Cities / Seoul / Gyeonggi Suwon International School
Gyeonggi Suwon International School
IB Continuum school (PYP, MYP, Diploma) on a large campus in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, about 30 km south of central Seoul. Fees for 2026-27 are fully in Korean Won, ranging from KRW 25.6M for Junior Kindergarten to KRW 40.7M for Grades…
In brief
A non-profit Christian-foundation IB continuum school in Yeongtong, Suwon, opened in 2006 and the first fully accredited PYP, MYP and DP school in the greater Seoul area.
GSIS sits about an hour south of central Seoul and pulls heavily from the Suwon, Yeongtong and Bundang foreign-passport pool, with around 530 students from Pre-K to Grade 12 and class caps of 20 in elementary and 25 in secondary. Every grade follows the IB pathway, supported by WASC and ACSI accreditation. The site has the usual Korean compact campus, and after-school clubs cover swimming, basketball, soccer and music.
Family voices are mixed. The campus, facilities and IB framework draw real warmth from longer-tenure parents, and the international feel is genuine. The harder feedback flags a leadership culture where parent feedback is hard to land and where some teachers come across as guarded. Annual fees run roughly KRW 25 to 40 million depending on grade, which is mid-tier for the Seoul international market.
Fees
| Fee | Age | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior Kindergarten (JK) | 3 | Annual | ₩25,220,080 |
| Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) | 4 | Annual | ₩28,382,480 |
| Kindergarten - Grade 5 | 5 | Annual | ₩31,530,100 |
| Grades 6-8 (Middle School) | 11 | Annual | ₩35,091,500 |
| Grades 9-12 (High School) | 14 | Annual | ₩40,353,960 |
| Application Fee (non-refundable) | One-time | ₩300,000 | |
| Registration Fee (non-refundable) | One-time | ₩500,000 | |
| Entrance Fee (non-refundable) | One-time | ₩4,500,000 |
Reviews
- GSIS sits in the second tier of Korean international schools in Reddit teaching threads, behind Seoul Foreign, SIS and KIS, on a level with Yongsan and Chadwick. One r/korea commenter places it in this second tier explicitly.
- Christian-school positioning is the most-cited filter; teaching jobs are flagged as Christian-only and parents are reminded the school holds Christian values across the K-12 IB programme.
- Parents in expat directories praise the IB continuum, low teacher-to-student ratios and a long list of after-school clubs from basketball to martial arts. The PTA is described as active and supportive.
- Critical reviews say academics, sport and music sit at a solid mid-level rather than excelling, and that elementary sport provision is light until grade 5. One parent flagged that feedback channels to teachers and principals were not always open or well-received.
- Glassdoor and newer reviews mention internal politics, lawsuits and programme cuts; teachers describe a school working through governance turbulence.
Head of school
Dr. Jaehee Lee
As the newly appointed Head of School at Gyeonggi Suwon International School (GSIS) for the 2024-2025 school year, I am honored to usher you into this pivotal chapter of our school’s history. Embracing this role fills me with a profound sense of calling and responsibility. My tenure as Vice Chairperson of the Board of Trustees has deepened my commitment to navigate our school through a landscape marked by rapid technological evolution and educational transformation.
Accreditations
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges (Accrediting Commission for Schools) 01
- Association of Christian Schools International 02
Academic results
- IB DP average course score 5.2