model in which Korea grows together with the world by supporting student refugees with high academic capabilities,” she added.

Kim Sae-ryo, head of the UNHCR Korea office, said support for student refugees is one of the complementary pathways to refugee protection, enabling self-reliance, capacity-building and long-term social integration.

“The agreement serves as a model example of cooperation that symbolically strengthens South Korea’s sharing of international responsibility,” Kim said.

Vice Justice Minister Lee Jin-soo (left), Vice Education Minister Choi Eun-ok (center) and UNHCR Korea Office representative Kim Sae-ryo pose for a photo on Thursday after signing the memorandum of understanding at the Seoul Government Complex in Jongno-gu, Seoul. (Ministry of Education)