In search of comfortable, convenient, and safe student accommodation near Seoul National University? Student.com has over 50 off-campus housing options listed in Seoul, South Korea. We offer apartments for rent near Seoul National University (SNU), and close to some of the city’s best shops, restaurants, and public transportation links.

You can choose a private room or a shared room. Most of the apartments we list are fully furnished and they come equipped with modern facilities and convenient amenities for comfortable student living.

To find out more about the accommodation we offer in Seoul, don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can call our accommodation team or send us a quick message on live chat at the bottom right-hand corner of this page. Our booking consultants are always happy to help you find your ideal student home!

Where is Seoul National University located?

Seoul National University has four campuses, Gwanak, Yeongeon, Pyeongchang, and Siheung. Of these four, Gwanak and Yeongeon are located in Seoul.

Gwanak, the main campus, is located in southern Seoul. Yeongeon, the medical campus that is home to the colleges of medicine, dentistry, nursing and the SNU Hospital, is situated in the northeast part of the city.

Outside of Seoul, the Pyeongchang green-bio campus, which serves as an academic hub for Agriculture and Life Sciences research, is located in Pyeongchang, the host city of the 2018 Winter Olympics.

The Siheung campus, located in Gyeonggi Province, is focused on cultivating world-class research excellence with various industry-academia collaborative R&D centres. There is a shuttle bus service from the Gwanak campus to the Siheung campus.

Seoul is an exciting city to study in

Seoul is the technological, digital, business, and cultural hub of South Korea. It is where skyscrapers tower over palaces and pagodas, and neon lights illuminate Buddhist temples.

Despite rapid modernisation seemingly overshadowing Korean tradition, “Korea’s Ancient Modern Capital” still manages to combine history and tradition with arts and modern culture into a fascinating mix of old and new. Take it all in from the iconic N Seoul Tower, the observation tower located on the Nam Mountain in central Seoul.

In Southern Seoul, Gangnam (South of the River) is highlighted by luxury high-rises bisected by broad highways. This area was made famous by the hit song Gangnam Style by Psy. The Apgujeong and Cheongdam districts are home to several luxury-label boutiques and major performance-arts centres, so you can head out here for some (window) shopping and your dose of culture.

Studying at SNU

South Korea’s first national university is a world-class institution that continues to set the standard of excellence in teaching, research, and public service.

The global university rankings prove why Seoul National University (SNU) is Korea’s most prestigious national institution of higher learning. It’s consistently the highest-ranking university in the country, ranking 29th globally in the 2023 QS World University Rankings.

SNU is also the top-ranking South Korean tertiary institution in the 2023 US News Best Global Universities Rankings and the 2023 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, placing 1st locally, and 8th for the Asian region respectively.

This national public research university has 16 colleges for undergraduates, a graduate school that offers numerous masters and doctoral programs, as well as 10 professional schools that offer studies in medicine, law, business, international studies, environmental studies, dentistry, convergence science and technology, public administration and public health, and international agriculture technology.

SNU offers 85 undergraduate academic programs to its 17,000 undergrad students and 106 masters and 107 doctoral programs across five fields of study to over 11,000 postgraduate students. Nearly all (95%) of the school’s faculty members have doctoral degrees.

While the primary language of instruction at SNU is Korean, between 10-20% of its courses are English-taught, particularly in the colleges of engineering and business.

SNU student life

At SNU, there is a lot that students can do on campus other than just studying. The university’s wide range of clubs and societies help meet students’ social needs and interests.

Competitive and recreational sporting activities keep students in good physical and mental shape. Whenever you need a quick bite, there are plenty of cafeterias and snack bars on campus, including a vegetarian cafeteria.

Concert halls, and a modern art museum offer an escape for the artistic on campus.

When you enrol at SNU, your personal health will also be well taken care of. In cooperation with SNU Hospital and SNU Dental Hospital, the university’s on-campus health service centre runs a comprehensive primary care clinic. Various other specialty clinics provide a range of health check-up programs that include medical tests and immunisations. SNU Centre for Campus Life & Culture offers multiple therapeutic programs that address issues such as mental health and abuse.

There are also various types of educational, research-based, and language support programs in place to help international students.

At the Korea University Library, the largest university library in Korea, you can read from a collection of more than four million volumes, a million digital content materials, and over 100,000 rare books.

The many comfortable reading and group study rooms will help you study. You can also earn some extra cash by participating in the International Students Work-Study Program, where you can work on campus for 40-60 hours a month.

History of Seoul National University

Seoul National University was founded in 1946 with the merger of ten higher education institutions. SNU became the first comprehensive university of independent Korea. It opened with 9 Colleges and 1 Graduate School.

In June 1950, during the student registration period, the Korean War broke out, bringing the institution’s full establishment to a halt. Between the years 1954-1960, SNU was reconstructed after the Korean War. Thanks to nearly $10 million in financial aid garnered through the Minnesota Project for Reconstruction and Development, SNU made a rapid recovery.

In January 1959, 10 new departments were created, including the Department of International Relations and the Department of Korean Music.

19 April 1960 marked a very dark day in the history of the university when six of its students were shot by the police in the April 19 Revolution.

Between 1961 and 1975 saw several Professional Graduate Schools newly established or expanded under the theme “A University Shaping the Future of Its People”.

The Seoul National University Alumni Association was established in 1969. Two years later, construction of the newly integrated campus in Gwanak commenced. Between 1975 and 1986, SNU merged its multiple campuses into three main locations (Gwanak, Yeongeon, and Suwon).

In 1999, thirty SNU research teams were selected for the 140 billion KRW Brain Korea 21 (BK21) project established by the South Korean government to enhance the global competitiveness of Korean research universities.

On 28 December 2011, SNU transitioned to an incorporated university from a government institution.

The Pyeongchang campus, a biotechnology complex, opened on 12 June 2014.

With the opening of the new Kwanjeong Library on 5 February 2015, SNU’s library system became the largest in Korea.

The Museum of Science and Technology opened in November 2018 and March 2020 marked the opening of the Graduate School of Data Science.

Frequently asked questions about student apartments near Seoul National University

How can I book private student accommodation near Seoul National University on Student.com?

Booking private student accommodation near Seoul National University is easy on Student.com. Use our website’s search filters, comparison, and map tools to find the best student housing for you. After making your choice, go to the property page by clicking ‘View rooms’.

On the property page you’ll need to choose the room type you’d like to live in. Then click ‘Book Now’ or ‘Enquire’. You’ll be asked to leave your contact details and one of our booking consultants will then get in touch to answer any questions you may have and take you through the next steps of the booking process once you are ready to book.

Why should I book off-campus housing rather than SNU dorms?

Booking off-campus accommodation will give you many benefits. You’ll get to choose which area of Seoul you’d like to live in, whether that is next to your campus, in the city centre or any other area of the city you like.

You’ll also get to choose the room type you’d like. Whether you want to share with a roommate or have some more privacy in a private room, you’ll find it on Student.com.

What are the different room types you offer?

We currently offer two different types of rooms in Seoul.

Shared Rooms – Here you share a bedroom with a roommate. Other living facilities such as bathrooms and kitchen are also shared.

Private Rooms – In this option you get a private bedroom just for yourself. Depending on the property, your bathroom may be either private or shared. Other facilities are shared.

Are bills included in the rent?

In most cases in Seoul, bills are not included in the rent. You can use the filters on this page to find properties that have bills included though.

Are the apartments fully furnished?

Currently almost all of the apartments we list in Seoul are rented furnished. Make sure to check on the property page if this is the case with the property you’re interested in though, as some apartments may be rented unfurnished.