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AMA+ Scholarship offers pathway as K-Arts aims to become 'destination' for int'l students

Published: 25 Nov. 2025, 14:17

LEE TAE-HEE
[email protected]

Lee Kang-min, vice president of Planning and International Affairs at Korea National University of Arts, poses for an photo after an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily on Nov. 19. [PARK SANG-MOON]

International students with a passion for music, performing arts or theater could see Korea as a stage to achieve their dreams, but finding a full-ride scholarship in these fields is not an easy feat.

Korea National University of Arts (K-Arts) stands as one of the few institutions that has been making this happen, offering full scholarships to international students through the Art Major Asian plus (AMA+) Scholarship.

The scholarship began in 2005 as the AMA Scholarship for Asian students, expanding to become the AMA+ Scholarship in 2018 to include students from official development assistance (ODA) recipient countries. Celebrating the scholarship's 20th anniversary this year, K-Arts hopes the scholarship will continue to bring talented international students.

"When K-Arts was first founded, our goal was to ensure that talented artists won't have to study abroad because opportunities were lacking at home," said Lee Kang-min, vice president of Planning and International Affairs. "With our education system now well-established, we aim to make K-Arts into a destination for international students as well."

The school placed 19th in the QS World University Rankings by Subject for Performing Arts this year and is the highest-ranked Korean institution for the subject. Its alumni includes big names such as pianists Yunchan Lim and Son Yeol-eum, ballerino Jeon Min-chul and actors Lim Ji-yeon, Byun Yo-han and Kim Go-eun.

"We've been working on various projects to become global, but the AMA+ Scholarship has been very helpful in laying the groundwork," said Lee. "Over 250 students graduated K-Arts through the scholarship, and a huge number of them are doing meaningful work all around the world."

The scholarship is funded by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and covers round-trip airfares, full tuition, Korean language training fees and a monthly allowance of 800,000 won ($540), as well as a one-time settlement allowance of 200,000 won and medical insurance. Up to 100,000 won per month can also be offered depending on the student's Korean proficiency, and a graduation thesis grant of 1 million won is also available.

To be eligible, students and their parents need to be nationals of one of 139 ODA recipient countries, with undergraduate program applicants needing to complete secondary education and master's applicants needing a bachelor's degree or above. Students also need to satisfy the language qualifications — Korean, English or both — required by the course they are applying for.

Applications for the scholarship open once a year in spring, usually sometime between March and May. While students will officially start their studies at K-Arts in next year's spring semester, those without Topik level 5 or 6 will go through three or six months of language studies. Students with level 5 or 6 are exempt from the requirement, although they can study more if they wish.

"Students can choose between the three-month or six-month course depending on their proficiency," said Kwon Yu-won, an officer of the university's International Relations team. "Although those with Topik level 5 or 6 can be exempt from the training, if students are accepted to departments, such as art theory or architecture, that require Korean fluency, we suggest they still take the language course because it will help them learn among the Korean students."

Offering many benefits, the scholarship has fostered talented international artists.

"Squid Game" (2021-) actor Anupam Tripathi is one, as well as Him Sotithya, Cambodia's Secretary of State at the Ministry of Information. Khosbayar Altantsetseg, professor at the Mongolian State Conservatory, is also an alumnus.

“We had a Mongolian student playing the piano enroll through the scholarship around 2019, and most Mongolian students studying classical music typically go and study abroad in Russia or Europe,” said Kwon. “But when the student attended a piano competition in Japan, she heard Prof. Kim Dae-jin teaching a master class in a nearby room and felt an immediate desire to learn from him. She later became an AMA+ scholar and actually learned from Prof. Kim, and is now the youngest professor at the Mongolian State Conservatory.”

To talk more about the scholarship, Vice President Lee sat down with the Korea JoongAng Daily for an interview at the K-Arts campus in Seongbuk District, central Seoul.

Below are excerpts from the interview, edited for length and clarity.

AMA+ Scholarship alumni take a group photo during the scholarship's homecoming event held on Feb. 6 to celebrate its 20th anniversary. [KOREA NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF ARTS]

Q. What factors does K-Arts prioritize when selecting AMA+ scholars?

We don’t have specific factors that we particularly focus on, and the scholarship selection process is actually similar to how we select regular international students. But when we review applicants in our department, one thing we focus on is whether the students will be able to graduate. There unfortunately are some who fail to graduate, and in most cases, they either struggle due to language barriers or encounter challenging circumstances that make it difficult to focus on their studies. When we evaluate applicants’ capabilities, we try to see how the applicants will stand compared to their peers and whether they can continue to grow until graduation. We assess potential, but focus more on the student's potential in the upcoming four years at K-Arts.

Q. How many scholars are selected each year?

We select around 20 per year. But there isn't a set quota for the scholarship — if there are strong candidates, we take them, and if not, we may select fewer. The university headquarters receives scholarship applications, but each department reviews portfolios, candidates' art-related experience and recommendation letters to make the final decision on whether the applicants are accepted or not. From what I’ve seen, the evaluation process is quite rigorous.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Chae Hwi-young gives an award to ballerino Jeon Min-chul during Korea National University of Arts' graduation ceremony on Aug. 22. [MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM]

Q. Many departments require scholarship applicants to submit a portfolio. What advice would you give to students preparing theirs?

The portfolios that impressed me were the students who thoroughly studied about Korea, and they really want to study here. There are students who have excellent research skills, know a lot about our university, the department they want to apply for, the department's professors and even which areas the professors specialize in.

Applicants must also explain why they want to study in Korea in the study plan. Many introduce what they have learned about Korean culture and persuasively explain why studying in Korea is the right choice for them. I think it would be a good idea to include applicants' interest in Korea and Korean language in their portfolio as well.

Q. After AMA+ scholars finish their studies, how many stay in Korea to pursue further studies or work, and how many return to their home countries?

Around half stay in Korea and around half leave. One downside for us is we don't have Ph.D. programs, and there is a pending bill that could change K-Arts’ legal status and allow us to do so. Because of this, some students who want to continue their studies at K-Arts have no choice but to return home after graduation, and we have been trying our best to address the problem.

Q. As the scholarship celebrates its 20th anniversary, what long-term goals does the university have?

I believe it comes down to building K-Arts' international network. We hope to create global connections that we can reach out to for performances, exhibitions or projects. We are also a national institution, and the scholarship aligns with government efforts to invite more talented international students. We wish to take a leading role in nurturing artistic talent as Korean culture expands worldwide, and the AMA+ Scholarship will be one of our greatest assets. Talented international students won’t be lost to other countries — they will come to Korea to develop their skills, build careers and return home to make a meaningful impact.

BY LEE TAE-HEE [[email protected]]