Cities / Seoul / Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies (HAFS)
Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies (HAFS)
Selective Korean/English boarding HS in Yongin (~30km south of Seoul). Korean MoE accredited.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Grades 10-12 | 15 | ₩9,980,000 |
Reviews
- HAFS is widely treated by Korean and US college-application communities as one of the most selective high schools in Korea. Parents and students describe it alongside Daewon and Korean Minjok as the schools "the most qualified" teachers go to and that international US-bound students typically come from.
- The international track is the part most discussed. Students take most subjects in English, follow an English-Based Campus rule on site, and live in two-person dorms with weekly weekends home and a monthly mandatory home weekend.
- Outcome history is the public selling point: prior cohorts have placed dozens of students at Seoul National University each year and a handful annually at Harvard, Princeton, Yale and Caltech.
- Parent and student-voice review prose is thin in English-language sources. The picture comes from outcome data and peer-comparison comments rather than first-person accounts of daily life. Korean-language sources likely carry more, and families with the option should read those directly.
Positives
- selectivity and reputation. Treated in Korean and US-applicant communities as one of the most selective Korean high schools, especially via the international track.
- university outcomes. Strong record into Seoul National University and US Ivy-tier and equivalents in past published cohorts.
Considerations
- boarding and dorm life. Two-person dorms, three-year residential model, weekly home weekends and a monthly mandatory close-down.
- English-language daily-life accounts. Public English-language parent and student review prose is limited; signal is mostly outcome and peer comparison.
Leadership
Jeong Yeong-woo
Mr. Jeong Yeong-woo (also spelled Jeong Young-woo) was inaugurated as the third principal of Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies (HAFS) in August 2018 and was reappointed for a fourth term in February 2023. He joined HAFS in 2006, having previously taught at Daewon Foreign Language High School. At HAFS, he served as a mathematics teacher, head of admissions, and vice principal before his promotion to principal. He is recognized for his commitment to fostering humanity, creativity, and autonomy in education. Additionally, he serves as an executive for the Hope for Future Foundation (미래희망기구).