Education reform has become more popular than ever, and the incorporation of public institutions of higher education is one such reform. Eventually, Korea will see its national universities being incorporated. The legislature passed a law on March 7, 2007 that requires a new national university to be established as a National University Corporation. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development is finalising the general law of the incorporation of national universities. This paper examines the driving forces and key features of the incorporation of national universities in Korea. The Korean model of incorporation follows global trends and shares key features with other countries, especially Japan. Nonetheless, its unique national and local context brings new elements to the general framework of incorporation. This paper focuses in particular on how the dynamic interactions among global, national and local forces influence the shape and the adoption of incorporation. It also discusses the emerging patterns and future challenges in the incorporation of national universities in Korea. (Contains 1 table, 1 figure and 7 notes.)