Country & territory guide
Compare schools across South Korea.
South Korea's collections distinguish Seoul, Seongnam, Incheon, Busan and Jeju destinations, with different school-specific entry conditions and qualification routes. Start with eligibility at the named school before comparing an IB or American label. A passport, overseas history or international-school description cannot establish admission to every Korean campus in this selection.
14 included profiles · 8 destination collections · 0 dated tuition schedules
This is a selected directory, with different levels of evidence in each collection. Open the named campus profile to check its curriculum phases, review date and sources before contacting admissions.
Planning a school search in South Korea
NLCS Jeju's school-owned senior-school and results pages were available through current official indexed text; their full pages could not be retrieved during this review. Only their published IGCSE-to-Diploma sequence is used. No ranking, examination-result comparison or individual admissions eligibility is asserted from those summaries.
Resolve the school's eligibility category first
Seoul Foreign School's current application guidance sets out different documentary categories. It distinguishes one or both parents holding only a foreign passport from Korean-family cases supported by the child's overseas history, and describes additional verification where six semesters of overseas schooling do not meet the stated residency-day requirement. These are SFS application requirements, not a universal eligibility test for Korea. Send each receiving school the child's and parents' nationalities, schooling history and intended division, and request its written determination before paying an application charge. Ask separately how the school's education is recognised for the family's intended next step; an international qualification and Korean domestic academic recognition answer different questions.
Sources: Seoul Foreign School: eligibility documentation and recognition limits
Compare continuous programmes with senior transitions
Chadwick International in Incheon publishes PYP in Pre-K–Grade 5, MYP in Grades 6–10 and the Diploma in Grades 11–12. International School of Busan identifies authorisation for PYP, MYP and the Diploma. NLCS Jeju instead describes British study in Years 7–9, IGCSE beginning in Year 10, and a senior IB Diploma route. Compare the programme at the child's actual phase, not just the final award. For a transfer into examination study, provide course lists and reports and ask which completed subjects can continue. Request current language, mathematics and subject requirements; the presence of a programme does not guarantee every elective or a place in the required cohort.
Sources: Chadwick International: phase-specific IB programmes and Incheon address · International School of Busan: authorised IB programmes · NLCS Jeju: British and IGCSE senior-school sequence · NLCS Jeju: published IGCSE and Diploma graduation pathways
Choose a location and living arrangement together
The Incheon collection's Chadwick campus is distinct from Seoul schools, and Busan and the Seogwipo collection on Jeju require their own family-location decisions. The country comparison helps narrow those destinations; it is not a claim that they form one practical school run. Obtain the teaching address and daily schedule, then discuss transport, supervised activities and any boarding arrangement with the school. Ask how English support and Korean or other language study work in the offered year. Request a dated KRW quotation identifying tuition, application, enrolment, transport, meals, examinations and support. Where a school quotes another currency as well, keep the payment terms explicit rather than substituting an assumed conversion.
Sources: Chadwick International: phase-specific IB programmes and Incheon address · International School of Busan: authorised IB programmes · NLCS Jeju: British and IGCSE senior-school sequence
Curriculum pathways recorded across the collection
Each row combines evidence from several profiles. Its phases may be offered at different schools; it does not mean every school provides every phase. Online delivery is listed separately. Open the school profile for its exact route and eligibility.
| Route and delivery | Recorded phases across profiles | Included profiles and source examples |
|---|---|---|
| IBOn campus | Early years, Primary, Secondary, Sixth form | 10 profiles |
| AmericanOn campus | Early years, Primary, Secondary, Sixth form | 4 profiles |
| BritishOn campus | Early years, Primary, Secondary | 3 profiles |
Parent questions about South Korea schools
Can I use Seoul Foreign School's passport rules for all Korean international schools?
No. Its application page documents SFS categories and evidence requirements. Treat another campus's eligibility as unresolved until that school confirms it against the family's nationalities and schooling history. Passing a documentary eligibility check also differs from being offered a place; curriculum suitability and the school's admission decision still need confirmation.
Sources: Seoul Foreign School: eligibility documentation and recognition limits
Does an IB Diploma in Korea imply an IB middle-years pathway?
No. NLCS Jeju describes British and IGCSE study before the Diploma, while Chadwick publishes the separate MYP phase. International School of Busan also identifies all three IB programmes. Read the named programme and the joining year, then ask about subject preparation and the current intake rather than extending a senior qualification to earlier schooling.
Sources: NLCS Jeju: British and IGCSE senior-school sequence · NLCS Jeju: published IGCSE and Diploma graduation pathways · Chadwick International: phase-specific IB programmes and Incheon address · International School of Busan: authorised IB programmes
Start with a destination collection
The following collections have the most included profiles. Counts describe directory coverage, rather than local market size or school quality.
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