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Trapped fees, broken dreams: S. Korea varsity strands Bangladeshi students
Published : Wednesday, 22 July, 2026 at 1:10 PM
Observer Online Report
Collected Photo
Over three hundred Bangladeshi students face extreme financial instability and mental distress as their higher education dreams in South Korea have turned into a nightmare.
Singyeongju University recently declared bankruptcy which resulted in failing to return tuition and dormitory fees totaling Tk 18.60 crore.
Victimized students had completed their admission through legitimate channels. They paid fees through official university representatives and partner agencies. Each had to pay BDT 6.20 lakh. Nearly 300 Bangladeshi students enrolled in that varsity earlier this year.
Trouble began during the visa issuance process. South Korean immigration authorities rejected or delayed visa applications for nearly 300 Bangladeshi applicants. The university failed to issue required administrative documentation. The institution fell into severe financial distress and administrative collapse.
Declared Bankrupt
South Korean local news network Pohang MBC confirmed the development. The Wonseok Educational Foundation, which operates Shin Gyeongju University, was officially declared bankrupt by Korean courts due to compounding debts.
Despite the official bankruptcy, the university previously collected over 2 billion Korean Won in advance fees from foreign students. Students from Bangladesh and Uzbekistan are the primary victims of this financial breakdown.
Under university regulations, full refunds are mandatory when visa issuance fails. However, more than five months have passed. Students have received no refunds. University officials have severed effective communication.
Human Cost & Sufferings
The human cost behind the financial figure is devastating. Most affected students belong to middle-class and lower-middle-class families. Parents exhausted their life savings to finance their children's education abroad.
‘Many families sold agricultural land. Others took high-interest loans from local moneylenders. Now we have no visa and no money,’ said Nader Ahmed Rimon, Coordinator of the Affected Student Forum.
Official Responses
The university authority released a brief statement through local channels. They cited complex international banking protocols and foreign remittance rules for the delay. They claimed verified refund lists are undergoing review.
However, local news reports confirm that frozen bank accounts under bankruptcy proceedings have completely stalled payments.
The South Korean Ministry of Education has acknowledged the foreign student complaints. Korean educational authorities requested an emergency status report from Singyeongju University. They are negotiating potential refund procedures.
In Dhaka, victims formed the 'Affected Student Forum' platform. They organized peaceful protests seeking direct intervention from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the South Korean Embassy in Dhaka. Urgent diplomatic intervention remains their only remaining hope.
-SA
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
