Korea is known as a global IT powerhouse, but it also has a unique digital ecosystem often referred to as a “Galapagos.” The biggest culture shock for international students usually starts right here: MacBook compatibility.
Why, even in 2026, is Windows still the undisputed king of Korean campuses?
1. The File Format That Never Dies: ‘HWP’
While the rest of the world runs on MS Word and PDF, many places in Korea still rely heavily on HWP (Hangul Word Processor).
Government documents, university announcements, and even your professor’s assignment templates are all HWP files. This forces Mac users to install separate viewers or buy specific paid software—and even then, the formatting often breaks. When a foreign friend asks, “Why won’t this file open?”, it’s honestly hard to explain.
2. The Security Software Swamp (The Ghost of ActiveX)
Although people say it’s fading, university portals, course registration pages, and government websites (like for visa extensions) are still optimized for Windows.
Accessing them on a MacBook often leads to endless loading screens or getting trapped in “pop-up hell,” demanding you install multiple keyboard security plugins. This is annoying on Windows, too, but it’s worse on Macs. The reality? When you’re in a rush, you often end up running to a PC Bang (Internet Cafe) just to get things done.
3. Printer Compatibility Issues
You work hard on an assignment, head to the library printer, and… surprise! It doesn’t support Mac drivers, or your fonts print out garbled. Every Korean university student has experienced this at least once. This is because the infrastructure of Korean universities is fundamentally built with ‘Windows’ as the baseline.
Conclusion
Unless you are majoring in Design or Arts, a Windows laptop isn’t just “optional” for university life in Korea—especially for Engineering or Business majors—it is practically a necessity to graduate.
If I had a friend coming to study in Korea, I’d definitely tell them:
“MacBooks are great, but do yourself a favor and bring a Windows laptop, too.”