■ What is a Leave of Absence?

A leave of absence refers to temporarily taking a break from school due to various reasons such as illness, family obligations, pregnancy, childbirth, childcare, studying abroad, or starting a business.

Although you are not attending classes, your academic status remains intact, allowing you to return to school by applying for return to university process later.

 

■ Application Period 

・If tuition is paid: Before three-fourths of the semester (1st semester: Third week of May / 2nd semester: Third week of November).

・If tuition is not paid: Before one-fourth of the semester (1st semester: Third week of March / 2nd semester: Third week of September).

 

■ Deadline for Applying for Leave of Absence

・At least 10 days before the intended start date of leave.

■ Start Date of Leave of Absence

・Before the semester begins: Semester start date (March 2 or September 1).

・After the semester begins: The date the leave is applied for.

■ End Date of Leave of Absence

・The start date of the semester you wish to return (March 2 or September 1).

 

■ Maximum Period of Leave of Absence

・Undergraduate: maximum 6 semesters (3 semesters for transfer students).

・Graduate: maximum to 4 semesters.

 

■ How to Apply for Leave of Absence

・Fill out the leave of absence application form and submit it to your department office.

■ Required Documents

・Leave of Absence Application Form (designated format), Academic Advisor Confirmation Form (designated format), Supporting documents for the reason for leave.

 

■ Process

Fill out the leave of absence application (Student)

▶

Submit to department office (Student → Department Office)

▶

Submit to Office of International Affairs (Department Office → Administration Office → Office of International Affairs)

▶

Final review and approval (Office of International Affairs)

▶

Notification of leave of absence result (Office of International  Affairs → Student, Immigration Office)

■ Important Notes

・Upon taking a leave of absence, the student visa (D-2) will lose its validity. You must leave Korea before the start date of your leave or change to another visa.

・Failure to leave the country may result in being listed as an illegal resident, which can prevent re-enrollment.

・Students who have applied for tuition installment payments cannot apply for a leave of absence.

・Students who have taken a leave of absence for two or more consecutive semesters and have returned within three years will have their leave-of-absence semesters excluded from the total duration of stay limit. (If a student takes only one semester of leave and returns, it will be included in the existing duration of stay limit.)