Mobility specification

Country:South Korea

Institution:Sungkyunkwan University

City:Seoul

Program:Partner universities

Activity type:Study

Academic year:2025/2026

MU faculty/department:Faculty of Science

Study level abroad:Master

🎓Hit the books! How do you rate the university experience?

Can you enroll in a course where you can learn the local language?yes

Does the university offer enough courses in English?they have tons

Are your credits converted?yes

Can you give an example?Conversion to ECTS is done by multiplying by 5/3. But this can also be discussed individually with the coordinator. The range of courses in English is enormous. SKKU has two campuses, so be careful which campus you enrol at so you can commute.

Was there anything in the teaching methods that surprised you?Most of the subjects were rather passive in lecture style. No active participation of students in class is expected. Koreans are quite shy, but very helpful. The quality of teaching is comparable to MUNI, but what surprised me was the (un)difficulty of the final exams. The exams were very easy. Koreans are very particular about what grade you got. You only need a minimum of knowledge to successfully complete the course.

Does the university offer international students' programs and activities outside of lectures and seminars to help them integrate more quickly?Yes, I am! The university offers many extracurricular activities including student clubs. Almost every week there was an event for international students. I definitely recommend joining one of these clubs because it is the best way to meet local students. I personally signed up for the Taekwondo club.

In which areas does the university offer support for students with special needs and strive to be inclusive?I haven’t noticed

💸Did you have to rob the bank?

Try to take a guess at what your monthly expenditures were:25000 CZK/month

Did you stay in dorms?yes

What about unexpected expenses? Did anything surprise you?No extra expenses surprised me. Perhaps only that fruit is very expensive compared to the Czech Republic. If you want to travel in Asia, prepare extra money.

Do you have any tips on how to save money?Student dorms were very cheap (about 35000 CZK for the whole semester), but you can find cheaper private accommodation. I found the food generally cheaper than in the Czech Republic, but if you want to save money you can eat very cheaply in the school canteens (they offer breakfast, lunch and dinner). Open a korean bank account when you arrive. It will make your life easier. It is quite difficult and expensive to send money from a czech account to a korean account.

🗺 Learn the ropes in a new city

How well did you manage to communicate in English?with gestures

How does public transport work in the city?runs like clockwork

And what about transport outside the city?runs like clockwork

Where to find connections? How to buy a ticket?In Korea, you can use the T-Money card (it works all over Korea). It's a card you buy at almost any store (7-Eleven...) that you load money onto at the machines in the subway. Paying on public transport with a foreign bank card is not yet available, but this feature is planned for the future in Seoul. Otherwise, I definitely recommend buying a climate card. It's a prepaid ticket that works only in Seoul, but you can ride it unlimitedly (price per month is about 800 CZK).

Did you deal with any health issues during your stay?no

🤠Help create the perfect bucket list

What is a must-see in the city?Almost everything. Seoul is a beautiful city. There's something going on 24/7. You can't explore it all in a semester. For the history buff, Seoul offers a lot of different historical palaces, temples and museums. Seoul is famous for its cafe culture. You can literally find excellent and inexpensive coffee shops on every corner. If you are interested in nightlife, bars and clubs, I recommend visiting the famous Hongdae and Itaewon districts. And if you're studying on the Suwon campus, it's about an hour's drive to Seoul.

What are the must-visit trip destinations?I would definitely recommend flying to Jeju Island, which is very popular among Koreans. It looks beautiful there. I would also recommend a trip to Busan in the south of Korea. The public transportation in Korea is one of the best in the world. There are express buses or (fast) trains between the major cities.

Share your best experience:For me, it's just Seoul. The city is beautiful. I spent most of my free time exploring the city and its sights.

💅A nugget of wisdom to make the life easier

Did you need to handle a visa?yes

Where can it be arranged?Korean Embassy in Prague (you have to go to the embassy in person and they will keep your passport for about 3 weeks, then you have to return for it in person).

What is needed?The Embassy's website (https://cze.mofa.go.kr/cz-cs/index.do) provides all the information. Be prepared for quite a lot of paperwork.

How long does it take approximately?About 3 weeks

How did you get to the place?Plane

Is there anything to watch out for before the trip?There is a direct flight to Seoul from Prague, but it is quite expensive, so I recommend a connecting flight. Incheon International Airport is about 1 hour drive from downtown Seoul. Seoul can be reached conveniently by metro from the airport (I recommend the regular metro and not the express metro, which is unnecessarily expensive).

Can you pay by card?in most places

What not to forget when packing?Don't forget your winter clothes! The temperature drops below -10 degrees during the winter. You can also bring some Czech goodies for your future korean friends, they will be happy.

🥳Summary

Whew, what a ride! 😮‍💨 Thanks so much for taking the time to complete our survey and for sharing your unique experience. Just one last thing. 🙏 How would you summarize your trip in one or two sentences?It was a blast. I met new people, places and learned a new language. Go for it too! You won't regret it.