Who Can Teach English in Korea?
Teaching English in Korea on an E-2 visa is one of the most accessible paths to living in the country. The core requirements are strict but consistent: you must be a native speaker of English from one of seven eligible countries — the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, or South Africa. You also need a bachelor's degree in any subject from an accredited four-year university.
In addition to the degree, you need a clean criminal background check issued within the last six months, apostilled in your home country. Most schools also want a TEFL, TESOL, or CELTA certificate (typically 100+ hours), though certain public school programs still accept applicants without one. A health check in Korea is required after arrival as part of the visa conversion.
The seven-country rule is not flexible. If your passport is from outside those seven nations, the E-2 visa is not available to you even with perfect English and a degree. Other visa categories (E-1, F-series) may apply in narrow cases.
South Africans are sometimes subject to additional scrutiny and need to prove English was their primary language of education. Bring transcripts showing English-medium schooling.
EPIK vs Hagwon — The Two Main Paths
Almost every first-time English teacher in Korea chooses between two routes: a government-run public school program or a private language academy (hagwon). Each has very different lifestyles, and picking the right one is the single biggest decision you will make before arriving.
| Factor | EPIK / Public School | Hagwon / Private Academy |
|---|
| Salary (monthly) | ₩2,100,000-2,700,000 | ₩2,200,000-3,000,000 |
| Teaching hours | 22 hours/week | 25-30 hours/week |
| Work hours | 8:30am-4:30pm | 1pm-9pm (typical) |
| Vacation | ~18-20 days paid | ~10 days paid |
| Co-teacher | Yes | Usually no |
| Housing | Provided or allowance | Provided or allowance |
| Start dates | March, August (fixed intake) | Rolling, any time |
| Student age | Elementary/Middle/High | Kindergarten to adult |
| Risk level | Low (government-backed) | Variable (some unreliable) |
EPIK (English Program in Korea) is the flagship public school program, supplemented by regional programs like GEPIK (Gyeonggi), SMOE (Seoul), and others. Public school jobs offer stability, real vacation time, a co-teacher to help with discipline, and the security of a government employer. The tradeoff is a longer hiring timeline and fixed intake dates (typically March and August).
Hagwons are private after-school academies, and they dominate the Korean English-teaching market in sheer numbers. They hire year-round, the pay is slightly higher, and classes are smaller. The downside is highly variable quality — some hagwons are excellent and professional, others burn through teachers with broken promises about overtime, vacation, and severance.
If this is your first teaching job abroad, start with EPIK. The structure, vacation, and built-in support community make it a gentler landing, even if the salary is slightly lower than a top hagwon.
The E-2 Visa Application Process
The E-2 visa is a sponsored work visa, meaning you cannot apply until a Korean school has offered you a contract. Once you sign, the school files a work permit request with Korean immigration and sends you a visa issuance number. You then submit the final application at a Korean consulate in your home country.
- Secure a job offer from a licensed school or recruiter
- Sign the contract and send required documents (degree, CBC, photos, passport copy)
- School applies for Visa Issuance Number (takes 2-4 weeks)
- You apply at a Korean consulate with the issuance number (3-10 business days)
- Fly to Korea and clear immigration on the E-2 single-entry sticker
- Within 90 days: complete health check and apply for your Alien Registration Card (ARC) at the local immigration office
- ARC converts your E-2 to multi-entry and is your official ID
Document prep is the hardest part. Your degree and criminal background check must be apostilled — an international certification recognized under the Hague Convention. In the US, this means sending your CBC to the FBI channeler, then to the State Department for apostille. The whole process can take 6-10 weeks, so start early.
Visa and immigration rules change. Always verify current requirements at
hikorea.go.kr or with your Korean consulate before submitting documents. This article is a general overview, not official guidance.
Salaries, Benefits & Cost of Living
Base salaries for English teachers in Korea range from ₩2.1M to ₩3.0M per month, with EPIK paying more for higher levels of experience and certification. On paper this sounds modest, but the real value comes from the benefits package included in almost every contract: free or subsidized housing, a free flight to Korea, severance pay equal to one month's salary per year worked, and enrollment in the national pension and health insurance systems.
- Base salary: ₩2,100,000-3,000,000/month
- Housing: Free single apartment or ₩400,000-500,000 stipend
- Flight reimbursement: Round-trip, paid on arrival and end of contract
- Severance: One month's salary per completed year
- Pension: ~4.5% of salary, refundable to some nationalities on departure
- Health insurance: ~3.5% of salary, covers most medical costs
- Paid sick days and national holidays
In practical terms, most teachers save ₩800,000-1,500,000 per month after living expenses, depending on lifestyle and city. Seoul is the most expensive; smaller cities like Daegu, Gwangju, and Ulsan stretch your salary much further. A single person can live comfortably in Korea on ₩1,000,000 per month outside of Seoul.
US citizens can typically claim the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, which exempts up to $126,500 (2024 limit) of foreign wages from US federal income tax. Still file a US return every year, even if you owe nothing.
What to Expect in the Classroom
Korean classrooms are hierarchical and heavily test-focused. In public schools, you will teach alongside a Korean co-teacher who handles discipline, translation, and administrative tasks. Your role is often to lead speaking and listening activities while the Korean teacher covers grammar and writing. In hagwons, you usually run the whole class solo, though class sizes are smaller (8-15 students instead of 25-35).
Students are generally polite, respectful, and hardworking — Korean academic culture places enormous value on education. The biggest adjustment for Western teachers is often the pace: Korean curricula move quickly, and students are used to memorization-heavy instruction. Expect to introduce games, songs, and conversation activities to keep engagement high, especially with younger students.
Korean kindergarten and elementary students respond brilliantly to enthusiasm. If you are considering hagwons, visit one if possible — the kindergarten shift (often called a kindy hagwon) starts at 9am and finishes at 6pm, more compatible with normal social life than evening academies.
Red Flags & How to Vet a Contract
EPIK contracts are standardized and safe. Hagwon contracts are where most horror stories happen, so vetting is essential. Before signing anything, search the school's name on ESL job forums like Dave's ESL Cafe, Reddit r/korea, and Waygook. If a school has a pattern of complaints about unpaid severance, fake contracts, or unauthorized overtime, the warnings are almost always real.
- Promised salary not written in the contract — do not sign
- Vacation days fewer than 10 per year — below market minimum
- Required unpaid overtime or weekend events — negotiate or walk away
- No severance pay clause — illegal under Korean labor law
- Vague housing clause — get the address and photos before flying
- Pressure to sign within 24 hours — legitimate schools give you days
- Request to teach before ARC is issued — technically illegal
- No pension/health insurance enrollment — illegal and loses you money
Severance pay is mandatory under Korean labor law for any contract of one year or more — it is equal to one month's salary per year worked. If a contract excludes it or promises it "at the school's discretion," that is a clear red flag.
Reputable recruiters (Korvia, Teach Away, Adventure Teaching, Reach To Teach, Footprints) place teachers at schools they have long-term relationships with and will steer you away from problematic employers. Recruiters are free to the job seeker — they are paid by the school. Working with one your first time is almost always worth it.
Who Can Teach English in Korea?
Teaching English in Korea on an E-2 visa is one of the most accessible paths to living in the country. The core requirements are strict but consistent: you must be a native speaker of English from one of seven eligible countries — the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, or South Africa. You also need a bachelor's degree in any subject from an accredited four-year university.
In addition to the degree, you need a clean criminal background check issued within the last six months, apostilled in your home country. Most schools also want a TEFL, TESOL, or CELTA certificate (typically 100+ hours), though certain public school programs still accept applicants without one. A health check in Korea is required after arrival as part of the visa conversion.
The seven-country rule is not flexible. If your passport is from outside those seven nations, the E-2 visa is not available to you even with perfect English and a degree. Other visa categories (E-1, F-series) may apply in narrow cases.
South Africans are sometimes subject to additional scrutiny and need to prove English was their primary language of education. Bring transcripts showing English-medium schooling.
EPIK vs Hagwon — The Two Main Paths
Almost every first-time English teacher in Korea chooses between two routes: a government-run public school program or a private language academy (hagwon). Each has very different lifestyles, and picking the right one is the single biggest decision you will make before arriving.
| Factor | EPIK / Public School | Hagwon / Private Academy |
|---|
| Salary (monthly) | ₩2,100,000-2,700,000 | ₩2,200,000-3,000,000 |
| Teaching hours | 22 hours/week | 25-30 hours/week |
| Work hours | 8:30am-4:30pm | 1pm-9pm (typical) |
| Vacation | ~18-20 days paid | ~10 days paid |
| Co-teacher | Yes | Usually no |
| Housing | Provided or allowance | Provided or allowance |
| Start dates | March, August (fixed intake) | Rolling, any time |
| Student age | Elementary/Middle/High | Kindergarten to adult |
| Risk level | Low (government-backed) | Variable (some unreliable) |
EPIK (English Program in Korea) is the flagship public school program, supplemented by regional programs like GEPIK (Gyeonggi), SMOE (Seoul), and others. Public school jobs offer stability, real vacation time, a co-teacher to help with discipline, and the security of a government employer. The tradeoff is a longer hiring timeline and fixed intake dates (typically March and August).
Hagwons are private after-school academies, and they dominate the Korean English-teaching market in sheer numbers. They hire year-round, the pay is slightly higher, and classes are smaller. The downside is highly variable quality — some hagwons are excellent and professional, others burn through teachers with broken promises about overtime, vacation, and severance.
If this is your first teaching job abroad, start with EPIK. The structure, vacation, and built-in support community make it a gentler landing, even if the salary is slightly lower than a top hagwon.
The E-2 Visa Application Process
The E-2 visa is a sponsored work visa, meaning you cannot apply until a Korean school has offered you a contract. Once you sign, the school files a work permit request with Korean immigration and sends you a visa issuance number. You then submit the final application at a Korean consulate in your home country.
- Secure a job offer from a licensed school or recruiter
- Sign the contract and send required documents (degree, CBC, photos, passport copy)
- School applies for Visa Issuance Number (takes 2-4 weeks)
- You apply at a Korean consulate with the issuance number (3-10 business days)
- Fly to Korea and clear immigration on the E-2 single-entry sticker
- Within 90 days: complete health check and apply for your Alien Registration Card (ARC) at the local immigration office
- ARC converts your E-2 to multi-entry and is your official ID
Document prep is the hardest part. Your degree and criminal background check must be apostilled — an international certification recognized under the Hague Convention. In the US, this means sending your CBC to the FBI channeler, then to the State Department for apostille. The whole process can take 6-10 weeks, so start early.
Visa and immigration rules change. Always verify current requirements at
hikorea.go.kr or with your Korean consulate before submitting documents. This article is a general overview, not official guidance.
Salaries, Benefits & Cost of Living
Base salaries for English teachers in Korea range from ₩2.1M to ₩3.0M per month, with EPIK paying more for higher levels of experience and certification. On paper this sounds modest, but the real value comes from the benefits package included in almost every contract: free or subsidized housing, a free flight to Korea, severance pay equal to one month's salary per year worked, and enrollment in the national pension and health insurance systems.
- Base salary: ₩2,100,000-3,000,000/month
- Housing: Free single apartment or ₩400,000-500,000 stipend
- Flight reimbursement: Round-trip, paid on arrival and end of contract
- Severance: One month's salary per completed year
- Pension: ~4.5% of salary, refundable to some nationalities on departure
- Health insurance: ~3.5% of salary, covers most medical costs
- Paid sick days and national holidays
In practical terms, most teachers save ₩800,000-1,500,000 per month after living expenses, depending on lifestyle and city. Seoul is the most expensive; smaller cities like Daegu, Gwangju, and Ulsan stretch your salary much further. A single person can live comfortably in Korea on ₩1,000,000 per month outside of Seoul.
US citizens can typically claim the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, which exempts up to $126,500 (2024 limit) of foreign wages from US federal income tax. Still file a US return every year, even if you owe nothing.
What to Expect in the Classroom
Korean classrooms are hierarchical and heavily test-focused. In public schools, you will teach alongside a Korean co-teacher who handles discipline, translation, and administrative tasks. Your role is often to lead speaking and listening activities while the Korean teacher covers grammar and writing. In hagwons, you usually run the whole class solo, though class sizes are smaller (8-15 students instead of 25-35).
Students are generally polite, respectful, and hardworking — Korean academic culture places enormous value on education. The biggest adjustment for Western teachers is often the pace: Korean curricula move quickly, and students are used to memorization-heavy instruction. Expect to introduce games, songs, and conversation activities to keep engagement high, especially with younger students.
Korean kindergarten and elementary students respond brilliantly to enthusiasm. If you are considering hagwons, visit one if possible — the kindergarten shift (often called a kindy hagwon) starts at 9am and finishes at 6pm, more compatible with normal social life than evening academies.
Red Flags & How to Vet a Contract
EPIK contracts are standardized and safe. Hagwon contracts are where most horror stories happen, so vetting is essential. Before signing anything, search the school's name on ESL job forums like Dave's ESL Cafe, Reddit r/korea, and Waygook. If a school has a pattern of complaints about unpaid severance, fake contracts, or unauthorized overtime, the warnings are almost always real.
- Promised salary not written in the contract — do not sign
- Vacation days fewer than 10 per year — below market minimum
- Required unpaid overtime or weekend events — negotiate or walk away
- No severance pay clause — illegal under Korean labor law
- Vague housing clause — get the address and photos before flying
- Pressure to sign within 24 hours — legitimate schools give you days
- Request to teach before ARC is issued — technically illegal
- No pension/health insurance enrollment — illegal and loses you money
Severance pay is mandatory under Korean labor law for any contract of one year or more — it is equal to one month's salary per year worked. If a contract excludes it or promises it "at the school's discretion," that is a clear red flag.
Reputable recruiters (Korvia, Teach Away, Adventure Teaching, Reach To Teach, Footprints) place teachers at schools they have long-term relationships with and will steer you away from problematic employers. Recruiters are free to the job seeker — they are paid by the school. Working with one your first time is almost always worth it.