Korea Maritime & Ocean University국립한국해양대학교

Programs

A national university built around the sea.

KMOU is a specialized national university covering maritime sciences, ocean science and engineering, ship engineering, shipping and logistics, maritime law, international trade and economics, coast guard studies, AI / cyber security connected with maritime fields, plus maritime humanities and social sciences. A strong match if your future connects with the sea, ships, ports, logistics, marine industries, ocean technology or maritime policy.

Academic Fields

For regular degree study, always check the language of instruction up front, do not assume many courses are taught in English. KMOU has three undergraduate colleges, 해사대학 (maritime sciences), 해양과학기술융합대학 (ocean science and technology convergence) and 해양인문사회과학대학 (ocean humanities and social sciences). There is no medical or nursing college, so the fee brackets you will meet are engineering, natural sciences, arts and physical education, and humanities and social sciences.

Academic Calendar

Admissions

Start at D8, KMOU uses different contacts for each route.

The official page for international undergraduate applicants is Admissions > Undergraduate on the Office of International Affairs site, https://www.kmou.ac.kr/global/cm/cntnts/cntntsView.do?mi=470&cntntsId=1693. It carries the eligibility rules, the document list, the process flow and the office contacts. The dated 모집요강 (admission guidelines) for each intake are posted separately on the Notice (Admissions & GKS) board, https://www.kmou.ac.kr/global/na/ntt/selectNttList.do?mi=4448&bbsId=10001622, so check both. Core eligibility as published: the applicant and both parents must be foreign nationals, you need 12 years of prior schooling, and you need TOPIK level 3 or completion of a level 3 course at a university-run Korean language institute at the time of application, with TOPIK level 4 or above required before graduation. KMOU still uses separate contacts for undergraduate admission, graduate admission, exchange, Korean language study, dormitory and student support, so start with the Office of International Affairs in the International Exchange & Cooperation Building (D-8), 1F, and ask for the coordinator for your route.

From Gimhae Airport

By Subway + Bus

1. 01Gimhae Airport Light Rail
2. 02Sasang Station
3. 03City bus #8 toward Taejongdae / Korea Maritime University
4. 04Get off at Korea Maritime University Entrance / 해양대입구
5. 05Walk or take the campus circulation bus (#190 enters campus)

First Stop Checklist

• 1Go first to OIA in D8 (International Exchange & Cooperation Building)
• 2Confirm ARC / Visa process
• 3Check health insurance enrolment
• 4Confirm dormitory hall, room type and meal arrangement
• 5Find the dormitory dining hall in Ara Hall (아라관), 2F
• 6Find the co-op outlets in Oullim Hall (어울림관), staff dining 5F, Mom's Touch 2F, snack corner 3F
• 7Find the health clinic in Oullim Hall 4F
• 8Obtain physical Student ID
• 9Learn the route from 해양대입구 to your main buildings (check whether bus #190 is useful for daily use)

Useful Korean Phrases

Student Life

Campus-and-coastal, not a station-strip nightlife crowd.

KMOU's student environment is different from campuses near big subway-station districts. The Dongsam-dong / Hari / Yeongdo area is more residential, coastal and campus-oriented than PNU, Kyungsung-PKNU or Seomyeon-area campuses. There is no big student nightlife district directly beside the campus.

Support for international students

On-Campus Dorms

KMOU's 학생생활관 (student residence halls) publish four room types, and a four-person room is not one of them. The official facility list and fee table show 아치관 Achi Hall single rooms (1인실), 아라관 Ara Hall doubles (2인실), 혜초관 Hyecho Hall doubles (2인실, BTL phase 1) and 누리관 Nuri Hall six-person rooms (6인실). The fees below are the 관리비 (management fee) for 2026학년도 2학기, the Fall 2026 semester, calculated on a 116-day basis. Meals at KMOU are a separate optional add-on rather than a compulsory bundle, so a single room with no meal plan is KRW 964,420 for the semester and the same room with three meals a day is KRW 1,828,420. The separate 승선생활관 (Badaro), the residence for maritime cadets, publishes no room types and no fees at all. Dormitory website: https://www.kmou.ac.kr/dorm/main.do

Figures come from KMOU's 2026학년도 2학기 dormitory notice, posted on the Office of International Affairs notice board on 3 August 2026 and calculated on a 116-day semester. Two official KMOU pages disagree. The standing 생활관비 fee page was still showing the 2026학년도 1학기 rates when we checked on 3 August 2026, a 115-day basis with the Achi Hall single at 956,110 KRW and meal plans from 466,900 to 891,000 KRW. We publish the newer notice figures. Confirm on arrival. Payment for international and graduate students in the Fall 2026 round ran 7 to 10 August 2026, 13:00 to 23:00, which is a short window and easy to miss. Dormitory administration office (학생생활관 행정지원실): 051-410-4097. Fees are reset every semester, so treat these as the last published rate and not a quote.

Off-Campus Rent

Practical search areas: Dongsam-dong, Hari, Yeongdo, and bus-access areas toward Nampo or Busan Station. Useful Korean search terms: 한국해양대 원룸, 해양대입구 원룸, 동삼동 원룸, 하리 원룸, 영도 원룸, 국립한국해양대학교 자취방. Use Naver 부동산, 직방, 다방 and local real-estate offices. Always compare deposit, monthly rent and maintenance fee.

Dining on Campus: Ara Hall Dining Room and the Oullim Hall Co-op

There are two separate dining systems and it is worth knowing which is which. The dormitory dining hall sits in 아라관 Ara Hall, 2F, seats around 380, and its meals are tied to the paid dormitory meal plan rather than sold per tray. The university co-op runs three outlets in 어울림관 Oullim Hall: the staff dining hall (교직원식당) on 5F with 208 seats, 051-410-5180, a Mom's Touch (맘스터치) on 2F and a snack corner (스낵코너) on 3F. All three co-op outlets are closed at weekends and on public holidays. KMOU does not publish per-meal prices for the co-op outlets, and it publishes no semester-specific timetable for either system, so the hours below are the standing published hours. Around Oullim Hall you will also find cafés, convenience stores, NH (NongHyup) banking, postal service, a bookstore and a multishop. Expect Korean-heavy menus.

Libraries & Sports

• KMOU has a university library with an English site section and Korean library / mobile materials.
• Older information mentions a 24-hour reading room; more recent temporary-library info lists different hours during renovation/relocation, access can differ by room and period.
• Useful campus systems and welfare facilities are concentrated in Oullim Hall, Ara Hall, the Industry-Academic Hub and the Student Union Building.

Health & Medical

For urgent situations anywhere in Korea, call 119.