South Korea: Seoul

In cooperation with IES Abroad, Lewis & Clark offers this program at Yonsei University or Korea University in Seoul. Students live in apartments close to their university.

This program features Korean language courses as well as extensive course offerings in English. The program also includes visits to places of cultural and historical significance in Seoul and around South Korea. Students have the opportunity to get involved in the community by volunteering at local organizations, joining a student club on campus, or becoming a conversation partner.

Situated on the Han River, densely populated Seoul is the capital and largest city in South Korea. This vibrant business and financial hub and cultural center is home to more than 100 museums, numerous religious monuments, parks and surrounding mountains, markets, festivals, sports teams, and tourist attractions including the Gyeongbok and Changdeok palaces.

Yonsei University is the most prestigious private institution of higher education in Korea. Founded in 1885, the school has 18 graduate schools, 21 colleges, and a student population of over 30,000, including more than 1,000 students from 20 countries. The university is located less than 20 minutes from downtown Seoul on a large sprawling campus that is hilly and forested.

Korea University (KU), established in 1905, is well-regarded internationally with excellent rankings and a wide variety of open and available coursework across many majors. As one of the prestigious “SKY” Universities, along with Yonsei University and Seoul National University, KU offers a top-notch education for domestic and international students alike. KU has nearly 37,000 students and over 5,000 academic staff members

Onsite Staff: The Center Director of IES South Korea is Kyuseok “KS” Kim, who leads the Center’s operations and strategic initiatives to support a growing cohort of international students in South Korea.

Prior to joining IES Abroad, KS served as a Project Manager at UWAY Co., Ltd., where he managed strategic projects in the educational technology sector, focusing on enhancing the company’s impact and sustainability. He also held several key roles at the State University of New York’s campus in Korea, where he was responsible for admissions, external relations, strategic planning, and managing partnerships.

KS has a strong academic background and is currently a PhD candidate in Educational Administration and Higher Education at Korea University. His research focuses on global higher education trends, and he has published and presented extensively on international student mobility. As a Fulbright Scholar in the International Education Administrator Program, KS has developed a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities within the global higher education landscape.

KS’s unique blend of professional experience and scholarly expertise makes him a valuable asset to IES Abroad, where he is dedicated to providing high-quality international education and fostering cross-cultural understanding in one of Asia’s most dynamic cities.

Please note that graduating second-semester seniors are not eligible to participate in this program. 

Requirements Fulfilled:

General Education - This program fulfills the Global Perspectives general education requirement for students who successfully complete 8 or more semester credits.

Major Requirements: This program fulfills the overseas study recommendation for the Asian Studies minor.

Credits: Credits earned varies based on courses completed. Students may earn up to 19 credits. Overloads are not permitted.

Curriculum: 

In addition to an optional intensive Korean language class, students have access to a host of elective courses through direct enrollment at Yonsei University or Korea University. Courses are offered in a wide range of subjects in the sciences, humanities, social sciences and the arts. All courses are taught by Yonsei University or Korea University faculty. A sampling of the courses and course descriptions are available on the IES Seoul program page under the Academics tab.

Students are encouraged to join university clubs, and a number of excursions are built into the program. In addition, special lectures and cultural activities are woven into the program throughout the semester, including visits to Korean organizations, museums, temples, and historic sites.

Volunteer placements are encouraged and can be organized by IES. Past volunteers have worked in farms, with orphans, and with children with developmental disabilities to help them gain skills to integrate into society. Students have also taught English to North Korean refugee students.

Excursions: A number of excursions are built into the program, including visits to the DMZ, Jeonju Hanok Village, and Seoraksan National Park and Gangneung. In addition, special lectures and cultural activities are woven into the program throughout the semester, including visits to Korean organizations, museums, temples, and historic sites.

Housing: During their semester in Seoul, students live in studio apartments that are conveniently located near public transportation for daily commutes to campus. Each apartment includes a kitchen.

Volunteering: Volunteer placements are encouraged and can be organized by IES. Past volunteers have worked with North Korean refugees, on a farm, and with the homeless community. Volunteering is a great way for students to get involved and be more connected to the host community.

Student Clubs: Students have the opportunity to join regular Yonsei and Korea University student clubs, which cater to a variety of interests, and many clubs are open to international students. The themes of these clubs range from music and dance to hiking, sports, and community service. Joining a club is a great way to get involved on campus and meet local students outside of the academic realm.

“Seoul is a great location for art majors! As an art major, I felt that Seoul was a great place to learn more about the Asian art world and Korean art, both contemporary and ancient.”

“Take a language course or learn a bit of the language before going on the program”

“I wish I’d known how the classes work here. IES requires students to take five courses, and the exams are worth most of the grade.”

“Korean is a difficult language to learn, so give yourself some time to get better at it.”

2026-2027 Fee Breakdown*

Total Fee (includes Tuition, Program Fee, and Health & Wellness Fee): $44,791

Tuition: $35,329

Program Fee: $9,425

Health & Wellness Fee: $37**

Included in the program fee are room/housing, board/meals, and administrative fees. Not included are airfare, passport and visa expenses, primary insurance coverage, photographs, books, immunizations, and incidentals. 

*Fees are updated every February for the following academic year.

**The Health & Wellness Fee supports the operations of Wellness Services staff in delivering pre-program orientation services, as well as in providing health-related consultation regarding participant health needs. All students in the College of Arts and Sciences pay a mandatory fee of $37 per semester.

Stipend: Students will receive a stipend to cover the cost of meals and transportation costs not covered by the program fee.

Estimated Airfare (Round Trip PDX to ICN): $1,000 - $2,000

Estimated Travel Document Fees: $75 - 100

Estimated Health Insurance Fee: $1,906

All students participating in overseas programs are automatically enrolled in iNext, a supplemental travel insurance program. The fee for iNext is covered in the program cost. However, students are also required to have comprehensive health insurance during their time abroad. All students participating in overseas programs, both abroad and domestic, are automatically enrolled in the College’s student health insurance program. Similar to a regular semester on-campus, students participating in overseas programs may waive enrollment in the student health insurance program if they have other comprehensive health insurance (e.g., through a parent, guardian or employer) that 1) provides coverage for them in the geographic region in which they will be studying and 2) includes mental health benefits. Find more information regarding health insurance & overseas programs.

Physical Requirements:

Before applying to this program, you should assess and determine if you are physically and/or emotionally able to participate in the following physical demands required by some of this program’s activities:

• Walking or hiking up to 5 miles in a day, sometimes for two or more days in a row, sometimes on hilly, uneven, or cobbled terrain
• Climbing and descending stairs
• Using public transportation, including sometimes crowded buses or trains
• Navigating crowded streets and sidewalks
• Standing for long periods during tours and site visits
• Entering into older buildings with narrow and sometimes steep staircases, at times with limited or no access to elevators
• The possibility of warm/hot temperatures while residing in locations without air conditioning, and/or cold temperatures while residing in locations with a comfort for lower indoor temperatures
• The possibility of long, busy days with little downtime and infrequent days off from program activities

If you have questions or are concerned about these or any other program activities, please contact the Lewis & Clark College Overseas & Off-Campus Programs office (overseas@lclark.edu).

Application Process: This program has a dual application process. Students must first submit a Lewis & Clark application. Once admitted by Lewis & Clark, the students will receive instructions for submitting their secondary, or program sponsor, application, and will receive a separate notification letter from IES. Please keep a digital copy of your essays and other application materials as you may need to submit these again to IES or you will need to re-write the essays. Please note that this secondary application process can be as late as the semester preceding your scheduled participation.

Learn more about our application process.

Travel: Students usually fly into the Seoul airport (ICN). Students arriving during a pre-arranged window of time will be greeted by the Seoul staff if they inform the staff in advance. Students who are unable to meet with the resident staff at the airport will receive instructions regarding where to meet the staff approximately 30 days prior to the program arrival date.

Visa: Students will be required to apply for a visa in order to participate in this program. More information will be provided upon admission to the program.

Country-Specific Health Information: View specific health information for people traveling to South Korea.

State Department Country Information: Visit the State Department’s South Korea page.