KOICA and KDI School jointly run this 17-month Master of Public Policy program in Sejong, with 15 places and a required focus on trade and industrial policy. It is designed for public officials from partner countries who will apply the training to economic and social development at home.
The latest published intake found was for Fall 2025 and closed on 28 February 2025. KDI School still lists the program but marks the next deadline as TBD, so applicants must wait for a new KOICA and KDI School call.
Benefits & funding
- KOICA covers round-trip economy airfare by the shortest route and the full tuition required by the university.
- The KOICA guidebook lists a monthly allowance of KRW 999,000 while the participant is in Korea.
- Accommodation is paid at actual cost by the training institute; utilities and certain personal lodging costs are excluded.
- The guidebook lists a KRW 600,000 settlement allowance for master’s participants and a KRW 300,000 completion grant.
- National health insurance and KOICA participant insurance are covered at actual cost, subject to the program’s exclusions and deductibles.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be citizens of countries designated annually by KOICA from the OECD DAC list; the operative list is supplied through the relevant KOICA overseas office or Korean Embassy.
- Applicants must be government officials and receive an official nomination from their government.
- Applicants need the prior bachelor-level qualification required for master’s admission and must meet KDI School’s institutional criteria.
- Applicants must be in good mental and physical health and have strong spoken and written English.
- Being under 40 is a preference, not a hard age limit.
- Previous recipients of a Korean-government degree scholarship are generally ineligible, subject to the exception stated by KOICA for former bachelor’s scholarship recipients.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Eligible nationalities
Ghana · Nigeria · Rwanda · Morocco · Mozambique · Senegal · Algeria · Egypt · Uganda · Cameroon · Côte d'Ivoire · Kenya
+ 81 more
Tanzania · Tunisia · DR Congo · Gabon · Gambia · Niger · Lesotho · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mauritius · Burkina Faso · Benin · Burundi · Sierra Leone · Angola · Zambia · Central African Republic · Zimbabwe · Togo · South Sudan · Liberia · Mali · Mauritania · São Tomé and Príncipe · Comoros · South Africa · Botswana · Guatemala · Dominican Republic · Bolivia · Ecuador · El Salvador · Colombia · Paraguay · Peru · Suriname · Honduras · Jamaica · Costa Rica · Guyana · Grenada · Dominica · Belize · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Nepal · Timor-Leste · Laos · Mongolia · Bangladesh · Vietnam · Sri Lanka · India · Indonesia · Cambodia · Pakistan · Philippines · Thailand · Fiji · Nauru · Niue · Marshall Islands · Vanuatu · Samoa · Solomon Islands · Kiribati · Tonga · Tuvalu · Papua New Guinea · Palau · Azerbaijan · Uzbekistan · Ukraine · Jordan · Iraq · Kyrgyzstan · Tajikistan · Georgia · Kazakhstan · Turkmenistan
Education required
Bachelor
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Application process
- 1Confirm that the applicant’s country is designated for the cycle and secure government nomination.
- 2Read the cycle’s KOICA Application Guideline and KDI School Program Information when published.
- 3Prepare the KOICA forms and admission package, then submit them to the responsible KOICA overseas office or Korean Embassy as instructed.
- 4Complete KOICA screening, KDI School document review, the local medical check, and the institutional interview.
- 5If selected, submit authenticated originals, complete visa and vaccination steps, and undergo the final medical screening after arrival in Korea.
Program timeline
Latest published application period opened
Feb 17, 2025
Latest published application deadline
Feb 28, 2025
Document review
Mar 4, 2025 to Apr 3, 2025
Document-review result
Apr 4, 2025
Local health checks
Apr 4, 2025 to Apr 18, 2025
Interviews
Apr 21, 2025 to Apr 23, 2025
Final result announced by KOICA
Around mid-May 2025
Next cycle
Opening date and deadline not yet published