If you're coming in as an international student, check whether each university's graduate school offers a completely English-taught track for Computer Engineering. SKKU's College of Information and Communication Engineering runs a full English program, so you won't need TOPIK for classes, but lab life will still lean Korean. SeoulTech and Dongguk have some English courses but not a full track, which means you'll be reading a lot of Korean in seminars.

For CGPA, the real cutoff is usually around 2.7 out of 4.5 for SeoulTech, closer to 3.0 for SKKU. Dongguk sits in between. But like others said, if a professor wants you, the number barely matters.

One thing nobody mentioned is location convenience for part-time work. SeoulTech is near a major bus terminal and the 7号线 subway, so getting to Pangyo or Gangnam for internships is about 40 minutes. Dongguk is closer to central Seoul but the hills around the campus make the walk from the subway station annoying, especially in winter. SKKU's Suwon campus has cheaper rent but you're further from Seoul proper, which matters if you want to network at meetups or company events in Gangnam after class.

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honestly if you're set on computer engineering and not just the name of the uni, i'd look at what each lab actually publishes. seoultech has some solid embedded systems work and the campus is way cheaper to live near than dongguk's area. rent in hyewha or near dongguk can eat your budget fast, like 600k won for a decent studio vs maybe 400k near seoultech

cgpa is kinda a soft requirement, they care more if your research interest matches a professor who's taking students. i've seen people with a 2.8 get in because they'd already worked with the professor on a project. if you're international, the korean language ability matters more than you think for lab life, most group meetings are in korean even if the classes are in english

for job prospects after, skku has the biggest network but seoultech grads do fine in medium sized companies and startups around pangyo. dongguk is good if you want to pivot into something like game dev or media tech later, they have decent ties with cj and naver

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Dongguk sits right in central Seoul near the Namsan cable car, so if you want to be in the middle of everything and walk to Myeongdong or Jongno after class, that's your pick. SeoulTech is up in Nowon-gu, quieter and more suburban, which some people prefer for focusing on studies. For a Master's in Computer Engineering, SKKU has the strongest labs and industry ties, especially if you're eyeing Samsung or a research track after graduation. CGPA requirements are flexible past a 3.0, but your research proposal and letters of recommendation carry more weight than the number.

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this is a solid list, covers all the essentials. one thing i'd add is to check out the secret garden at changdeokgung if you have time after gyeongbokgung. you gotta book a guided tour slot online in advance though, they sell out fast especially on weekends. it's only 8,000 won and feels completely different from the main palace grounds, way more peaceful.

also for hongdae nightlife, skip the main club street and wander into the side alleys near the playground. there's this tiny bar called vinyl underground that plays old korean rock records and nobody really knows about it. way better vibe than the tourist traps on the main drag.

tbh the namsan cable car line can be brutal on weekends, sometimes an hour wait. if you're fit just walk up the stairs behind the cable car station, it takes like 20 minutes and you get better views along the way. the view from the tower is nice but honestly the free spots on the mountain are just as good for photos.

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ngl the gwangjang market tip is solid but go to the mayak gimbap stand near the back alley, not the front one. the front one is fine but the ajumma in the back adds perilla oil and it makes a huge difference. also try the yukhoe (raw beef) at the stall two rows behind the main bindaetteok place, it's like 8,000 won and they give you a pear slice with it

one thing missing from this list is the seoul city wall walk. you can start at naksan park near dongdaemun and walk along the old fortress wall to hyehwa. takes about an hour and you get these crazy views of the city with the wall in the foreground. way less crowded than bukchon and honestly more interesting to me

for the ddp area, the led rose garden is pretty but the real move is going up to the rooftop garden at sunset. nobody seems to know about it and you can see the whole dongdaemun area lit up. also the design museum inside has a rotating exhibit that's usually better than whatever's in the main hall

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the bukchon advice about going early is key. i live near anguk station and the neighborhood gets completely overrun by tour groups after 11am. if you go around 8am you'll see residents sweeping their doorsteps and the light hits the hanok roofs perfectly for photos. the observatory is nice but there's a quieter spot on the hill near the bukchon cultural center that has a bench and no line.

for myeongdong, skip the main street shops and go one block over to the side streets near the catholic cathedral. the beauty stores there are less pushy and sometimes have better stock of limited edition stuff. the cathedral itself is worth a quick look too, it's one of the few gothic buildings in seoul and the garden out front is a nice break from the crowds.

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