Many people might recognize Konkuk University from its appearance in the famous K-drama Goblin, or perhaps from its notable alumni like Jin from BTS and Lee Min Ho.

To be honest, I didn’t know any of this before enrolling! So, today, I’ll share why and how I decided to apply to Konkuk University.

As a GKS Embassy Track applicant, I had the chance to choose three universities. My main criteria were a strong emphasis on research and a location in Seoul. Konkuk stood out because of its convenient location: it’s accessible by two subway lines and surrounded by shopping areas, restaurants, bars, beauty salons, and more. It even has a hospital on campus. I knew I wanted to study somewhere in the city with easy access to social spots, rather than a secluded campus in a student town. So, if having a social environment is important to you, I highly recommend checking a university’s location.

Next, I searched for the research labs in the departments I was interested in to better understand their work. You can do this by visiting the department’s homepage—ideally the Korean version—and looking for professor profiles or their work on platforms like ResearchGate or Google Scholar. Once you find potential supervisors, it's generally a good idea to email them with a thesis proposal or an outline of your research interests. I personally skipped this step since I was flexible with my research direction, but it’s an option.