National Team Selection Process

The process for selecting Team Korea for the International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL) is as follows:

Korean Linguistics Olympiad

The Korean Linguistics Olympiad, held annually around November, serves as the preliminary competition for national team selection. The number of awards (1st Place, Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Honorable Mention) is determined based on the number of participants. which is up to 100–200. Awardees gain eligibility to participate in the final round (APLO). The competition is conducted virtually with video proctoring and features 6–8 problems to be solved within a 2-hour time limit. The problems are provided in Korean.

Asia-Pacific Linguistics Olympiad

The Asia-Pacific Linguistics Olympiad, held annually around April, is the final round for Korea’s national team selection. While it is an international competition involving multiple countries in the Asia-Pacific region, participants take the test simultaneously at their respective national venues. Awards are given to up to 8 participants per country, and awardees are offered the chance to represent Korea at the IOL. Participants can select the working language from the officially provided options, including Korean and English.

International Linguistics Olympiad

The International Linguistics Olympiad is held annually around July–August, bringing together about 200 participants from approximately 40 countries. The competition consists of individual contest and team contest. The individual contest includes 5 problems with a 6-hour time limit, while the team contest features 1 problem to be solved collaboratively by a team of 4 members within a 4-hour time limit.  Each country can send up to two teams. Korea has consistently sent two teams every year since 2008.

2024/25 IOL Team Korea Selection Process

Eligibility for Participation

As of October 2024, participants must meet one of the following criteria and be either a resident of South Korea or a South Korean national residing abroad

  1. Currently enrolled in grades 6 through 11 (초6~고2) at a secondary education institution in South Korea.
  2. (Homeschoolers or overseas resident) Born between 2007 and 2012 and have no history of enrollment in tertiary education (대학, 전문대학).

Note: Grade 12 (고3) as of October 2024 (i.e., expected to graduate in early 2025) are not eligible to participate.

⚠️ Participating in preliminary competitions in more than one country to qualify as an IOL representative violates IOL regulations and will result in automatic disqualification.

For example, if a South Korean national residing in the United States participates in both the Korean preliminaries (KLO) and the U.S. preliminaries (NACLO), they will automatically lose eligibility to participate in the IOL.

Timeline

Last Updated Dec 1st, 2024
Sep 2024 — Announcement

Sep 2024 — Announcement of Timeline
Oct 24, 2024 — Deadline for KLO Registration

Nov 2024 — Korea Linguistics Olympiad

Nov 10, 2024 — KLO
Nov 25, 2024 — Announcement of Awards

Jan 2025 — Linguistics Winter School

Jan 20–25, 2025
HUFS Global Campus

Apr 2025 — Asia Pacific Linguistics Olympiad

Apr 20, 2025
HUFS Seoul Campus

Jul 2025 — International Linguistics Olympiad

July 21–26, 2025. Taipei, Taiwan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I apply for KLO and NACLO at the same time?

No, you’re not allowed to compete in multiple selection processes for IOL in the same year. Your eligibility for IOL is automatically revoked if it is confirmed that you have done so.

I live in South Korea but I am not a Korean citizen. Am I eligible for KLO?

Yes. As long as you are residing in South Korea and meet the age criteria, you are fully eligible to compete in KLO and be selected as a part of Team Korean to IOL.

I am a Korean citizen studying overseas. Am I eligible for KLO?

Technically, you are; but you are strongly recommended to compete in the local contest held in the region you’re residing in. For example, if you are a Korean citizen living in Hong Kong, you can compete in Hong Kong Linguistics Olympiad and be a candidate for the Hong Kong team to IOL.

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