Uzbekistan is NOT on the designated-country list published in the foundation's FAQ. That list is: China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, UAE, Vietnam, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, USA, Germany, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Türkiye, UK, Egypt, Morocco, South Africa. The foundation itself marks the list "tentative" and it can change between cycles, so open the FAQ page and check it before you rule yourself out.
The programme has been renamed. It is no longer the "POSCO Asia Fellowship" and is no longer Asia-only: the foundation now lists roughly 26–27 designated countries across Asia, the Americas, Europe and Africa. The live FAQ list counts to 26 while the official Spring 2026 document distributed by Seoul National University says "27 designated countries" — both figures are quoted here because the sources disagree and we could not resolve it. University notices from 2022–2025 still use the old name.
You cannot apply directly to the foundation. You must already be admitted (or nearly admitted) to a graduate programme at a partner Korean university, and that university nominates you. Admission comes first; the scholarship follows.
You cannot hold this scholarship together with the Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) — the official Spring 2026 notice states the two are incompatible.
100% for the normative length — 4 semesters (MA) / 6 (PhD)
Monthly stipend
1,000,000 ₩ per month (Spring 2026 cycle)
Settlement
1,000,000 ₩ once, on arrival
Citizenship
About 26–27 designated countries — Uzbekistan is not among them
Language
TOPIK Level 2+ is "preferred", not stated as mandatory
Apply via
Your partner Korean university nominates you — no direct application
Seats
About 20 per year foundation-wide; 19 selected in the 2026 cycle
Deadlines
🔴 Spring 2026 intake · via Seoul National University
11 Dec 2025 (SNU internal deadline); results January 2026. Other partner universities set slightly different dates. ⚠️ Not confirmed on the official site — verify before relying on it
⚪ Next cycle
Not announced yet — no official date published
Overview
The POSCO TJ Park Foundation, funded by the Korean steel group POSCO, runs this scholarship to bring international graduate students to Korea and support them as future bridges between Korea and their home countries. It funds newly admitted Master's, Doctoral and integrated Master's–Doctoral students at partner Korean universities including Seoul National University, Korea University, Yonsei, POSTECH, KAIST, Hanyang, Sungkyunkwan, Ewha and Kyung Hee. Under its old "POSCO Asia Fellowship" name it was Asia-only and STEM-only; the current Global Scholarship branding widens both the country list and the fields (humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, engineering). Roughly 20 students a year are selected across the whole foundation, so the competition is small and sharp.
Who can apply
Citizenship of one of the designated countries listed in the foundation's FAQ: China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, UAE, Vietnam, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, USA, Germany, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Türkiye, UK, Egypt, Morocco, South Africa. The list is marked "tentative" by the foundation.
Korean citizens and dual nationals holding Korean nationality are excluded.
Newly admitted (or, depending on the cycle, currently enrolled) Master's, Doctoral or integrated Master's–Doctoral student at a partner Korean university. Undergraduate study is not funded.
You must already hold, or be about to complete, a Bachelor's degree.
No entry GPA threshold is stated on the current official page. To KEEP the scholarship, the Spring 2026 document requires at least B0 (≈3.0/4.5 or 3.0/4.3) each semester.
Korean at TOPIK Level 2 or above is described as "preferred", not as a hard requirement. An older STEM-only cycle instead asked for English (TOEFL iBT 79 / IELTS 6.0 / TOEIC 750), with exemptions for graduates of universities in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the USA.
You must be recommended and nominated by the admitting Korean university.
No age limit appears in any official document we could reach — treat age as unconfirmed rather than assuming there is no limit.
What it covers
Full tuition for the normative programme length: 4 semesters for a Master's, 6 for a Doctoral or integrated programme.
A monthly stipend of 1,000,000 ₩ (Spring 2026 cycle).
A one-time settlement allowance of 1,000,000 ₩.
National Health Insurance premiums covered for the study period.
Korean language classes and cultural / industry-visit programmes run by the foundation.
Airfare is NOT mentioned in any official source we could reach. Do not plan on a flight being reimbursed.
National Health Insurance premiums during the study period
Airfare
Not mentioned in any official source — unconfirmed
Foundation budget
About 1.3 billion ₩ a year across all recipients (2024 cohort, POSCO newsroom)
How to apply — step by step
Get admitted to a partner university first Secure admission to a Master's or Doctoral programme at one of the listed partner Korean universities. Without that, there is nothing to nominate.
Submit the foundation form to your college office The foundation's application template is handed in through your college's international or graduate administration office, not sent to the foundation by you.
The college forwards your file internally Your college compiles the recommendation documents and sends them to the university's central international office by its internal deadline — 11 December 2025 at SNU for the Spring 2026 cycle.
The university nominates you to the foundation The office of international affairs reviews the files it received and nominates its candidates to the POSCO TJ Park Foundation.
Document screening, then an online interview The foundation screens documents and interviews shortlisted candidates online, typically in December–January.
Final selection is announced For the Spring 2026 cycle the results were announced in January 2026; 19 scholars were selected.
Required documents
Foundation application form The foundation's own template, submitted through your college office rather than sent in by you.
Certificate of graduate admission Proof that you are admitted to the partner university — this is the document the whole nomination rests on.
Personal statement / study plan Requested at the interview stage for shortlisted candidates — this is where the "bridge between Korea and your country" idea has to sound like your own plan, not a slogan.
Recommendation letter A sample form is provided by the foundation in some cycles; ask your department which version applies this round.
Korean or English proficiency scores(optional) Required where applicable — which test and which score depends on the cycle and the track, so confirm against the current recruitment PDF.
The full checklist is cycle-specific The list above is indicative and NOT confirmed as complete. The authoritative checklist appears only inside each cycle's official recruitment PDF, distributed by your university.
Foundation FAQ — eligible countries The list of designated countries and partner universities, marked "tentative" by the foundation. Check this page before assuming your nationality is in or out.
Foundation recruiter portal The foundation's recruitment system. It does not replace your university's nomination — you still go through your college.
Frequently asked questions
Is this still called the "POSCO Asia Fellowship"?
Not on the foundation's current official site — it is now branded "POSCO Global Scholarship in Korea". University notices from 2022–2025 still use the old PAF name, which is why both names turn up in search results.
Can Uzbek citizens apply?
Uzbekistan does not appear on the designated-country list published in the foundation's FAQ, so on the current list the answer is no. The foundation marks that list "tentative", so check the FAQ page directly before you decide — the list has already changed once when the programme stopped being Asia-only.
Can I apply directly to the foundation?
No. You must already be admitted, or nearly admitted, to a graduate programme at a partner Korean university, and the university nominates you to the foundation.
Does it fund undergraduate study?
No — Master's, Doctoral and integrated Master's–Doctoral only, per the current official page.
Can I hold it together with GKS?
No. The official Spring 2026 notice states the two are explicitly incompatible.
Is Korean required?
TOPIK Level 2 or above is described as "preferred" on the current page, not as an absolute bar. An older STEM-specific cycle asked for English test scores instead.
How much is the stipend?
1,000,000 ₩ a month in the Spring 2026 cycle, plus a one-time 1,000,000 ₩ settlement allowance, full tuition and health insurance.
When does the next round open?
Not announced. As of 17 August 2026 no Fall 2026 or Spring 2027 announcement existed on postf.org or on any partner-university notice board. Historically the main round has run around October–December for the following spring semester, but that is a pattern, not a published date — do not plan around it.