Scholarships for Bangladeshi Students in South Korea 2026/2027

For a Bangladeshi student, South Korea offers something very few destinations can match: a single, clearly ruled government scholarship that pays for almost everything — tuition, flights, a year of Korean language training and a monthly allowance — and a Bangladeshi application route that runs through a real embassy in Dhaka with published places. That scholarship is the Global Korea Scholarship (GKS), administered by the National Institute for International Education (NIIED) under Korea’s Ministry of Education and published on the official Study in Korea portal. Around GKS, Korea’s universities run their own tuition and stipend schemes, and a small number of Bangladeshi students also study in Korea self-funded or on university awards. But for most Bangladeshi applicants targeting the 2026/2027 cycles, GKS is the centre of the plan, and understanding its two tracks, its strict document rules and its tiny Bangladeshi quotas is what separates a serious application from a hopeful one.

This guide is written specifically for citizens of Bangladesh. It explains how many places Bangladesh received in the most recent published GKS notices, how the Embassy Track through the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Dhaka differs from the University Track, what GKS actually pays at undergraduate and graduate level using the figures in the official guidelines, who is eligible — including the rule that you and both of your parents must hold non-Korean citizenship — and the Bangladeshi document steps, from board attestation to apostille or consular confirmation, that cause most local rejections. It also covers the main university scholarships Bangladeshi students combine with, or fall back on from, GKS, and it is honest about competition: Bangladesh’s undergraduate Embassy Track quota in the 2027 notice was just three places. Small numbers are not a reason to give up. They are a reason to apply precisely.

Use this guide alongside the wider StudyGraduate resources: compare Korea with other destinations in the study abroad section, browse the full scholarships directory, and read the companion country guide, Scholarships in South Korea for International Students 2026/2027, for the global picture. If you are comparing Bangladeshi routes country by country, our guides to scholarships for Bangladeshi students in Japan and government scholarships for Bangladeshi students sit naturally next to this one.

Scholarships in South Korea for Bangladeshi Students at a Glance

Two facts in that table deserve emphasis before anything else. First, Bangladesh is a GKS-invited country, and Bangladeshi citizens apply in their own name — there is no separate Bangladeshi government nomination for GKS in the way there is for some other scholarships in this series. Your Embassy Track application goes to the Korean Embassy in Dhaka, and your University Track application goes directly to a Korean university. Second, the quotas are small and published. In the Korean Embassy’s Bangladesh notice for the 2027 undergraduate cycle, the Embassy Track quota was three places — two in the General track and one in the R-GKS track, which favours applicants choosing universities outside the Seoul capital area. For the graduate cycle, the most recent published Bangladesh figures gave seven Embassy Track places, with additional University Track places competed for globally rather than reserved country by country. Always re-check the current notice on the Study in Korea website and the Korean Embassy in Bangladesh’s announcements, because quotas change every cycle and an old quota screenshot shared on social media is not a source.

Why South Korea Appeals to Bangladeshi Students

Korea’s appeal is practical. Its universities are strong in engineering, computer science, electronics, biotechnology, public policy and Korean studies, and its technology industry gives graduate study a clear employment context. Tuition at Korean universities is lower than in the United States, the United Kingdom or Australia even before scholarships, and GKS removes most of the remaining cost. The Korean language year built into GKS is a genuine asset: scholars who reach a high Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) level study and work in Korea on very different terms from those who stay in an English-only bubble, and NIIED pays a Korean proficiency grant of ₩100,000 per month, under the published guidelines, to scholars who achieve TOPIK level 5 or 6.

There is also a growing Bangladeshi community in Korea, including students and workers, which makes settlement, food and religious life easier than a first look at a map might suggest. None of that softens the central reality, though: GKS is one of the most competitive government scholarships in Asia relative to places, and Bangladeshi applicants compete first against each other for a handful of Embassy Track seats. The rest of this guide is about competing well.

Eligibility: Who in Bangladesh Can Apply for GKS?

GKS eligibility is rule-based and checked mechanically at the first screening. The core rules, as published by NIIED, are these. You must be a citizen of a GKS-invited country — Bangladesh qualifies — and both of your parents must also hold non-Korean citizenship; applicants or parents holding Korean citizenship, including dual citizenship involving Korea, are ineligible. For undergraduate programs you must be under 25 years of age in the applicable year (the 2027 undergraduate guidelines used a birth-date cutoff of after 1 March 2002 — confirm the equivalent date in the cycle you apply to), and for graduate programs under 40. You must have completed, or be expected to complete by the guideline deadline, the previous level of education: Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) or equivalent for bachelor’s applications, a bachelor’s degree for master’s applications, and a master’s degree for doctoral applications.

Academically, NIIED requires a cumulative record at or above 80 percent on a 100-point scale, a ranking within the top 20 percent of your class or cohort, or a CGPA at or above the published thresholds — 2.64 on a 4.0 scale, with equivalents printed for 4.3, 4.5 and 5.0 scales. For Bangladeshi applicants this is where honest conversion matters. A GPA of 5.00 in SSC or HSC is strong evidence, but NIIED and the embassy assess your whole file, and graduate applicants are judged mainly on their university CGPA converted to the percentage or 4.0 scale using a defensible method explained in your documents. Do not invent a conversion that flatters you; inconsistent conversions between your transcript, your application form and your recommender’s letter are a known screening failure.

You must be in good physical and mental health and will be required to submit a medical assessment as the process advances. Previous GKS degree scholars face restrictions on reapplying for the same or a lower level, set out in each cycle’s guidelines. Finally, the single most consequential rule for Bangladeshi applicants: you may apply through only one track in a cycle. Applying to both the Embassy Track and the University Track in the same cycle leads to disqualification from both, and NIIED cross-checks. In the graduate cycle, the Bangladesh notice has in recent years allowed candidates who fail the Embassy Track first round to then try the University Track — follow the exact wording of the current notice rather than assuming that exception applies to undergraduates or to every year.

What GKS Pays: Benefits in Detail

GKS is designed as a complete package. Tuition is covered with NIIED paying up to ₩5 million per semester directly to the university, the host university covering any amount above that cap and waiving the admission fee, so a GKS scholar does not pay tuition out of pocket. The Korean language program, normally one year at a designated language institution before the degree begins, is funded separately — the 2027 undergraduate guidelines set the language program fee at ₩5,200,000 per year. Scholars who already hold TOPIK level 5 or 6 are exempted from the language program and start the degree directly.

The living support is paid as an all-inclusive monthly allowance. Under the 2027 undergraduate guidelines, the allowance is set at ₩13,560,000 per year during the language program and ₩14,400,000 per year during the degree program — ₩1,130,000 and ₩1,200,000 per month respectively — and it now bundles living expenses, accommodation, health insurance, the Korean proficiency grant, TOPIK application fees, a settlement allowance and a degree completion grant into that single structure. Graduate guidelines apply their own rates: the 2026 graduate cycle set the degree-period allowance at ₩16,560,000 per year (₩1,380,000 per month), with research program scholars on a higher rate again. Because NIIED revises amounts between cycles, treat these as the last published figures and confirm the numbers printed in the guideline PDF for your exact cycle before you budget. Round-trip economy airfare between Bangladesh and Korea is provided at actual cost, with published exceptions: entry airfare is not provided to scholars already residing in Korea at the final announcement, scholars must travel from their own country of citizenship for airfare and visa support to apply, and domestic travel inside Bangladesh and travel insurance for the journey are not covered.

What GKS does not pay for matters too. You will need your own funds for document attestation and translation in Dhaka, passport fees, travel to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, and personal items beyond the allowance. If you withdraw within the first three months after enrolment, the guidelines require you to return the scholarship funds you received. Read that clause before you sign anything.

Embassy Track vs University Track: Choosing as a Bangladeshi Applicant

The Embassy Track is the route most Bangladeshi undergraduates know. You apply online through the Study in Korea system during the embassy window — for the 2027 undergraduate cycle in Bangladesh, 15 to 30 September 2026 — the Korean Embassy in Dhaka screens documents and interviews shortlisted candidates (the 2027 notice expected interviews in early October, conducted in English), and successful files are forwarded to NIIED for the second round before universities confirm in the third. The Embassy Track lets General applicants list up to three universities, at least one of which must be a Type B university — broadly, institutions outside the most sought-after Seoul group — while R-GKS applicants list up to two Type B universities. That rule exists to spread scholars across Korea, and ignoring it is an automatic problem: an Embassy Track form listing three Type A universities is defective on its face.

The University Track is a direct application to a single GKS university, which screens you and forwards its nominees to NIIED. It suits applicants with a precise academic target — a specific laboratory, department or industry-linked program — and graduate applicants in particular, because professors and departments are visible in the process. Its risk is concentration: one university, one decision. Bangladeshi graduate applicants should also know the specialization routes that sit inside the University Track in recent cycles, including research-oriented and R&D programs and the R-GKS route for regional universities, all defined in the annual guidelines. For a detailed comparison written for graduate applicants, see our dedicated guide to the Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) 2027 for Graduate Students, and for bachelor’s applicants the GKS 2027 undergraduate guide.

University Scholarships Beyond GKS

GKS is not the only funding in Korea, and a sensible Bangladeshi applicant builds a second lane. KAIST’s international scholarships are the best known: at undergraduate level KAIST has historically combined full tuition with a monthly stipend for international students who maintain the required academic standing, and its graduate support varies by department and assistantship. Our guide to the KAIST International Scholarship 2027 explains the current structure — verify amounts on KAIST’s own admissions pages for your intake, because they are set per cycle. Seoul National University, Yonsei University and Korea University each run international admission scholarships, typically tuition-based awards decided at or after admission, and many regional national universities offer generous tuition reductions to fill international places. These awards rarely match GKS’s full package — airfare and a funded language year are GKS features — but a 50 to 100 percent tuition waiver at a strong university can be the right outcome for a student who misses a three-place quota. Prepare for Korean costs honestly with the study tools, including cost-of-living and budget calculators, and check language expectations through the test preparation section: TOPIK is not required to apply for GKS, but any Korean you have earns bonus consideration, and English-taught programs may ask for TOEFL or IELTS evidence at university admission.

How to Apply: Step by Step for Bangladeshi Students

Step 1 — Read the current guidelines, not summaries. Download the GKS application guidelines and the university information file from the GKS notice board on studyinkorea.go.kr when your cycle opens. Every rule in this article traces back to those documents, and the current PDF wins any disagreement.

Step 2 — Choose your track deliberately. Decide Embassy or University Track before you prepare documents, because forms, university choice rules and deadlines differ. Remember the one-track rule.

Step 3 — Shortlist universities correctly. Embassy Track General applicants choose up to three universities including at least one Type B; R-GKS applicants choose up to two Type B universities; University Track applicants commit to one. Check that your exact department exists at each university in the university information file — department availability, not university fame, is what you are choosing.

Step 4 — Prepare and attest your documents early. Bangladeshi academic documents for GKS must be authenticated as the guidelines require — by apostille for countries in the Apostille Convention system as directed, or consular confirmation where instructed. In practice Bangladeshi applicants work through their education board or university, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka, and then follow the Korean Embassy’s current instruction for the final confirmation step. Start this weeks before the window opens; attestation queues in Dhaka do not respect application deadlines, and the embassy does not accept late documents.

Step 5 — Write the personal statement and study plan. These are NIIED forms with specific prompts. Answer what is asked: why Korea, why this field, what you will study, and what you will do with it, including a credible connection back to Bangladesh. Generic praise of Korea scores nothing; a study plan that names real courses, laboratories and a post-degree purpose scores well.

Step 6 — Submit online within the Bangladesh window. Embassy Track applications are submitted through the Study in Korea online system in the window the Dhaka embassy publishes (15–30 September 2026 for the 2027 undergraduate cycle; February–March windows for graduate cycles in recent years). University Track applicants submit to the university by its own deadline. No hand-delivered or mailed undergraduate applications were accepted in the Bangladesh notice — online submission is the process.

Step 7 — Attend the interview if shortlisted. Only shortlisted Embassy Track candidates are contacted. Interviews are held at the Korean Embassy in Dhaka in English in recent cycles. Answer consistently with your written file; inconsistencies between an interview answer and a study plan are noted.

Step 8 — Complete the later rounds. NIIED’s second round and the universities’ third round follow, with final results announced by NIIED (late June for graduate cycles and around December–January for undergraduate cycles in recent patterns). Selected scholars then complete medical checks, visa issuance through the Korean Embassy, and travel — arriving for the language program start, normally late February for undergraduates and late August for graduates, as the current guidelines state.

Required Documents for Bangladeshi Applicants

The exact checklist is printed in the guidelines and the embassy notice, but Bangladeshi applicants should expect: the GKS application form and personal statement; a study plan (and, for graduate research applicants, a research proposal); recommendation letters on the prescribed form, sealed as instructed; SSC and HSC certificates and transcripts for undergraduate applicants, or bachelor’s (and master’s, for PhD) certificates and transcripts for graduate applicants; proof of citizenship for you and both parents — Bangladeshi passport and birth certificates or national ID documents are used to establish the family relationship and non-Korean citizenship the rules require; and language certificates if you have them (TOPIK, IELTS or TOEFL are bonus evidence, not a substitute for grades). Every academic document must carry the authentication the guidelines demand for Bangladesh, names must match across passport, certificates and forms letter for letter, and any document not in English or Korean needs the notarized translation the guidelines specify. A mismatch between the name on an HSC certificate and a passport is common in Bangladesh and must be resolved with the board or explained through the official correction route before you apply, not in a handwritten note.

Deadlines and Timeline

These are the patterns from the most recent published cycles. The 2027/28 graduate dates and any change to the undergraduate pattern will be set by the new guidelines and the Dhaka embassy’s notice — treat the embassy notice as your deadline authority, including its stated closing time in Bangladesh time, and submit days early rather than on the final evening.

Selection Tips: How Bangladeshi Applicants Strengthen a File

With three undergraduate Embassy Track places, selection is first an exercise in not being eliminated. Files are lost on attestation defects, wrong university-type combinations, expired passports, name mismatches and missed windows far more often than on brilliance. Build a compliance pass into your process: one folder, one checklist from the actual guidelines, every document checked against it twice. Then compete on substance. Grades are the first substantive filter — the 80 percent or top-20-percent threshold is a minimum, and successful Bangladeshi files are usually well above it. After grades, the study plan is where an applicant becomes memorable: name the department’s actual strengths, connect them to a Bangladeshi development or industry need, and show a realistic path back — employment, research or further study that uses the Korean degree. TOPIK at any level, Korean cultural study, relevant Olympiads, research assistance, publications or work experience all add credible weight for graduate files. Finally, choose universities strategically: the mandatory Type B choice is not a weakness to hide but a design feature — regional national universities such as those in Busan, Daegu and Daejeon offer excellent departments with better odds than an all-Seoul list that would be invalid anyway.

Common Mistakes Bangladeshi Applicants Make

The costliest mistake is applying to both tracks in one cycle and being disqualified from both. The second is starting attestation after the window opens; board and ministry steps in Dhaka take time you will not have. Third is treating the quota as larger than it is and writing a generic application — with three places, a file that could belong to anyone belongs to no one. Fourth is converting Bangladeshi grades creatively; use the scale printed on your documents and a standard conversion, consistently, everywhere. Fifth is listing universities without checking the department list in the university information file, or breaking the Type B rule. Sixth is assuming GKS needs IELTS — it does not as a program requirement — while ignoring that a chosen English-taught department may still expect English evidence at admission. Seventh is paying an agent who promises GKS selection. No agent can allocate a Korean government quota place, the application itself is free, and StudyGraduate’s consistent advice across this program is simple: if someone guarantees you GKS, walk away.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Bangladeshi students apply for GKS without knowing Korean?

Yes. GKS includes a funded one-year Korean language program before the degree, and no TOPIK score is required to apply. TOPIK level 5 or 6 exempts you from the language year and earns the ₩100,000 monthly proficiency grant under the published guidelines, and any TOPIK level adds bonus points — but its absence does not block an application.

How many GKS places does Bangladesh get?

Quotas are published per cycle in the embassy notice. The Korean Embassy in Bangladesh’s notice for the 2027 undergraduate cycle allocated three Embassy Track places (two General, one R-GKS). The most recent published graduate figures gave Bangladesh seven Embassy Track places, with further University Track places decided globally. Always confirm the current cycle’s notice on studyinkorea.go.kr and the embassy’s announcements.

Can I apply through both the Embassy Track and the University Track?

No — not in the same cycle. Doing so disqualifies you from both, and NIIED cross-checks applications. Recent Bangladeshi graduate notices have allowed applicants who fail the Embassy Track’s first round to subsequently try the University Track; follow the exact wording of the current notice rather than assuming that applies to your level or year.

What grades do Bangladeshi applicants need for GKS?

Your cumulative record must be at or above 80 percent, within the top 20 percent of your class, or at or above the published CGPA thresholds (2.64/4.0 or the equivalents printed in the guidelines). That is a minimum, not a competitive guarantee — shortlisted Bangladeshi files are typically much stronger, especially for the undergraduate quota.

Does GKS cover flights from Bangladesh and living costs?

Yes. GKS provides round-trip economy airfare at actual cost (with the published exceptions for scholars already in Korea), tuition, the language program, and an all-inclusive monthly allowance — ₩13,560,000 per year in the language year and ₩14,400,000 per year in the degree period under the 2027 undergraduate guidelines. Confirm the rates in your cycle’s guideline PDF.

Do my Bangladeshi certificates need attestation for GKS?

Yes. Academic documents must be authenticated exactly as the guidelines and the Dhaka embassy instruct — through the apostille route where directed or consular confirmation where required, which for Bangladeshi documents involves your board or university and the Ministries of Education and Foreign Affairs in Dhaka. Start weeks early; late or unauthenticated documents are a leading cause of elimination.

Can I work part-time in Korea on GKS?

Part-time work by international students in Korea is regulated by immigration rules and, for scholarship holders, by NIIED and university conditions, including language-program restrictions and permission requirements. Do not build your budget on part-time work; if you intend to work, confirm the current rules with your university’s international office after arrival.

What if I miss the GKS quota — are there other Korean options?

Yes. University scholarships such as KAIST’s international awards and tuition waivers at Seoul National, Yonsei, Korea and regional national universities fund Bangladeshi students every year, and the GKS Exchange Program supports a semester for enrolled students nominated by a partner home university. A strong GKS file is usually a strong university application file, so the preparation is not wasted.

Sources & Verification

This article was prepared from official sources checked at the time of writing: the Study in Korea portal run by the Korean Government and NIIED, including the GKS scholarship pages and the published GKS guideline figures for the 2026 graduate and 2027 undergraduate cycles, and the application notices issued for Bangladeshi applicants by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Bangladesh as reported from those notices. Scholarship amounts, quotas and deadlines change every cycle, so confirm every figure on the official website before applying.

Disclaimer: StudyGraduate is an information portal, not an agency and not a part of the Korean Government, NIIED or any embassy. We cannot select, nominate or influence any applicant, and nothing in this article promises selection, admission or visa approval. The final authority for every rule in this guide is the current official GKS guideline and the Korean Embassy in Bangladesh’s notice for your cycle.