Dongguk University plans separate college for international undergraduates from 2028

Dongguk University in Seoul plans to open a separate college for international undergraduates in March 2028 and route all new international undergraduate entrants through it, The Korea Herald reported. The change would give those students a dedicated academic home, while the proposed intake and some admissions rules remain unsettled.

The college is provisionally called the International College. The Korea Herald reported that its six planned majors are Hallyu culture, film production, advertising, media, global business and theater and acting. Dongguk told the newspaper it selected them after analyzing demand among international students. The university is considering admitting 30 to 50 students a year in each major; that figure has not been finalized.

Who could apply to Dongguk’s new college

Why Dongguk wants a separate college

President Yoon Jae-woong told The Korea Herald that international students had become concentrated in some departments, creating difficulties when Korean and international students took classes together. He said he had considered a separate academic unit for some time and decided to pursue it after becoming president. International students currently belong to the university’s existing colleges and departments alongside Korean students.

Yoon said the new college could give international students a stronger sense of belonging, more structured academic support and clearly assigned advisers. He put Dongguk’s current international student population at about 2,500, just under 13% of its combined undergraduate and graduate enrollment. Those figures describe the existing student body, rather than the proposed college’s intake.

Dongguk has already established a Global Service Desk: its university page says the desk began in February 2026 and assists international students with matters spanning admissions preparation, residence, academic life and the period after graduation. The Korea Herald reported that the university also plans a broader system covering admission, study, employment and alumni support.

How the university plans to keep students connected

Placing international students in a separate college raises a concern that they could have less contact with Korean students. Yoon told The Korea Herald that Dongguk would expand joint mentoring and cultural programs to encourage interaction. The university already runs activities including lantern making and temple stays involving both groups, according to the report.