Paid Teaching in South Korea

In order to be eligible for the paid teaching programme you must:

• Be a degree holder with minimum of a bachelor degree in any field of study or a university diploma in English or Education
• Complete the 120-hour TEFL course (or already hold this qualification)
• Applicants must be native English speakers and passport holders of the following countries: The United States, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Ireland
• Be aged between 21-40
• No criminal history
• No visible tattoos or piercings
• Be in good physical and mental health and complete a medical check up on arrival in South Korea
• Be able to commit to a 12 month teaching contract
• Be fully vaccinated against covid 19

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

Please note: If you have not yet completed your degree you can still apply for this programme, however the placement team will not be able to start sending your application to schools until you have your degree certificates and other documentation ready.

Covid Vaccination

Please note that there is a strong possibility that schools will require all teachers to be vaccinated against covid 19 in order to offer them a teaching contract. Due to the wider availability of vaccines in the west, we strongly recommend you obtain your vaccines before arrival in South Korea. 

Application Process

Step 1: Book your place with a £199 deposit.

Step 2: Send us a copy of your CV, a full-length photo, a copy of your degree certificate(s) and a copy of your passport so we can approve your application.

Step 3: You will have a telephone interview with our Gap 360 Teaching Coordinator.

Step 4: We will 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, our partner company will approve your application within 24 hours.

Step 5: Once you have been accepted onto the programme, you will now need to pay the remainder of your final balance, which is non-refundable. Our partner in Korea will begin your job search.

Step 6: You should begin your 4 week online TEFL course as soon as you can.

Step 7: You will now need to put together a number of documents which are required by the South Korean government before they will approve your visa and application to teach. Please Note: The South Korean visa application process is very strict and your visa will not be granted unless all necessary documents are provided. Documents include:

• Two copies of your University Degree with Appostille (legal certification by UK government office). Please request two sets and keep one for your records or as a backup. We can give you more advice on how to obtain an Appostille certification.
• 4 x Passport photos (please make sure that all photos are in colour).
• Photocopy of passport (information page and signature page).
• DBS Enhanced Criminal Record Check dated less than 6 months old from time of entry to Korea (this must be Appostilled by your local Legislation Office). You will need to send the original plus a copy.
• 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).

Step 8: Our partner company in South Korea will send your profile to potential school employers.  If a school expresses an interest in employing you, we will then schedule a Skype or telephone interview with the prospective employer.

Step 9: 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: You will be given the address of your new school employer and you will need to send them all your legally required documents (listed above) by courier. Courier costs must be paid by you and responsibility for the documents arriving safely lies with you. We recommend you use a reputable and reliable courier company.

Step 11: We will send you your visa number, which you will need to take to the South Korean Embassy to apply for your visa within 48 hours of receiving your number. Visas cost between USD40-50 and this price is extra to the trip cost.

Step 12: Once you have finalised your visa and your placement in South Korea has been confirmed, you should then arrange your flights. You will be paid a fixed flight allowance to put towards these costs within a month of arrival in South Korea.

Step 13: Before you leave you will be given a full briefing and pre-departure information.

Step 14: Within the first few days of arrival in South Korea, you will be required to undergo a medical check-up (this is at an extra cost of USD100).

Medical Check

Within a few days of your arrival in South Korea, all teachers are required to have a medical check-up. The medical check costs USD100 and this extra cost must be covered by you and is not included in the trip 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.

DBS

On this particular programme, as you’ll be working with children, you’ll need to undergo an enhanced DBS previously known as CRB, or Criminal Record Bureau check and will need to have a clean criminal record. This check must be dated less than 6 months old from your date of entry to Korea.

DBS checks may list past convictions, cautions, reprimands, warnings, and if applicable will show whether or not you have been barred from working with certain vulnerable groups. Non-conviction information such as fixed penalties may also be included.

There is an addition cost for the DBS check, please speak to your travel advisor at the time of booking. The DBS process is in 3 stages:

1. Once we receive your booking payment, you will then be sent an online application link for the DBS check, which you will need to complete.

2. Once you have completed the application, the DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) will need verification of your identity - to do this you will need to take 3 original documents to your nearest crown post office and use their DBS and ID verification service. This costs approximately £9 and is payable directly to the Post Office.

3. Once the post office verification is done it usually takes up to 2 weeks for your DBS to be processed, and your DBS will be sent to you directly in the post.