Paid Teaching in South Korea

South Korea is one of the most popular destinations to teach in Asia, and with high wages, excellent teacher benefits, modern school facilities, and supportive workplaces, it’s a perfect place to teach.

This comprehensive teaching programme is suitable whether you have teaching experience or not, with options to complete an in-country TEFL programme (TEFL inclusive option), or to use your pre-existing TEFL or general teaching qualification (placement only option).

Opportunities for placements are available in private language centres and public schools all over the country where you’ll be teaching students anywhere from ages 4 - 15. Contracts are for 12 months minimum, and you can expect to work up to 40 hours a week (23 – 30 hours’ teaching contact time).

The average wage is between 2 and 2.3 million South Korean Won per month (£1,200 - £1,400). Accommodation is included during your placement, and your employer will contribute towards your airfare. It’s a great way to see South Korea without breaking the bank.

If you choose the TEFL inclusive option, you’ll have a full week’s cultural orientation before your course begins. Placement-only travellers will have a weekend of activities before teaching begins.

You’ll have the full support of our team during the visa and placement application process as well as during your placement. Please note that the application process is lengthy and can take up to 4 – 6 months so you’ll want to allow plenty of time. 

TEFL inclusive option only

If you’re not a qualified teacher, and you don’t have a TEFL qualification already, you’ll have to select our TEFL inclusive programme option. The 120-hour course takes place over 4 weeks. You’ll come out with a fully accredited TEFL certificate that is accepted by employers around the world.

The course teaches you theories, strategies, and techniques of teaching English as a second language and gives a good foundation for preparing to live in South Korea. There’s a real focus on teacher creativity, cultural orientation, teaching for all age groups, and extensive teaching practice.

You’ll be based at our South Korean partner’s in-country HQ on Yeonjong Island, Incheon. Located on the airport express subway line, just 40 minutes from downtown Seoul, it’s a great spot with lots of shops, eateries, and green spaces on its doorstep.

The course consists of the following:

• A full week’s cultural orientation, covering South Korean culture, history, politics, and language, as well as several cultural excursions
• Grounding in the theory of teaching English as a second language
• Practical training in teaching listening, reading, speaking, and writing in the classroom
• Lesson planning and presentation skills
• Focus on all age groups but especially young learners
• Guidance on effective classroom management
• At least 16 hours of teaching practice in a local school and / or language centre under instructor supervision (usually in primary schools)

The TEFL course itinerary is as follows:

• Week 1: Cultural orientation week. This week is all about giving you a real grounding in South Korea. Local experts will teach you the basics of Korean language, history, and culture, and take you on lots of exciting cultural excursions in the Incheon area. These include a tour of the Grand Palace, a visit to the Korean War Memorial, a Korean cooking class, a Taekwondo class, a Korean language class, and a K-Pop dance class!
• Week 2: TEFL course. This week will look at the theory of teaching English as a second language, grammar, teaching speaking, and the structure and key elements of a lesson plan. Major assignments are to create a lesson plan for teaching grammar, and presenting a full lesson.
• Week 3: TEFL course. Reading and listening are the focus this week, with major assignments being the creation of lesson plans for teaching reading and listening. You’ll also learn more about teaching young learners, curriculum development, and long term learning goals.
• Week 4: English camp & final exam. During the last week of the course, you’ll learn about classroom management, and you’ll spend several days preparing your lessons for the English camp, which will take place over 2 days of this week. There will also be a final in-class exam.

About your placement

You’ll be teaching mixed ages, but mainly children between the ages of 4 and 15 (age group depends on the school you end up in). Korean children are generally very well behaved, and usually have a basic level of English language.

You’ll either be placed in a public school or a private language centre depending on the course you have picked. If you have picked the placement-only option you can work at a public school. You will probably be teaching at one or the other. 

Please note: If you do the in-country TEFL, you will be placed in a private school.

You’ll be working a 40-hour work week across 5 days on average, with around 20 – 30 hours of that being teaching time. Your school will provide and train you on their specific curriculum. Private language schools do not require much lesson preparation, but you’ll have to do more planning if you’re placed in a public school.

Transport to your placement is not provided. It’s likely you’ll be living within walking distance of your school, or a short bus or train ride away, and public transport is very affordable in South Korea.

Placement benefits

Schools in South Korea provide a great selection of placement benefits to English teachers. These include:

• Flight allowance (this may not be the full amount, depending on the cost of your flight but should cover a minimum of one way. See Minimum Age & Eligibility section for more info)
• Semi-furnished apartment during your placement
• Minimum 50% of your medical insurance is paid by your school (some schools pay the full amount during your placement)
• Paid holidays (10 – 15 days depending on your school)
• End of contract bonus (pay out of roughly 1 month’s salary per year worked)
  
  Pre-trip online cultural foundation course
  
  Your programme cost includes an in-depth online cultural foundation course, which you’ll undertake before travelling. Taking place over 40 hours, the course will prepare you to live, work, and study in South Korea. You’ll gain a deep understanding of the country’s history, culture, geography, and norms, as well as picking up the basics of the Korean language. It’s a really useful platform to prepare you for the transition into Korean society.
  
  Additional in-country costs
  
  If you’re taking the TEFL inclusive option, we’d recommend you bring no less than £2,000 if you’re entering the country on an E2 visa, and £2,500 if you’ll need to do a visa run during your stay. If you’re placement only, you’re looking at £1,300 on an E2.

Dates

The school year in public schools runs from March to January, and private language schools operate year round. If you qualify for the placement only option, we hire all year round (start date determined by your school), although there tend to be fewer placements during December and January. If you need to complete your in-country TEFL training before your placement starts, there are specific start dates for your course, and these will impact on your anticipated contract start date. Please see below for an example of what dates could look like:

Once your visa has been finalised (see Minimum Age & Eligibility section for more info) you can book your flights. You’ll need to fly into Incheon International Airport (ICN). If you are choosing the TEFL inclusive option let us know your flight details, we will arrange for you to be picked up from the airport by one of the in-country team members.

If you’re completing an in-country TEFL course, you should plan to arrive between the Friday and Sunday (lunchtime) before the course start date. We do not advise that you plan to come to Korea any earlier, as this will affect your visa application timeline.

If you are a qualified teacher, or you’ve previously completed a TEFL qualification, your arrival date will be subject to the contract that you sign with your school, usually you will arrive a couple of days prior to beginning teaching.

We recommend that you book a one-way, economy ticket direct to South Korea at an average price. Your airfare will be reimbursed by your employer (this may not be the full amount, depending on the cost of your flight but should cover a minimum of one way). This is usually paid with your first pay check or within 30 – 60 days of your contract start date, although some schools reimburse teachers at the end of their contract. 

Accommodation

Accommodation is included as part of your placement, we have also included your accommodation for the TEFL course in the price. Most accommodation is in one-room or studio apartments. Apartments are clean and comfortable but usually quite small by Western standards. Bathrooms are Asian style wet rooms and the shower, sink, and toilet will probably not be separated. Apartments come semi-furnished but some items such as cutlery, crockery, bedding, towels, and curtains may not be provided.

Utility bills, internet costs, and monthly maintenance fees are not included. You’ll want to allow around 75 – 185 USD a month for these.

Meals are not included as part of the programme.

You’ll need to be between 21 and 40 years of age to join this programme. If you’re over 35, your application will need to be reviewed by our team before it can be accepted.

Previous experience in a professional teaching environment is desirable but not essential, and you do not need to have any Korean language skills to take part in this programme. However, a genuine passion for teaching and mentoring young people is a must, and you should be mature, responsible and feel confident to teach in a classroom environment.

Korean schools set a very high standard for their teachers, so you’ll need to make sure you meet the qualifying criteria, which are as follows:

• Native English speaker and citizen of one of the following countries (UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland) with a clear, easily understood accent
• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in any subject from one of the 7 accepted countries above
• 120hr in class or online TEFL/TEFL/CELTA qualification (unless you’re a qualified teacher, in which case a TEFL qualification is not required)
• Good physical and mental health
• Clean criminal record demonstrated through a ACRO check
• Willing to commit to a minimum of 12 months teaching
• Sufficient funds to cover programme fees and any other associated costs

Please note: If you’re training to be a teacher but haven’t yet completed your degree, you can still apply for this programme, but we won’t be able to start applying to schools on your behalf until your degree certificates are ready. If you have spent more than 4 months living, teaching, or studying abroad, you may need to obtain a criminal background check from this country as well.

Application process

The application process is lengthy (4 – 6 months on average), but we’ll be there to support you every step of the way.

Step 1: Pay your deposit. Secure your place with a low-cost deposit.

Step 2: Application pre-screening. Send us a copy of your CV, a full-length photo, a copy of your passport, introductory video, and 2 letters of reference.

Step 3: Telephone interview. You’ll have a telephone interview with our Gap 360 Teaching Coordinator.

Step 4: Approval from our Korean partner company. We’ll send your application to our partner company in South Korea, who will decide if you are suitable for the programme. If your application is successful, they will approve your application within 24 hours.

Step 5: Pay your balance. Once you’ve been accepted onto the programme, you’ll need to pay the remainder of your final balance (non-refundable) and our partner in Korea will begin your job search.

Step 6: Complete your ACRO check. As you’ll be working with children on this programme, you’ll need to undergo an apostilled ACRO criminal record check, and will need to have a clean criminal record. Once you’ve paid your balance, we’ll send you an online details on how you apply for your ACRO check. Complete the application as soon as possible. The ACRO will then need to be apostilled. This will need to be valid less than 3 months from the start date of the programme. 

Step 7: Visa document collection. Once approval is granted, you’ll need to put together all the documents required by the South Korean government for visa approval. These will need to be sent to our offices in South Korea by courier (at your cost). Required documents include:

• Apostilled* copy of your university degree
• Apostilled ACRO enhanced criminal record check (see step 6)
• Apostilled birth certificate (public school only)
• 2 ink signed letters of reference
• 3 individually sealed copies of university transcripts (keep one and send 2) (public school only)
• E2 Health Form (filled out in ink and date left blank)
• 8 x passport photos (keep 4 and send 4)
• Photocopy of passport name page
• Cover letter and CV
• Application for Confirmation of Visa Issuance Form
• Apostilled certificate of citizenship (if applicable)
• Signed employment contract
• Original signed contract from school (you will receive this from your school employer in South Korea once your interview is successful).
• Original signed self health check list (we will send you this to complete).

* Apostille is a form of legal certification by the UK’s government office. Ask your travel advisor for more information.

Step 8: School interviews.Once visa documents are received, we’ll start scheduling online interviews with potential school employers. Placement is guaranteed for all participants. 

Step 9: Contract offer. If your interview is successful and you are matched with a teaching job, we will send you a contract on behalf of the school. You need to sign this and send back a copy to us via e-mail. A teaching position will only be confirmed on signing the employment contract.

Step 10: Supply the school with your documents. You will be given the address of your new school employer, and you’ll need to send them all your legally required documents (see step 7) by courier.

Step 11: Apply for your E2 working visa. If your placement is secured before the start of the course, and you have enough time to apply for your visa at home before travelling, we’ll send you your visa confirmation number (VCN) and you can take this to the South Korean embassy in your country and apply for your E2 working visa. Working visas are valid for a minimum of one year. If you want to stay longer you’ll need to renew your work permit on a year by year basis.

Please note: If there isn’t enough time to apply for your E2 working visa, your documents aren’t completed by the deadline, or your placement hasn’t been secured before departure, you’ll have to do a visa run from South Korea after your in-country TEFL course. Popular destinations for the run are Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Vietnam. The cost of this trip will need to be covered by you.

Step 12: Book your flights. Once your visa has been finalised you can book your flights. If you’re completing an in-country TEFL course, you can buy your flights in advance (1 – 2 months before the course start date) to secure better prices. You should plan to arrive between the Friday and Sunday (lunchtime) before the course start date. If you are taking the placement only option you should plan to arrive on the date stipulated by your contract before your placement start date. We do not advise that you plan to come to Korea any earlier, as this will affect your visa application timeline.

We recommend that you book a one-way, economy ticket direct to South Korea at an average price. Your airfare will be reimbursed by your employer* (this may not be the full amount, depending on the cost of your flight but should cover a minimum of one way). This is usually paid with your first pay check or within 30 – 60 days of your contract start date, although some schools reimburse teachers at the end of their contract.

*Your flights must be approved by us before you travel. This is to ensure the school approves the cost and you will be reimbursed in full.

Step 13: Pre-departure briefing.Before you leave you will be given a full briefing and pre-departure information, so you’ll feel totally prepared when you go.

Step 14: In-country medical check. Within the first few days of arrival in South Korea, you will be required to undergo a medical check-up (additional cost).In order to pass the medical it is important that there are no drugs in your system and there are not any medical conditions found that you have not disclosed prior to travel.

Please note: Visa rules are subject to change. You should check with the relevant embassies before travelling. 

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