Which fees are non-refundable if you get rejected?

Here is the standard breakdown of what survives a visa refusal and what does not.

Not refunded, in almost every case:

- School application fee (50,000 to 100,000 won). Non-refundable at every school, at every stage, including refusal. This pays for processing your file and that work was done.
- Consulate visa fee. Paid to the government, gone regardless of outcome.
- Apostille, translation, courier and document costs. Yours, spent, and worth keeping — they are reusable for a second application.

Usually refunded after a visa refusal:

- Tuition. Most schools refund tuition in full, or minus a small administrative charge, on proof of visa refusal. Ask for the refusal notice from the consulate — the school will want documentation.
- Dormitory deposit and fees, if you had paid them.

Depends entirely on the contract:

- Agency service fees. Some refund in full on refusal, some refund partially, some refund nothing on the grounds the work was performed. This is the one to settle in writing before you pay, not after.

What to do now, before paying anything:

1. Ask the school in writing: "If my visa is refused, what portion of the tuition is refunded and what documentation do you need?" Keep the reply.
2. Ask the same of any agency, and get the answer in the contract rather than in a chat message.
3. Pay the tuition as late as the school allows. Many schools accept payment after the admission letter and before the CCVI, which means less money exposed for less time.
4. Keep every receipt with your name on it.

Realistic exposure on a refusal if you have done the above: the application fee, the consulate fee, and your document costs. Typically 150,000 to 400,000 won equivalent. That is the real number, and it is much smaller than the amount people fear when they imagine losing everything.