Seoul National University (SNU)

Established in 1946, Seoul National University (SNU) is the most prestigious university in Korea. Its Kwanak campus (main campus) accommodates 4 graduate schools, 11 colleges and 66 research institutes. Together with its Yeongeon campus (medical campus), SNU enrols about 20,000 undergraduate students and 11,000 graduate students each year.

School’s Main Website | International/Exchange Student Website

Various guides
 

GPA requirement:

3.0 / 4.0

Language of instruction:

Korean, English

Flying Chalks’ tip: Do note that even for classes indicated as being taught in English, professors may choose to teach in Korean instead for various reasons (own preference, cater to the English standards of Korean students etc). It is advisable to check out the classes at the start of the semester, and plan more course options as a backup plan. 

Courses:

More information on the courses offered can be found here!

Korean language courses

SNU’s Korean Language Education Center has programs of varying lengths to cater to the different needs of students with the “15-week Korean Language Program” being most popular amongst exchange students. A course in one session is equivalent to a 6-credit unit course of a regular academic program.

However, do note that credits from the Language Education Center cannot be transferred to regular, credit-based SNU classes. You are advised to check with your home universities to verify whether credits can be transferred.

For more information on Korean language courses, click here!

Restricted programs:

College of Medicine
College of Dentistry
MBA programs
Korean History major – Applications must provide proof of Korean language ability that translates to either (1) Level 5 or higher on an official Korean Language Proficiency Test or (2) Level 5 or higher on the Korean test conducted at the SNU Language Institute

Course registration process:

Registration for courses is via the Fastest-Fingers-First system on the start of the application date.

For course registration procedures and guide, click here!

Flying Chalks’ tips:

• In most Korean universities, professors have the authority to accept students into their class even though it might appear as fully enrolled on the university’s online course registration system.

In addition, professors are usually more understanding towards exchange students’ demands. Having said that, do not bet all your hopes on it!

• As Korean websites tend to require certain plug-ins not used in other parts of the world, it would be good to use Internet Explorer which supports these plug-ins. Browsers like Google Chrome or Firefox may not support the plug-ins needed for the websites to run. 

Attendance policy:

Professors usually have the authority to enforce a different attendance policy and in such cases, students should follow the professors’ guidelines.

Campus map:

Seoul National University's campus map can be found here!

Selected facilities:

POSCO Sports Centre: The centre is home to a gym, swimming pool, indoor golf, squash courts, racquetball courts, multi-purpose training rooms where Yoga and Dance classes are conducted, amongst many others.
Website (in Korean) can be found here!

Computer rooms: SNU has many computer labs that provide high-speed Internet access
For more information on the location of computer rooms, click here!

Seoul National Campus guide can be found here! 

Food on campus:

On-campus cafeterias mainly offer Korean cuisine that usually includes noodles or rice and soup with 3 to 4 side dishes. Occasionally, western food is also available.

Flying Chalks’ tip: The Hoam Faculty House has a restaurant run by a hotel that provides high quality, western-style meals!

Campus transportation:

As the SNU Gwanak Campus is not within walking distance from the Seoul National University station, the school provides free shuttle bus services for the convenience of students commuting to school:

Library Shuttle Bus Service

For students who would like to study at the library till late in the evening, there are shuttle buses that take the students from the library to two different locations:

Library – Seoul National University Station
Library – Sillim-dong (Nokdu Street)
The bus departs from the front of the Administration Building at 9:10, 9:40, 10:10, 10:40 and 11:10p.m.

Nakseongdae Shuttle Bus Service

For students residing near the Nakseongdae neighbourhood, a shuttle bus service runs during the semester on the following route:
Nakseongdae Dubumaeul Restaurant (across the Inheon Elementary School; approximately 500 metres away from Nakseongdae subway station exit 4) → SNU Dormitory → First Engineering Building (Building no. 301) → Research Institute of Advanced Materials (Building no. 131)

Orientation program:

You will first be welcomed to the school through a mandatory one-day orientation program.

Buddy program:

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Student clubs:

There are over 100 student clubs and organisations affiliated with SNU for you to choose from; everything from sports and performing arts, to that of religious clubs.

For the full list of student clubs and their respective websites, click here!

SNU International Students Association (SISA)
SISA is the one and only official student body that represents and supports international students studying in SNU by providing them with useful information relating to student life, academics etc.

Every year, SISA organizes a number of events such as the International Food Festival (IFF), International Students Sports Festival, Korean Culture Trip, Ambassadors Meeting, amongst many others. In addition, SISA also provides international students with the opportunity to volunteer in Korea!

University events:

Daedongje
Daedongje, which means “all in harmony”, is a school festival held twice a year for 3 days each in May and October. At the festival, you will be able to savour a wide variety of Korean food at the food-stands run by students, watch film presentations and even party at rock concerts!

There are 3 main neighbourhoods around SNU, namely the Seoul National University station area, Sillimdong area (aka. Nokdu Street) and Nakseongdae area.

For food:

The Seoul National University station and Sillimdong areas offer a wide variety of restaurants, dessert cafes, coffee chains, fast food restaurants, Korean BBQ and even street food!

For nightlife and entertainment:

The Sillimdong area has many bars and pubs that open till late into the night. As for students who want to go clubbing, they would usually travel out of the area.

Flying Chalks’ recommendations:
1. Hongdae is a place famed for its nightlife and entertainment. It mainly caters to the younger, hipster crowd.
2. Gangnam is another place famed for its nightlife and entertainment, which also received global recognition when Korean artiste Psy’s MV “Gangnam Style” went viral. As compared to Hongdae, it mainly caters to the working and more sophisticated crowd.

For daily necessities and groceries:

For daily necessities and groceries, you can either head to “Hi Mart” near the Seoul National University station or “Homeplus” in the Nakseongdae area indicated by the red stars on the map below. Both are hypermarkets that offer everything from your fresh fruits and vegetables, to that of electronics and kitchenware.

For shopping:

There are many skincare and cosmetics shops around the 3 different neighbourhoods. For fashion and clothing however, many students would choose to venture to other parts of Seoul. 

Flying Chalks’ recommendation:
“Express Bus Terminal” is a highly popular place amongst locals and foreigners alike for shopping. The underground shopping features hundreds of shops with products at affordable prices. Having said that, you can always bargain for better prices!
Dongdaemun is another highly popular shopping haven where you can literally shop till dawn! For serious shoppers, it is near impossible to finish the entire shopping area even in one full day :O

Travelling to Seoul National University is a little of a hassle as it is not within walking distance to any subway stations. You can take either the free SNU shuttle bus services or public buses from Seoul National University station (Subway Line 2), Nakseongdae station (Subway Line 2) or Sillim station (Subway Line 2) to get to the main campus.

For more information on getting to the main campus, click here!

Getting from Incheon airport to Seoul National University:

By Limousine Bus

The limousine bus offers a comfortable and relatively inexpensive ride to various places, including that of Seoul.  Passengers can get information about its services and ticketing at the following ticket booths located outside the airport’s Arrival floor:

Exit 4 and 9 (indoors)
Exit 4, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13, and 9C (outdoors)

Directions: Board either the limousine bus numbered 6003 or 6017 to get to SNU’s main gate and Hoam Faculty House respectively. However, do note that the dormitories are a little far from the main gate. Should you be lugging lots of luggage, you may want to take a taxi to your destination.

For more information, click here and here!

By Incheon Airport Railroad Express

The Airport Railroad can be said to be the fastest and most affordable option to get from Incheon Airport / Gimpo Airport to the heart of Seoul city.
The Express train (non-stop) allows one to get from Incheon Airport to Seoul station in just 43 minutes! Should your final desired destination not be Seoul station, you can also take the All-stop train which is slightly slower but stops at several stations in between (56 minutes to Seoul station).

Flying Chalks recommendation: This option is highly recommended for students who seek a comfortable ride and yet not want to splurge on commuting! However, do note the train timings in order not to miss it.

First train (Express): 5.20am (runs in intervals of about 30-40minutes)
First train (All-stop): 5.23am (runs in intervals of about 7-15minutes)
Last train (Express): 9.40pm
Last train (All-stop): 9.42pm; 9.57pm (train stops at Digital Media City station)

Directions: From the Arrival Hall, head down to B1 floor and follow the signs “Airport Railroad” to the station. Take the train to Hongik University station, then transfer to Line 2 Subway and head for Seoul National University station (1 stop away). From there, you can take the SNU shuttle bus service, public bus or taxi to get to the campus.

By Taxi

Taxi is by far the most convenient way of getting from the airport to the campus (especially when you have lots of luggage) but is also the most expensive. You can get a taxi outside the Arrival Hall of the airport.

Seoul National University is pronounced as “Seo-eul-dae” in Korean. The fare of a regular taxi to SNU is approximately KRW $60,000.