Korean Studies Scholarships and Research Funding Outside Korea
Explore reviewed programmes for Korean studies or Korea-related research hosted outside Korea. Graduate study and postdoctoral research are separate paths with different qualifications. These programmes remain searchable by name in the finder and are not ordinary Korea-entry scholarships. The host country or region, residence, research topic and application call matter.
2 programmes from the published database. Application status as of 2026-10-11 (KST); source review dates are recorded individually. Past calls remain labeled by their year and deadline. A policy without dates is not treated as an open call.
Government scholarshipMaster;PhDKorean studies abroad
KF Scholarship for Graduate Studies · Korean Studies Abroad
Korea Foundation
Tuition support varies by the country and region of the university. The programme does not publish one universal award amount.
Master’s or PhD students studying Korean studies or a Korea-related research topic at a university outside Korea. Non-Korean citizens and Korean citizens with foreign permanent residency may qualify. Regional grouping follows the university’s location, not the applicant’s nationality. Natural science, medicine, engineering, MBA, law, and translation or interpretation programmes are excluded by the general programme page. Korean proficiency is preferred; no universal TOPIK minimum is stated.
Apply through the KF application portal or the route named in your regional call. The 2026–27 calls listed in the portal are closed: North America ended February 6, 2026; Europe and Japan ended April 10, 2026; the remaining regional call ended September 11, 2026. These are different calls, not one deadline for all applicants. The next call’s eligibility and dates must be checked separately.
Funding is awarded for one year. The general programme page allows master’s candidates to seek support for up to two years and doctoral candidates for up to three; further support is not automatic. Recipients must reside in their university’s country, may not hold concurrent fellowships, and must submit a completion report and later their thesis or dissertation. Annual call conditions apply.
Government scholarshipResearch;PostdoctoralKorean studies abroad
KF Fellowship for Postdoctoral Research
The Korea Foundation
Research stipend and dissertation printing/editing costs. Amount determined individually from the proposal and host region.
Korea-related postdoctoral research at an overseas university or research institution. PhD obtained within five years before the fellowship begins, or completed before the start. Applicants cannot hold a regular full-time lecturer/researcher position or higher at the start. This call excludes host institutions in North America, Europe and Japan; those regions have separate calls. Citizenship or permanent residence outside Korea is required; Korean nationals must have obtained it by August 2026. Research cannot be hosted by the PhD-awarding university. No parental citizenship requirement is stated.
Apply through the KF portal with a research proposal, CV, dissertation materials, academic transcripts, degree/residency proof and correspondence with prospective hosts. Three referees, including the doctoral supervisor, submit letters through KF. Applications closed September 11, 2026 at 18:00 KST; references closed September 16 at 18:00. Documents must be Korean or English, with notarized translations otherwise. Remain in the host country and conduct full-time research throughout the award.
One year starting in Spring or Fall 2027. Paid in installments of 50%, 40% and 10% after agreement, interim and final reports. Interim report at six months; final report within seven days of completion. Revise and publish the dissertation within three years, acknowledge KF and report progress annually for three years. Previous recipients cannot receive this fellowship again. Concurrent Korean-institution support is prohibited and may require full repayment.
The programmes in this collection record an overseas host or study location. Read each programme’s residence and host-institution conditions.
Can a master’s applicant apply for a postdoctoral fellowship?
No. Postdoctoral support requires the recorded doctoral qualification and other research conditions; it is listed separately from graduate scholarships.