Korea International School Seoul Campus is the Gangnam primary of KIS, and the focus of this profile is its role as a feeder into the school's main Pangyo campus. For families settling in the south of Seoul with young children, it offers an English medium American curriculum primary in Gaepo-dong, with a defined route up to the larger secondary campus, and this profile looks at how that staged journey works in practice.
Korea International School Seoul Campus at a glance
| Detail | Summary |
|---|---|
| Curriculum and exam boards | American programme aligned to United States Common Core standards; play based early years, project based primary; English medium, with Korean and Chinese |
| Stages | Early years to Grade 5 (roughly ages 3 to 11), feeding the Pangyo campus thereafter |
| Founded | Korea International School was established in 2000; the Seoul Campus serves the early and primary years |
| Accreditation | Part of Korea International School, which is accredited by WASC. Confirm campus level details with the school |
| Fee band | Premium band for the city |
| Campus area | Gaepo-dong, Gangnam District, southern Seoul |
Curriculum and academics
The Seoul Campus delivers an American curriculum for the early and primary years, with a play based early years built around discovery and a primary school using project based learning aligned to United States Common Core standards in English, mathematics and social studies. Specialist teaching in Korean, Chinese, music, physical education, art, design and STEM fills out the timetable, and the school provides English as an additional language support and individual learning plans for children who need more help or more stretch.
The point of difference for this campus is its purpose as a feeder. Children build their early schooling in Gangnam and then move up to the Pangyo campus for the middle and high school years, where the American programme continues into Advanced Placement. That continuity is the main draw for families who want a settled primary close to home followed by a known secondary, rather than a fresh school search at age eleven.
Because the programme is American rather than the International Baccalaureate, families set on the IB Primary Years Programme should look across the city's IB schools instead, but for those happy with a Common Core based primary that leads into AP, the Seoul Campus offers a clear and continuous path.
Looking for the right Gangnam primary?
Tell our School Finder about your child, your district and your budget and it will shortlist the southern Seoul primaries that fit, KIS and otherwise.
Korea International School Seoul Campus fees
As part of Korea International School, the Seoul Campus sits in the premium band for the city. Our Seoul international school fees guide explains how the market is tiered, and a premium school charges premium fees even at primary level. The published schedule is the figure to plan around, so request it and check whether the early years and elementary grades are priced differently.
On top of tuition, expect a registration or application fee, a deposit, and recurring extras such as a facility contribution, the school bus and meals. The registration fee and bus charge are meaningful in the Seoul market, and tuition rises each year, so plan across the whole primary stage and into the Pangyo years rather than a single year.
To set a Seoul Campus budget against the rest of the city, our fees guide compares the premium schools tier by tier. Ask the admissions office which charges are compulsory and whether sibling discounts span both campuses.
Admissions
Entry follows the August start of the American school year, with assessment based on prior records and an age appropriate readiness check rather than a formal test for the youngest children. English readiness helps, but the additional language support means children can grow their English after joining in the early years.
Early years places can be in demand, so register interest ahead of your intended start. Gather any nursery or school reports and a clear picture of your child's English and Korean, and ask how the school settles children arriving from a different system.
Confirm assessment arrangements, the documents required and any residence conditions with the admissions office, and ask specifically about the transfer route up to the Pangyo campus so the full journey is clear before you enrol.
Location and who goes there
The Seoul Campus is in Gaepo-dong, in the Gangnam district of southern Seoul, an urban neighbourhood with parks, wooded slopes and river paths nearby that give younger children some green space within a central southern location. It suits families who want to keep the primary years in Gangnam rather than commute to the suburbs.
The community is largely expatriate and Korean returnee families living in Gangnam and the surrounding districts, most of whom expect their children to continue at Pangyo. Relocating families should weigh the Gangnam location and the later campus change, and decide whether the staged journey suits them better than an all through school on a single site.
To compare the Seoul Campus with other Gangnam primaries and see where similar families live, start from the Seoul international schools hub and filter by stage, district and budget.
Korea International School Seoul Campus reviews
We do not yet hold any verified parent reviews for the KIS Seoul Campus. GlobalSchoolGuide is independent and no school pays to be listed, so we publish a rating only once we have gathered enough verified first hand accounts to be fair to the school and to families. We would rather show nothing than show an invented score.
If your family has attended the Seoul Campus we would value your view of the early years and primary programme, the move up to Pangyo, pastoral care and value for money. Share it through our school reviews hub and we will add verified contributions here.
Frequently asked questions
What curriculum does KIS Seoul Campus follow?
It teaches an American early years and primary programme aligned to United States Common Core standards, with play based early years and project based learning in the elementary grades. It is American, not IB, and feeds into the Pangyo campus.
Is KIS Seoul Campus a feeder school?
Yes. The Seoul Campus serves the early years to Grade 5 in Gangnam, and pupils continue to the larger KIS Pangyo campus for the middle and high school years, where the American programme leads into Advanced Placement.
How much are KIS Seoul Campus fees?
As part of Korea International School, the Seoul Campus sits in the premium band for the city. Budget for tuition plus a registration fee, a deposit and extras such as a facility charge, the bus and meals, and confirm the current schedule with the school.
When do KIS Seoul Campus applications open?
The main intake aligns with the August start of the American academic year, with assessment based on records and an age appropriate readiness check. Register interest ahead of your intended start.
Where is KIS Seoul Campus?
The Seoul Campus is in Gaepo-dong, in the Gangnam district of southern Seoul. The Pangyo campus, which older pupils attend, is in Seongnam to the south.
