As one of the four Asian tigers, South Korea’s economy is one of the most advanced in the world, yet it has kept so much of its unique culture intact. This is one of the reasons that teaching English in South Korea is one of the most popular TEFL destinations in the world.
With high summer temperatures, fabulous palaces, and the exciting metropolis of Seoul to explore, EFL teachers in South Korea will never be stuck for something to do in their spare time.
Demand for EFL teachers is extraordinary, with thousands of students looking to learn English to help them get a job. There are often positions teaching students of all ages available in the country.
Where to find work in South Korea
Many schools and educational institutes use recruiters to fill positions rather than hiring directly, so don’t be surprised if you find this is the best way to get hired – we’ve listed several recruiters below. Getting a job once you’re already in Korea can make it easier to make connections, but it does make it trickier to sort out the visa. If you’re applying to work at a hagwon, insist on speaking to a current member of staff to make sure it’s a reputable company and not one that will land you in contract disputes – if a school refuses, look elsewhere. You want to avoid a disreputable school at all costs, where practices such as eleven-month firings (to avoid paying you your severance pay at the end of a one-year contract) are not unheard of. Hagwon quality varies enormously, and while you’ll hear plenty of horror stories about cowboy operations, there are also plenty of great schools out there – the best thing is to speak to someone on the ground and get a feel for the place. Some schools prefer North American accents, but if you are a native speaker then it shouldn’t be hard to find work. Most jobs are only open to native applicants from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, UK and USA.
Employers in South Korea
Adventure Teaching is a recruitment agency, for positions teaching pre-school to high school. Canadian Connection offers 1-year contracts, paying 1.8 to 2.8 million won per month. You need a degree in an English field, a TEFL certificate, teaching experience, and listed nationality. Chung Dahm has 180 campuses and employs around 1,000 teachers. Graduates from English speaking countries can apply, experience with children is ideal. The EPIK (English Programme in Korea) is run by the Ministry of Education and places around 3,000 graduates in state schools across the country. Find out more information here. Flying Cows is a UK based recruitment company, offering 12-month contracts for teaching positions in Korea. Gyeonggi English Program in Korea (GEPIK) employs around 1,000 teachers for public schools in the Gyeonggi-do province. You’ll be the only native teacher in your school, teaching 22 classes of 45-minutes per week, with optional overtime classes. You can apply as a couple/friendship group as well as on your own. Gone2Korea is a recruitment agency looking for both newbie and seasoned TEFL teachers. You need to be a native speaker of the listed nationality, have a degree, and criminal record check. The Teach and Learn in Korea (TaLK) Program looks for graduates to teach English to elementary kids living in rural areas, 15 hours per week. You need a degree and to be from one of the approved countries. Visit The TEFL Org Jobs Centre to see our latest listings of jobs in South Korea. TEFL Job Korea recruits teachers mostly in Daegu Metropolitan City. Native speakers (with a degree and criminal records check) from participating countries can apply.Only TEFL Org students & graduates can apply for these TEFL jobs in South korea.
Not TEFL Org qualified yet? Take one of our accredited TEFL courses in the UK or online.
