Do not go gentle into that good night, old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light, though wise men at their end know dark is right, because their words had forked no lightning they, do not go gentle into that good night.
Hankuk University of Foreign Studies to expand regular admissions for 2026
Hankuk University of Foreign Studies campus in Seoul / Courtesy of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies
By Jhoo Dong-chan
Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) announced plans to significantly expand regular admissions for the 2026 academic year, with a strong emphasis on flexible, major-optional enrollment and simplified test-based selection.
According to the university, HUFS will admit 1,578 students through regular admissions, accounting for 42.3 percent of its total intake of 3,733 students.
Of the regular admissions total, 1,393 students will be selected through general admissions, while 185 students will be admitted through special admissions outside of regular quotas, including rural applicants and recipients of basic livelihood or near-poverty support.
Admissions will be conducted across three application groups: General admissions will include 272 students in the Group A, 688 in the Group B and 433 in the Group C. Special admissions will include rural applicants and basic livelihood or near-poverty applicants from Groups B and C.
Recruitment will take place across both the Seoul Campus and the Global Campus in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.
The application period will run from Dec. 29-31, 2025, through the HUFS Admissions Office website.
Applicants required to submit supporting documents must upload them online by Jan. 2. Initial admissions results will be announced on Jan. 26 for general admissions, and Feb. 2 for special admissions.
HUFS said the 2026 admissions cycle will maintain a CSAT-only evaluation system across all admissions tracks, including special admissions, in an effort to reduce the burden on applicants and simplify preparation. The CSAT is the College Scholastic Ability Test, the nation-wide standard examination used to evaluate university applicants.
No restrictions will be placed on subject selection by academic track, allowing applicants to freely choose regardless of their intended major.
Beginning this year, CSAT Korean history scores for natural science applicants will be reflected through a grade-based bonus system, while records of school disciplinary actions for violence will result in score deductions.
A major institutional highlight is the expansion of the university’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Convergence College, established as part of HUFS’s broader academic restructuring. The college includes the Language & AI Convergence Division and Social Science & AI Convergence Division at the Seoul Campus, along with the Finance & AI Convergence Division and AI Data Convergence Division at the Global Campus.
Among them, the Language & AI Convergence Division has drawn particular attention as Korea’s only academic program specializing in language-based artificial intelligence. The division recorded a record-high early admissions essay competition ratio of 183.71 to 1 for the 2026 admissions cycle.
HUFS will also expand its Integrated Major Selection System, first introduced in the 2025 admissions cycle. Under the system, students are admitted without declaring a specific major and choose their department in their second year.
For 2026 regular admissions, the university will select 836 students through integrated recruitment units, including 90 students in the Open Major Division and 511 students across college- and field-based integrated units. The university said students will be guaranteed placement in their preferred major within their eligibility range.