Trinh Thi Hang Nga, a 27-year-old woman in Kyungil University's Department of International Trade, came to Korea from Vietnam in 2015. Right after entering the school, Hang Nga has been granted full tuition exemption and living expenses such as TOPIK scholarship, excellent scholarship and so on for 4 years. She was recently selected by the Ministry of Education for additional 5 million won, the Global Korea Scholarhip (GKS).

The GKS is a system to support foreign students attending Korean universities, and 731 students applied for it to be 200 students selected from across the country, recording a 3.7-to-one competition rate. In Kyungil University, there were four students selected, including Trinh Thi Hang Nga, Nomondalai Ikherbat of Mongolia, Li Songlin of China and Nguyen Thi Huong of Vietnam. They will receive a total of 5 million won, 500,000 won per month for 10 months.

The selection criteria are also picky. Applicants are required to meet the TOPIK level 4 or higher and average 80 points GPA or more in the previous semester and entire semester.

​"Since entering Kyungil University, I have maintained an average GPA 4.0 or higher every semester. Also, I have been studying hard for only about 5 years in the Korean Proficiency Test, so I was able to solve the financial problems, my tuition and living expenses without any help from my parents in Vietnam," said Trinh Thi Hang Nga. "I am grateful to school officials for helping me from filing out documents to mentoring." She added, "When I graduate next year, I will stay in Korea and work for a trading company and become a career woman in charge of the exchanging work between Korea and Vietnam,".

Kyungil University, meanwhile, celebrated by holding a ceremony to transfer scholarships to foreign students selected for the GKS. "The support system for foreign students and the scholarship system are so good that if they concentrate on studies like Trinh Thi Hang Nga, they will be able to achieve the Korean dream," said Hong Chang-ki, head of the Ministry of Foreign Cooperation.

GKS Certificate of scholarship A ceremonial photograph taken on the school after the ceremony. From the left, Nomondalai Ikherbat, Trinh Thi Hang Nga, head of Foreign Cooperation Hong Chang-ki, Nguyen Thi Huong.