University culture in South Korea was formed in the tumultuous social milieu of nearly four decades-long autocratic rule. University students found their identity through organizing and spearheading anti-corruption and anti-dictatorship mass protests such as the 1960 April Revolution, the 1979 Bu-Ma Democratic Protests, the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, and the 1987 June Struggle. Despite government crackdown, student activities promoting free exchange of ideas and free expression continued on university campuses in the form of student clubs. Big-character posters, historically used to publicly demonstrate opposition to military dictatorship, are a lasting tradition that can be seen on university walls to this day. Such student club culture and the activities remain the linchpin of university life.
Residential life at South Korean universities can be largely categorized into university dormitories, near-campus housing, and commuting from home. University students in South Korea are not required to live in dormitories. Dormitories are rather reserved for students who do not live within commutable distances. If the number of eligible students exceeds dorm capacity, space is allocated based on academic performance. Most university dorms in South Korea are segregated by sex and subject to curfews. A significant number of students live alone in studios near university campuses, or a communal form of housing called hasukjib, which has been featured in multiple K-dramas.
Drinking has evolved to become one of the major subcultures on university campuses in South Korea. Because Korea’s Youth Protection Act defines drinking age as January 1 of the year one turns 19 (not one’s birthday), being able to drink is a common denominator over which first-year university students form friendships. However, excessive drinking during university events has frequently resulted in the death of one or more students. In the wake of a series of alcohol-related accidents in the early 2010s, a national assemblyman proposed a bill that would ban possession of alcohol on university campuses but it never became law after having garnered both huge support and backlash from civil society.
Historical background:Universities in South Korea go as far back as 1398 ACE when Sungkyunkwan was founded as the highest educational institute of the Joseon dynasty.However, Keijō Imperial University, the predecessor of Seoul National University, established in 1924 by the Japanese Empire, marks the beginning of higher education in South Korea that agrees with the modern definition of a university. The Korean people under the Japanese rule had attempted to erect universities independently but failed to obtain official status due to the Governor-General of Chōsen’s refusal to issue permits. Despite the predicament, many colleges established independently of Japanese influence during the movement obtained official university status after Korea reclaimed independence in 1945.
During the military dictatorship between 1960 and 1987, university students stood at the forefront of anti-dictatorship protests, often organizing mass demonstrations themselves. The April Revolution in 1960 was the first successful student-led democratization movement in South Korea that ousted President Syngman Rhee, which catapulted university students to the drivers of social change. However, Park Chunghee rose to power through a military coup in the following year, declaring a new constitution and establishing the Second Republic. Park’s declaration of martial law and pushing through a constitutional amendment in 1972, which granted the president sweeping executive and legislative powers, sparked swift backlash within the student civil society. Although Park had been successful in suppressing mass demonstrations organized by university students, buoyed by the popularity in his early years, demonstrations against Park’s regime eventually began to erupt nationwide as Park’s popularity started to dwindle. While it was not the student-led mass protests that brought about the fall of President Park, it is generally believed that the student society across universities fostered an environment in which Park’s authoritarian reign could not last.
Student organizations:Arguably, the two main pillars of autonomous student organizations at any given university are the student council and student clubs. The student council represents the entire student body and engages in negotiations with university leadership. The student council has a hierarchical structure, with the general council at the top and an autonomous council within each constituent college. An event that is referred to as “student-organized” or “student-led” is by definition organized or hosted by one of these student councils, either at the university level or a college level.
Since the democratization in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the scope of club activities has pivoted from activism to a broader array of topics, including entertainment, sports, career development, religious activities, and extracurricular learning. There is a terminological distinction between entertainment-focused circles, called dong’ari (Korean: 동아리), and student clubs specifically organized to study topics that are rarely covered in regular curriculums, called hakhoe (Korean: 학회). University students in South Korea are able to meet a variety of people from different backgrounds in these extracurricular settings as club membership is not limited to a single academic department. Furthermore, registered student organizations are allocated space within university buildings to facilitate and support meetings. Club members are generally free to visit the space between classes, which often becomes the breeding ground for social relationships. Club activities have been reported to have a positive effect on university students’ overall satisfaction.
Leisure and entertainment:
Orientation:Student orientation, often pronounced oh-tee (Korean: 오티) as a loanword and also often translated to sae-teo (Korean: 새터), marks the beginning of one’s university life. Designed as a welcoming event for freshmen, student orientation serves as a place to provide information about university life and opportunity to make friends.
South Korea’s academic year starts in March, but a number of university events, including the student orientation, take place in February before the spring semester officially starts. During the orientation, upperclassmen and new students introduce themselves, exchange phone numbers, and make plans to get to know each other by having lunch together between classes, drinking in groups, or both.
Orientations span two to three days. The university’s student council usually rents a resort large enough to accommodate all students. The run of the show may vary by university. However, it can be loosely summarized as introducing the university system and campus life, and group activities with and without alcohol, which often continue overnight.
Membership Training:Membership training, at Korean universities, refers to an excursion to a nearby less urbanized town for entertainment. These trips are typically organized for members within the same college or within a student club. The term, membership training, is of an unknown origin, although there is a history of companies’ calling team-building workshops membership training, where new recruits are sent off to a remote facility to spend time together and develop a sense of membership. As membership training is not an official event and therefore does not exist on the academic calendar, there is no established time when it has to happen. However, the first flurry of student outing events happen in the spring around April, about a month after the spring semester starts.Membership training can last for any number of days from one to three, depending on the organizers and the occasion.
Festivals:When it comes to ‘Campus Romance’, we can come up with a festival. Festivals are named differently, depending on the university’s character. Mostly it means all the students get together and have fun. The festival consists of many performances, exhibitions or flea markets.In the 2000s, most university festivals consist of many celebrity performances like Psy, Dynamic Duo, and IU. There are also a lot of bars set up by the students themselves. Not only the school’s students but all university students in Korea can participate in and enjoy the festival. At night, some universities invite a club DJ and hold a DJ party.Normally, the university festivals are held in May for 3 days with many fantastic and enjoyable events.There are department-level festivals organized, separately organized by the corresponding department’s student council. These festivals usually take place in the spring, and include an array of events such as student-run makeshift pubs set up as booths in an open area on campus, quiz games, and photo exhibitions.Student dormitories also host student festivals. Gwanaksa, the Seoul National University dormitory, hosts the Hanul Festival at the beginning of each fall semester.
University Students Learning English:Korea and other Asian countries teach English from a young age with the exception of the English ban in 2018 for first and second graders,by the time Korean students graduate high school and are on their way to Universities, Korean students have a vocabulary of about 3,000+ words. In Korean Higher education, English is sometimes a required subject, and many schools require a level of English proficiency or high TOEFL scores for graduation.Korean students looking at the future and jobs outside of universities, proficiency in English in Korea has a high impact on employment, with two-thirds of Koreans proficient in English saying language skills opened up more employment opportunities.Although, currently, Korea is Ranked 37 out of 112 countries in English proficiency according to Education First; Data from the average TOEFL test score has dropped for Koreans, whereas it has improved in other Asian countries like Japan and China since 2013. Difficulties University students have consist of many variables; cultural differences, syntax, and pronunciation are challenging not only for students but Korean adults.
Study Abroad:Korean students study abroad for certificates in English which could subsequently give them an advantage when applying for a job.Preparation for study abroad programs include taking TOEFL or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) for admission, some American universities even require SAT.Korean students that have been successful with a study abroad program claimed to help students culturally and professionally ; 87% of those who studied in English-speaking countries would recommend it to others for the purpose of exposure to unique cultural experiences.
Materials and Methods:The methodology consists of a majority of textbook learning with an emphasis on grammar learning and test prep, preparing for TOEFL or TOEIC English proficiency exams. Rote memorization plays a large role in language learning in Korea, but Output based skills i.e. speaking, have increased with the end goal of conversational English fluency. English is also on radio programs, educational television programs, English newspapers, and streaming sites. Materials consist of TOEFL and TOEIC proficiency exams, English grammar textbooks, and test prep books.
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In conclusion, student life in South Korea is demanding yet meaningful. It reflects the nation’s strong respect for education while gradually evolving to support students’ overall well-being and personal development.
Written by – Divya Kumari
About the author –
My name is Divya Kumari, I recently appeared for the TOPIK I exam which is held on 19 Oct 2025. I have always been deeply passionate about South Korean culture. As BTS’s RM beautifully said, “No matter who you are, where you’re from, your gender identity, or your skin color—just speak to yourself.” These words have always inspired me to be confident in who I am, and my love for South Korea continues to motivate me to follow my passion.That is why I decided to participate in this Internship and gain valuable experience in this field. I am grateful to Learn Korean in India (LKI) for giving me the opportunity to express my love for the Korean language and culture.