Like the Japanese community before it, the Korean community in Ho Chi Minh City supports its own school, and it is one of the larger names among the international schools in Ho Chi Minh City by enrolment. Korean International School was established in 1998 to give Korean families a national curriculum education in Vietnam, and it has grown into one of the biggest South Korean schools anywhere outside Korea. It covers kindergarten through senior high school, follows the Korean government curriculum and calendar, and sits in the Phu My Hung area of District 7 where most of the city's Korean residents live.
Korean International School at a glance
| Curriculum and language | South Korean government curriculum and calendar, taught in Korean and English |
|---|---|
| Stages | Kindergarten to senior high school, the early years to age 18 |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Profile | One of the largest South Korean schools outside Korea by enrolment |
| Fee band | Set for the Korean community; not directly comparable to the city's international school fee bands |
| Campus area | Phu My Hung, Tan Phu Ward, District 7, south of central Saigon |
Curriculum and academics
The school teaches the South Korean government curriculum and follows the Korean school calendar, with instruction in Korean and English. The aim is to keep a child's education aligned with schools in Korea, so a family on a posting can move in and out of the Korean system without disruption, while the English language programming gives students a second working language. It spans the full Korean school structure, from kindergarten through to senior high school, which is unusual breadth for a national community school.
For a relocating family the choice is much like that facing Japanese families: continuity with the home system and language, rather than an English medium international qualification. A family that expects to return to Korea, or that wants its children rooted in the Korean curriculum, is well served here. Those who instead want a globally portable route usually look at the IB curriculum and the city's other international options, and weigh language continuity against an internationally recognised exit qualification.
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Korean International School fees
The school's fees sit outside the usual tiers in our guide to international school fees in Ho Chi Minh City, because it is a community school for Korean nationals rather than a commercial international school. It does not publish a public fee schedule in the way the larger English medium schools do, and costs are set for the families it serves, so the honest answer is to contact the school directly for current tuition and any community contributions.
Where the city's commercial schools charge tuition plus registration, deposits, examination entries and transport, a national school of this kind is usually structured differently, and any comparison with the premium IB and British schools is not like for like. If you are weighing the real annual cost of the English medium alternatives, our fee calculator brings tuition and the common extras into a single figure.
Admissions
Admission is geared to the Korean community, and the school is the natural choice for a family arriving from Korea who wants their child to continue in the Korean system. The school year and intake follow the Korean pattern, and families typically apply through the school directly with the documents from a child's previous Korean school. Because the school exists to serve a specific community, the application process differs from the open, year round admissions of the city's commercial international schools.
Families relocating from outside Korea, or those whose children do not speak Korean, should talk to the school early about whether the national curriculum route is the right fit, since the curriculum and much of the teaching follow the Korean system. Contact the school directly to confirm the current intake, the documents required and the timeline for the year your child would join.
Location and who goes there
The school is in the Phu My Hung area of Tan Phu Ward, District 7, the planned township south of the centre that has become the focus of Ho Chi Minh City's Korean community. The district is dense with Korean restaurants, shops and services, which is part of why families cluster there, and it keeps the school close to where most of its students live. District 7 sits across the river from the central districts, so the commute and housing market differ markedly from the Thao Dien side of the city.
The intake is overwhelmingly Korean, made up of families on corporate postings and others settled in the city who want their children to stay within the Korean system. For how District 7 and Phu My Hung compare with Thao Dien and the central districts on housing, commute and school choice, the Ho Chi Minh City hub maps out the wider picture for relocating parents.
Korean International School reviews
No verified reviews yet. GlobalSchoolGuide is independent and no school pays to be listed, so we publish parent reviews only once we can confirm the reviewer is part of the school community, and you will not find an invented star rating here. If your family has experience of Korean International School in Ho Chi Minh City, please share it through our school reviews hub to help other relocating parents.
Frequently asked questions
How much are Korean International School fees?
The school's fees are set for the Korean national community it serves and are not directly comparable to the city's commercial international school bands. It does not publish a public fee schedule in the way the larger English medium schools do, so contact the school to confirm tuition and any community contributions.
What curriculum does Korean International School follow?
The school follows the South Korean government curriculum and calendar, teaching in Korean and English. It is designed to keep students aligned with the Korean education system, with English language programming alongside.
What ages does Korean International School take?
The school covers kindergarten through senior high school, so it serves children from the early years to age 18, the full span of the Korean school system.
Is Korean International School a good school?
It is one of the largest South Korean schools outside Korea and the established choice for Korean families in the city. As an independent guide we do not rank schools or take payment to feature them, so we point parents to a visit and a conversation with the school about its programme and community.
Who is Korean International School for?
It is primarily for Korean families in Ho Chi Minh City who want a Korean language education aligned with schools back home. Families who instead want an English medium international education usually look at the city's IB and British schools.
