K-Arts External Affairs Division · funded by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (ODA) — Korea's full arts scholarship for students from developing countries.
CYCLE STATUS — checked 23 September 2026. The 2027 intake is past major screening (result posted 30 June 2026, 15 final candidates) and its final confirmation was due in August 2026. K-Arts states that the 2028 intake will be announced in February 2027. AMA⁺ opens one short common window in the spring of the year before entry — 5–15 May 2026 for the 2027 intake, 5–15 May 2025 for the 2026 intake, with the guideline in April — so watch the notice board from February 2027. Everything below describes the last published cycle.
The applicant AND both parents must hold citizenship of an OECD DAC ODA-recipient country — K-Arts' FAQ describes this as the "ODA 142 countries" list. This entry does not state whether any particular country is on that list, because the list is revised by the OECD: check the current DAC list of ODA recipients, and confirm with K-Arts before you spend time on an application.
AMA⁺ runs ONE common application window for every major — it is the portfolio, audition or practical exam and the required TOPIK level that differ by department, not the date. The window is short (about ten days) and falls in the spring of the year before you would start: the 2027 intake was 5–15 May 2026. Read your own department's requirements, but do not wait for a separate deadline for your major — there is not one.
A portfolio is required unless your department says otherwise, and many majors additionally require an audition or a practical exam. What exactly you must prepare is department-specific and is not the same across the six schools — get it from your major's own notice, not from a general summary.
Korean IS required at application — do not apply expecting to learn it later. Each department sets its own TOPIK level, and a King Sejong Institute completion certificate issued within the last two years may be accepted in some cases. What is NOT in doubt: K-Arts' own language test does not substitute for a TOPIK score and counts only as complementary material. Check the level your department asks for, and if your case is unusual email the K-Arts External Affairs Division at [email protected] — K-Arts asks for email-only inquiries (the listed numbers are (+82) 2-746-9073 / 9075 / 9088, but the guideline notice says not to phone).
Level
Bachelor (after high school) · Master's (after a Bachelor's)
Field
Arts only — Music, Drama, Dance, Film·TV·Multimedia, Visual Arts, Korean Traditional Arts
Tuition
Fully covered for the regular semesters
Monthly stipend
800,000 ₩ per month
Extras
Round-trip economy airfare · 6-month Korean course before entry · national health insurance
Citizenship
The applicant AND both parents must be citizens of an OECD DAC ODA-recipient country
Language
Taught in Korean; each department sets its own TOPIK level
Deadline
One common window for all majors, about ten days in early May (5–15 May 2026 for the 2027 intake) — the 2027 intake is past major screening; K-Arts says the 2028 cycle will be announced in February 2027
When it usually opens
Usual months
Guideline around April, applications around early-to-mid May
How long it stays open
Very short — about ten days (5–15 May) in each of the last two cycles. Read the guideline in April; by the time the application opens there is no time left to gather documents.
Everything is posted on the K-Arts notice board. K-Arts posts a heads-up notice in February or March saying when the guideline will come, and the rest of the cycle — document-screening result around 1 June, Korean test around 10 June, major-screening result around 30 June, final confirmation in August — runs from May to August.
A pattern from past cycles, not a date to apply by. Always check the official page before you plan around it.
Overview
AMA⁺ is a fully funded arts scholarship at Korea National University of Arts (K-Arts), financed by Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as an Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme and administered by K-Arts' own External Affairs Division — there is no separate agency behind it. It has run since 2005 and has produced over 300 alumni from around 30 countries. It funds Bachelor's degrees for high-school graduates and Master's degrees for Bachelor's holders, across K-Arts' six schools: Music, Drama, Dance, Film·TV·Multimedia, Visual Arts and Korean Traditional Arts. Which majors are actually open to AMA⁺ changes from year to year, so the list must be read from that year's guideline rather than assumed.
Who can apply
The applicant and both parents hold citizenship of an OECD DAC ODA-recipient country (K-Arts calls this the "ODA 142 countries" list).
Bachelor's applicants: a high-school diploma or 12+ years of pre-tertiary education. Master's applicants: a Bachelor's degree or an equivalent qualification.
A portfolio, unless the department states otherwise. Many majors also hold an audition or a practical exam — the requirement is set per department, not centrally.
Korean at the level your department requires. Each department sets its own TOPIK level; a King Sejong Institute (or similar institute) completion certificate issued within the last two years may be considered as an alternative in some cases.
You may apply to AMA⁺ and to K-Arts' general international admission at the same time — K-Arts treats them as two separate applications.
No age limit — K-Arts' FAQ states this directly. Minimum GPA: K-Arts does not state one on its published AMA⁺ pages, so treat it as unconfirmed and ask the External Affairs Division rather than assuming a threshold.
What it covers
Full tuition for the regular semesters of your degree.
Monthly living allowance of 800,000 ₩.
Round-trip economy-class airfare — one flight in at entrance and one out at graduation.
Up to six months of intensive Korean language training before your degree programme starts — applicants who already hold TOPIK level 5 or 6 are exempt from it.
A Korean-proficiency incentive grant of 100,000 ₩ per month for one year.
A graduation thesis or production allowance of up to 1,000,000 ₩ — for art students this is what pays for the final work itself.
National Health Insurance coverage while you study.
Financial support
Tuition
Full coverage, regular semesters
Monthly stipend
800,000 ₩ per month
Settlement
200,000 ₩, one-time on arrival
Airfare
Round-trip economy — entrance and graduation
Korean proficiency grant
100,000 ₩ per month for 12 months
Thesis · production allowance
Up to 1,000,000 ₩
Korean language training
6 months before entrance, covered
Insurance
National Health Insurance
How to apply — step by step
Wait for the guideline notice The cycle opens with an "AMA+ Scholarship Admission Guideline and Application Forms" notice on the K-Arts English notice board, usually in April. There is ONE common application window for all majors — read the guideline PDF for your major's own requirements (TOPIK level, portfolio, audition), not for a separate deadline.
Submit the online application All documents go in through the online form. In each of the last two cycles the window was 5–15 May — about ten days — so treat this stage as short and have your documents ready before it opens.
Document screening K-Arts checks eligibility and the submitted documents, then publishes a "Result of Document Screening" notice (1 June 2026 for the 2027 intake).
K-Arts' own Korean language test Applicants who pass screening sit an online Korean test set by K-Arts (around 10 June; 2027 intake: pre-test 4–5 June, test 10 June 2026). It is mandatory for every screened applicant regardless of TOPIK, and it does NOT replace TOPIK: K-Arts states that its own test will not substitute a TOPIK score and counts only as complementary material.
Major screening — portfolio, audition, interview This is where the department itself judges you: portfolio review and/or audition, sometimes with an interview. The form this takes is department-specific. K-Arts then posts a "Result of Major Screening" notice (30 June 2026 for the 2027 intake, 15 final candidates).
Final grantee announcement K-Arts publishes the list of selected AMA⁺ scholars on the same notice board.
Send original documents Selected applicants submit notarized and apostilled (or consular-authenticated) originals by post or in person. Start the apostille process early — it is the step that most often runs late.
Visa, entry and the Korean course After the visa is issued you enter Korea and begin the six-month Korean language training before the academic term starts.
Required documents
Personal statement Your background and why you make the art you make — the one place an arts committee hears your voice rather than reading a form.
Study plan What you intend to study at K-Arts and what you plan to make there.
Portfolio Required unless your department says otherwise. Your name must appear on every page, and the format and content are set by the department — follow your major's notice exactly.
Three letters of recommendation Signed within the last six months. Recommendations from government, ODA or embassy officials may earn extra evaluation points.
Diploma or certificate of expected graduation Translated, notarized and either consular-authenticated or apostilled — an untranslated or unauthenticated copy is not accepted.
Official academic transcripts Translated, notarized and authenticated, same as the diploma.
Passport copies and nationality documents Passports (or valid national ID) for you AND both parents, plus a birth certificate or family registration record. This is the document set that proves the ODA-country rule, so it is checked closely.
Language proficiency proof TOPIK or an accepted equivalent for Korean; TOEFL, IELTS or TEPS if your major requires English. What counts as accepted is decided by the department.
Medical assessment and letter of consent A personal medical assessment form, plus a consent letter allowing K-Arts to verify the information you submitted.
Awards and work experience certificates(optional) Optional supporting evidence — exhibitions, performances, prizes, professional work in your art form.
Useful guides & documents
AMA⁺ programme page (K-Arts) The official programme page — benefits, eligibility, the document list and the published cycle timeline all come from here.
K-Arts admissions FAQ Where K-Arts states the "ODA 142 countries" rule, the duplicate-application rule, "No age limit" and the portfolio format note (organise it freely — DVD, USB, CD, book, etc.). Its line about "a different application period per major" refers to general admission, not AMA⁺.
2027 AMA+ guideline and application forms (notice) (2027) The notice that opened the 2027 intake (posted 17 April 2026; application 5–15 May 2026). That cycle is closed, but this is the exact page format the 2028 guideline will appear in — K-Arts says to expect it in February 2027.
Frequently asked questions
Who can apply?
Only applicants whose own nationality and both parents' nationality are from an OECD DAC ODA-recipient country — K-Arts refers to roughly 142 ODA countries. The list is maintained by the OECD and revised periodically, so check the current DAC list before assuming you qualify.
Do all majors share one deadline?
Yes. AMA⁺ has one common online application window for all majors — 5–15 May 2026 for the 2027 intake. The K-Arts FAQ line saying "each major has a different application period" is about general admission, not AMA⁺. What differs by major is the TOPIK level and the portfolio, audition or practical exam.
Is a portfolio always required?
It is required unless the department specifies otherwise. Some majors run an audition or a practical exam instead of, or in addition to, a portfolio. Which majors do what is not published centrally — it is in each major's notice.
Is TOPIK mandatory?
The required level depends on your department: each sets its own TOPIK level, and a King Sejong Institute completion certificate issued within the last two years may be accepted as an alternative in some cases. K-Arts is clear that its own online Korean test is mandatory for every screened applicant regardless of TOPIK and does NOT substitute a TOPIK score — it counts only as complementary material. If your case is unusual, email the External Affairs Division at [email protected] (K-Arts asks for email-only inquiries).
Can I apply to AMA⁺ and to regular admission at once?
Yes. K-Arts allows a duplicate application: AMA⁺ and the general international-student admission are two separate applications and you may submit both.
What is the status of the current cycle?
The 2027 intake is closed: its application window was 5–15 May 2026 (the online system opened 5 May). Document screening (1 June), the Korean test (10 June) and major screening (result posted 30 June 2026, 15 final candidates) are all done, and final confirmation was due in August 2026. K-Arts states that the 2028 intake will be announced in February 2027.
When will the 2028 cycle open?
K-Arts states that the 2028 intake information will be announced in February 2027. In each of the last two cycles (2026 and 2027 intakes) the guideline came out in April and applications ran 5–15 May — about ten days, one common window for all majors. That is a pattern to prepare against, not a date: K-Arts can move it. Watch the K-Arts English notice board.
Is there an age limit or a minimum GPA?
Age: no — the K-Arts FAQ states "No age limit". GPA: K-Arts does not state a minimum on its published AMA⁺ pages, so this entry does not quote one. Ask the External Affairs Division by email ([email protected] — K-Arts asks for email-only inquiries; its listed numbers are (+82) 2-746-9073 / 9075 / 9088) or read the year's guideline for your major.
K-Arts FAQ — "ODA 142 countries", duplicate application allowed, "No age limit", portfolio format note (its per-major application-period line is about general admission) https://www.karts.ac.kr/en/karts/faq.do