How to Teach English in South Korea

So, you want to teach English in South Korea? (Or...you really just need a way to live there. Look, I'm not judging.) Welp, give me a few scrolls of the mouse to tell you how to do it, starting...now!

Currently, South Korea recognizes applicants from the following seven countries as eligible to receive an E-2 visa: the United States, Canada, South Africa, The United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. This visa is specifically for teaching English EXCEPT at the university level or at international schools. However, before you can even be granted that visa, you need an employer to sponsor you.

Finding Employment: Or... I need ranmyeon funds.

Most foreign English teachers here work in public schools or hagwons (privately owned academies). There are other options, such as foreign schools, international schools, and schools on the American military bases. However, these options tend to have fewer openings and tend to hire certified and licensed teachers with years of experience.

There are English university professor positions too, but these positions also tend to have fewer openings and usually employ teachers with a master’s degree, or higher. University professors also commonly had several years of teaching experience, usually in South Korea. (Basically, this position has a reputation of being fairly difficult to obtain. Timing is everything, since most university professors keep their position for a few years. Therefore, some years might have more openings than other years.)

If you are a certified teacher with years of experience, then I would recommend looking into these other options. However, because most people will work in a public school or hagwon, I'll focus on those two options.

Public Schools

For public school positions you can apply directly to programs like the English Program in Korea (EPIK). This is the largest program and now also fields applications for the Jeollanamdo Language Program (JLP) and the Gyeonggido English Program in Korea (GEPIK). You can also apply to the Gyeongnam Office of Education (GOE) program, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE), or the Teach and Learn in Korea Program (TaLK) This can be done by personally submitting your application according to the guidelines listed on their websites or by applying via a recruiter.

Recruiters are companies that help you apply for teaching positions, including positions in hagwons and public schools. You can have them tailor their search based on your preferences and qualifications. Korvia and Korean Horizons are some of the more established ones, but there are many others. Of course, some recruiters are more reputable than others. So, always keep in mind that recruiter services, specifically for positions in Korea, should be FREE. If a recruiter is asking you to pay them for their services, then I would be wary. The Korea specific recruiters are typically paid by programs, offices of education, or hagwons to find applicants. This means that they not only offer free services, but that they also have it in their best interests to help you gain employment. (Warning: Their objective is to fill spots, so they might not always care if they knowingly place you in a work environment with a bad reputation; so, make sure to always take their advice with a grain of salt.)

Hagwons

You can apply directly to hagwons via their listings on websites like Dave’s ESL cafe, koreabridge.net, koreatesol.org, and so on. Some recruiters, such as Korvia, also list job openings on their websites. Occasionally hagwons and recruiters post job openings on Korea related Facebook groups in addition to the previously mentioned websites. It is also not uncommon for current teachers to advertise openings in order to help find their replacement. In this case you can directly talk with your predecessor and make more intimate inquiries concerning the position. (Always talk with current or former teachers before signing any contracts! They may not answer honestly or even return your attempts to contact them, but it is worth a try.)

The job search specific Facebook groups include ESL Teachers in Korea, Korea ESL Teachers, and so forth. The other Korea related groups are not teaching specific, but do occasionally have job postings. These include groups such as Every Expat in Korea, Women in Korea, Expat Women in Korea, Black Women in Korea, Brothers & Sisters of South Korea (geared towards the black expat community), and numerous others, including pages specific to certain cities, provinces, or demographics in Korea. Either way, always scrutinize every posting and do pay attention to the comments others leave. Often, experienced teachers will point out a bad contract or a location with a bad reputation.

When in doubt, Google is your friend. Google will always be your friend.

When do I apply? Or...how long can I procrastinate?

You can begin to gather your materials at any time, however, some items are requested to not be older than a certain amount of time. For example, the criminal background check should have an issue date within six months of the date on your visa. (In other words, make sure that your background check is not older than six months old when you apply.)

Usually, application submissions for most public school programs are accepted between February-July for a Fall semester start date and August - December or January for a Spring start date. The exact dates change every year and vary for each program, so check the websites rather frequently. (Relatively short notice is given before the submission deadline is set.) For hagwons and the GOE program, you can apply all year. Yet, there may be more positions open during the same peak hiring times as public schools.

As for securing a position, many applicants are offered employment on a first come first serve basis. Your qualifications will come into play, but applying earlier rather than later is ideal.

When do I start? Or...When can I quit my current job?

For many programs, the contract start dates are at the end of February or August. For TaLK, the contracts tend to start at the beginning of February or August. For all of these programs, it is possible that you might be scheduled to start at an off-peak time, such as in March, April, November or another time. The GOE program and hagwons hire year round, so your start date could be anytime during the month.

Concerning contracts, they are typically for one full calendar year and you can renew as often as you, and your school, would like. For TaLK specifically, they offer six-month contract options and one year contract options. That may change in the future, but if it doesn’t, then that is something to consider. Hagwons usually offer one-year contracts as well. However, your contract may be a little longer or shorter than a year if you are replacing a teacher who terminated a contract early. If the teacher did terminate early, then I would suggest to tactfully figure out why, because that can be a red flag. Sometimes it isn't, because life does happen and some teachers have to return home earlier than they had planned. But, sometimes the schools do scare off teachers. You don't want to find out that it was the later rather than the former after you already arrived to Korea on your one-way plane ticket.

Required Documents? Or...all the paperwork

I strongly recommend that you prepare your documents months in advance, or at the very VERY least weeksss in advance. This is to avoid the last minute scramble and stress. (Don’t treat your life like an 11:59pm submission deadline.) This will also help you to save money, since you will not be forced to pay more for faster shipping or document processing.

As for the actual required documents, here is a general description. (Hagwons may require less, but this list should have you ready for most public school and hagwon positions.)

You will need a valid passport from the US, Canada, South Africa, UK, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand; an apostille of your bachelor's degree/diploma obtained from your college/university; official and sealed transcripts; passport sized photos (at least one or two); application form; supplementary application form if applicable (i.e. for SMOE); an apostille of your national level criminal background check (with fingerprints and no older than six months); and two sealed and signed letters of recommendation. I also recommend acquiring an extra copy of your transcripts and letters of recommendation, so that you can make scanned copies of them. (I will upload another post discussing the document step in greater detail.)

It is possible to secure an employment offer with only scanned copies of certain documents, but you do need to ultimately provide physical documents. For many programs and hagwons, the physical documents are necessary in order to finalize your employment offer and secure your placement. This in turn allows you to receive a mailed copy of your contract and Notice of Appointment so that you can mail those documents with your visa application, passport, and payment to your nearest Korean embassy. You cannot begin LEGALLY working without your E-2 teaching visa (or F-4 visa for Korean descendants.) Yes, some hagwons might be willing to let you work for them illegally, but I would be wary of that. They can always threaten to contact immigration. (A worse case scenario would be deportation.)

Additional Documents: Or...P.S. More paperwork

There are some additional materials for certain applicants. For my British applicants, you may want to apostille your birth certificate. For my South Africans and Canadians from Quebec, you want to obtain proof that your education was conducted in English.

Most applicants are also able to apply for a Certificate of Residency from your home country's government, specifically the department related to taxes. This document is optional, but it allows most applicants to be exempt from Korean income taxes for up to two years in a public school position.

Also, if you have tattoos, take some photos of them and save them all to one .jpg or .pdf file. You could also save them as one .zip file.

Optional Documents: Or...haha "optional"

These documents may be required for certain positions and are required for certain pay levels. Provide copies of your teaching certificate(s)/license(s). Provide copies of your TEFL/TESOL/CELTA/ESL/ELT certification, especially if you have in-class hours. (If necessary, bring the originals with you to Korea.) For those of you with prior experience, you can also provide proof of full time teaching experience. Another document you can attach to your application is a lesson plan handout or worksheet.

One More Thing: Or...the author really needs better titles

I recommend having a bit of savings before starting this process. Consider the costs of obtaining your passport, transcripts, apostilles, background check, diploma, and mailing everything back and forth within your home country and ultimately to Korea. Some people spent around 100 USD to apply, while others experienced delays and spent a few hundred more than that. Plus, you also have to factor in the money for your plane ticket, medical check, Alien Registration Card (ARC) application, moving expenses, student loans and any other bills back home.

Additionally, you will not be paid until after your first month of working. So, you do need to bring some extra money for living expenses. Usually, it's recommended to bring at least $1,000 USD, but I have seen people survive on much less than that. (They were riding the struggle bus, boat, and train, but it can be done. This is especially true if you avoid excess spending on night life, travel, clothing, expensive restaurants, and other temptations.) That being said, I strongly encourage you to bring at least $1,000 USD to cover any surprise expenses and to feel a little less stressed during the wait for payday. (Bring more if you don't trust your spending habits or just want that nest egg.)

Overall, the application process is shorter than other programs but it's not “short” and you have plenty of time to wait and...potentially worry. Korea is known for its last minute culture. So, remember that last minute notifications are very normal. It’s difficult not to stress, but try not to worry too much if you don't receive replies as quickly as you would like. Do NOT assume that you were rejected; you may simply be notified later. However, do monitor the process, especially if you are using a recruiter. (The recruiters work with dozens of applicants, so they do occasionally make mistakes and forget things.)

The End...of the Beginning: Or...shameless plug

After living in South Korea for almost three years, I finally decided to start this website and YouTube channel. I plan to continue this series with more details concerning each aspect of the application process, such as documents, hagwons vs. public schools, recruiters vs. direct applications, rural vs city placements, work dress code, what to pack/ what not to pack, school culture, hwesiks (school dinners), korean culture in general, and so on. I’ll also post about my travels, reactions to food and music, story times, and even vlogs.

I hope that you found this post useful and feel free to contact me on this website, or on my YouTube, Instagram, Tumblr, or Facebook all @nerdplusinternet or Twitter @nerdplusnet. Also, if you decide to subscribe or follow, then that would be greatly appreciated!

That's all for now. See you next time and best of luck with applying! 화이팅 (fighting!)