Apply to teach in Korea at a public school (2024)

If you have a thirst for travel, want to teach on a well established, government program and hold a Bachelor's degree, why not teach English at a public school in Korea! 💚✨

Public School Teaching Jobs in Korea - Start February or August

Teaching English in Korea offers you a unique opportunity to part of a local community, share your knowledge and experience exciting new cultural horizons!

From laid-back beach-side town to traditional rural community to buzzing metropolis, we can help you secure the location that you really want.

What's included

• KRW1.9 - 2.7 Million monthly (depending on experience)
• KRW1,300,000 Entrance Allowance to cover flight cost into Korea
• KRW1,300,000 Exit Allowance upon completion of contract
• Rural Allowance + Provincial allowance (depending on location)
• KRW300,000 Settlement Allowance (one-time payment)
• Free fully furnished housing or, where housing is not available, a rent subsidy of KRW400,000
• 3 Weeks PAID vacation (8 day summer recess, 10 day winter recess) + approximately 12 national holidays
• 22 hours of class teaching required per week
• Overtime pay or KRW20,000 per hour per supplementary class
• Severance pay equivalent to one month's salary
• Tax exemption for 2 years apart from Irish & Canadians due to lack of ROK Treaty
• Compulsory medical insurance - 50% of premiums paid by employer
• National Pension scheme - 50% of contributions paid by employer
• Full 8 day orientation
• One year contract
• All national holidays

When it came to arriving in South Korea, ESLstarter continued to be of assistance, and arranged for Phil to meet those arriving at Incheon Airport and ensure that we all knew where to go to greet the EPIK staff.

Laura Robbins, Gwangju

Dates for teaching in Korea

Spring term: February, March and some Aprilor Fall term: August, September, October

PLEASE NOTE: positions tend to fill up extremely quickly so it is best to apply as early as possible. Please note that the deadlines above are subject to change.

About public school teaching jobs in Korea

• Teach just 22 classes per week
• Very stable working conditions - this program is sponsored by the Korean government
• Receive a salary of at least 1.9 Million KRW per month
• More benefits include a free, fully furnished private apartment + airfare allowances + settlement allowance + completion bonus + generous vacations + medical insurance
• Share this experience with 100s of other native English teachers
• Korean co-teacher in every class
• Full training and orientation
• No experience necessary!

Destination South Korea

A country of soaring mountains, ancient fortresses, resplendent palaces, futuristic cities and 50 million welcoming hand-shakes, Korea offers an endless array of experiences! Slurp at mouthwatering kimchi soup, check-out ancient temples hidden amongst Seoul's tangled side-streets, soak up the bohemian atmosphere of remote mountain towns or just unwind in one of Korea's soothing hot spring spas. The ''Soul of Asia'' welcomes you!

I'm teaching and living in the north of Seoul and have loved every single day so far. The teaching is fun, all my new friends are amazing and Seoul is a great place to live!

Pete Christie, Seoul

Why apply through ESLstarter?

• Successfully placed over 800 teachers onto the EPIK program
• Reselected as an official public school recruiter for the previous 5 years
• Provide full guidance & support throughout application process maximizing your chances of success
• Expert feedback on initial documents to reduce the chance of unsuccessful application at the first screening stage
• Interview tips and guidance
• Full visa document checking service which will speed up your application and help you to save money on mailing costs
• 100s of testimonials from previous teachers who applied through ESLstarter
• Extremely high application success rate
• Greeting at Incheon airport upon arrival in Korea from an ESLstarter representative
• Free Lonely Planet E-Guide to successful ESLstarter teachers
• Access to Facebook group where you can meet and chat to other ESLstarter EPIK teachers
• Speedy & completely FREE recruitment service!

FAQs

How can I teach English in Korea?

You can teach English in Korea by being a native and fluent English speaker with a clean criminal record. You’ll also be able to start your teaching journey in Korea by obtaining or already holding a TEFL certificate as well as a Bachelor’s degree in any field, not necessarily in the field of Education. No experience is necessary! Whether you’re an already experienced or first-time teacher, Korea will still welcome you to further or kickstart your TEFL career! You will also be able to teach in Korea by being culturally adaptable and open to working closely with co-teachers to assist with all English language duties – from conducting conversation classes to demonstrating a good command of written and spoken English.

What’s it like to teach in Korea?

Due to the availability of a variety of teaching jobs in Korea nationwide, you’ll find that you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing a location. You can choose from a number of provinces such as the natural treasures of Gyeongbuk – or you may wish to reside in one of Korea’s many metropolitan cities like the capital and cultural marvel that is Seoul. Wherever you may choose to teach in Korea, it will still be possible for you to save some of your monthly salary due to free furnished housing and a low cost of living for TEFL teachers. Therefore, you’ll be able to teach in your local area as well as spend your free time exploring all these other locations Korea has on offer! Contracts to teach in Korea last for 12 months and in this time, you may teach to learners from the ages of Kindergarten to Elementary or as high as Middle school.

What is the salary for teaching jobs in Korea?

Depending on your chosen location and qualifications, TEFL jobs in Korea can earn you a salary of up to 2.8 million KRW, equivalent to over £1,700 per month. With this salary also comes the potential for a high number of financial benefits, from Settlement as well as Entrance and Exit allowance, medical insurance (giving you high medical care at a fraction of usual cost), 3 weeks paid vacation including Korean national holidays, enrolment in the Korean Pension scheme and severance pay equal to a month’s salary. You will be able to save this salary every month due to English teachers in Korea being provided free furnished housing and a low cost of living.

Can I be an English teacher in Korea without a degree?

If you wish to be an English teacher in Korea, you’ll need to hold at least a Bachelor’s degree in order to be eligible for a number of TEFL roles nationwide. Although a Bachelor’s degree is required, it doesn’t necessarily have to be in the field of Education and can in fact be in any other discipline. Regardless of if you hold a degree or not, you’ll definitely need to possess a TEFL/TESOL/CELTA certificate. A less strict requirement is that you don’t need to have a number of years teaching experience, as teaching roles in Korea are also available to newly certified teachers. However, you’ll need to apply your newly learnt TEFL knowledge in order to adapt the skills needed to teach your Korean learners efficiently.

What are 3 of the main benefits of taking a TEFL job in Korea?

One fantastic benefit that comes when you decide to teach in Korea is the high number of locations available nationwide for you to teach learners: from the southern province of Gyeongnam to the highly popular TEFL destination of Seoul. Although you’ll have to possess both a TEFL certificate and Bachelor’s degree in any field to qualify to teach English in Korea, you won’t need any number of years' experience teaching! This makes teaching English in Korea not only available to experienced teachers but also for first-timers! Instead of referring back to past teaching experiences, you’ll instead be able to use your acquired knowledge from your chosen TEFL course to provide your learners with the best and most efficient lesson you can! Being a TEFL teacher in Korea will also provide you with a great salary of up to 2.8 million KRW along with other financial benefits – and because of Korea being a cost efficient country to live in, you will be able to save plenty of your monthly salary.