Requirements For Teaching English In South Korea In 2024

Working abroad seems like a dream to many, and some jobs are easier than others to obtain on the road. Teaching English is one of the simplest ways to work in a foreign country, with South Korea one of the most popular places due to the salaries, perks and quantity of jobs available. But what are the requirements for teaching English in South Korea in 2024?

They are to be a native speaker, pay the appropriate visa fees, hold a TEFL certification and a university degree, have a clean criminal record, and have a clean bill of health. However, having taught English in South Korea since August 2023, I can go into detail here and tell you everything you need to know on this subject. So let’s get stuck into all the useful information you need to know.

Do I Need To Be A Native English Speaker?

Technically, yes. In fact the rules go further than that. You need to be from one of seven approved English-speaking countries to qualify for a visa: UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or South Africa.

This is bad news for native speakers from other countries that aren’t listed above. If you are from Belize, many Caribbean islands, or one of several African countries where English is the native language, you do not qualify as a “native speaker” in the eyes of the South Korean job market. Sorry folks, I don’t make the rules…

However, I do know many cases of non-native speakers getting English teaching jobs in South Korea. You read that right, not native speakers from countries outside “the big 7” but non-natives.

This is illegal, however many schools, particularly hagwons (private academies) often bend the rules and see what they can get away with. Non-native speakers working here will generally arrive on other visas such as the working holiday visa which enables long-term stays, and find employment whilst in the country. This visa is generally limited to people between the ages of 18 and 30, with a few exceptions (Japanese people only qualify up until 25, and other nationalities can apply up until 34 or 35). I’ll repeat: this is illegal… It doesn’t stop many foreigners successfully doing this however.

What Qualifications Do You Need To Teach English In South Korea?

You need a Bachelors degree in any subject, and a TEFL certification. Let’s explain both in a little more detail.

Bachelor’s Degree

As stated, it can be in any subject. South Korean schools often claim they are looking for a 4-year degree. However, if you are from the UK, a 3-year degree is pretty standard and won’t hinder your application at all.

If your degree is in teaching English, or if you have a master’s degree, even better! These will not only increase your chances of getting a job here, but also make you eligible for better paid positions, including those in universities and international schools.

You cannot legally work as an English teacher over here without a degree.

TEFL Certificate

A TEFL certification of 120 hours or more is required to become an English teacher in South Korea. A minimum of a 120-hour certificate is the industry standard, any less than this and you will still be eligible, but employers look a lot less favourably at these and you will be at a major disadvantage.

There are plenty of online TEFL courses out there. I went with the 120-hour Premier TEFL course which costs £118.24 (US$149) as of March 2024. This is widely accepted and I found it fairly easy to get a job out here after completing this.

Do I Need Any Experience To Teach English In South Korea?

No. Obviously experience doesn’t hurt, and can be a good negotiating tool to receive a better pay packet, but you can teach English in South Korea without any experience. I am one of many who came out here without any experience. They asked during the interview if I had some, I told them no and still got the job! Schools are much more interested in your qualifications, general competence and clean-cut image here.

Do I Need A Clean Criminal Record To Teach In South Korea?

Yes. You will not be granted a visa to work in South Korea unless you have a clean criminal background. It does not matter how long ago or how minor any offence may have been.

Can I Teach English With Health Problems Or A Disability?

It depends, but there is a high chance you will be denied a visa if you have any issues. You have to fill in a health statement as a part of the visa application process. There are four questions on the health statement:

• 1) “Have you ever had any infectious diseases that threatened the public health before?” It goes on to specifically name cholera, viral Hepatitis A, Tuberculosis and AIDS, although this question is not limited to just these illnesses
• 2) “Have you ever taken any drug or have you ever been addicted to alcohol in the last 5 years?”
• 3) “Have you ever received treatment for mental, neurotic or emotional disorders?”
• 4) “Have you had any serious diseases or injuries in the last 5 years?”

If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, your visa application will almost certainly be denied. They don’t mess around in Korea. Just a day before writing this, a close friend of mine had his EPIK (public school) application rejected for disclosing a minor disability.

Even if you pass the application process and receive a visa, you will have to undergo a health check at a hospital shortly after arriving in South Korea. The check involves height and weight measurements, x-rays of your chest and blood tests. In accordance with Korea’s fast-paced “pali-pali” culture, you will undergo all of these checks with barely a second to breathe. I was grabbed, shoved into an x-ray machine and kicked out of the room within seconds of entering. Even the automated height and weight machine took measurements before I’d even had a chance to stand up straight.

You should receive the results within a couple of weeks. Most health checks pass without issue, although any serious issues uncovered may lead to your visa being cancelled.

You will have to pay around £33 (US$42) out of your own pocket for the health check, although this figure could vary slightly depending on the hospital you go to.

What Visa Do I Need To Teach English In South Korea?

In almost all cases, foreigners will be applying for an E-2 visa. This visa is specific to foreign teachers coming over to teach English at a public or private school. In much rarer cases, F visa holders are also able to work here. The F visa is mostly granted to people who have a Korean spouse or Korean residency. It is also granted to overseas Koreans (gyopos) although some private hagwons are reluctant to hire gyopos as there are many Korean parents who are insistent on their children being taught English by native speakers.

This is a big cultural thing. There’s no law preventing gyopos from working as “native English teachers” but they will most likely find it harder to get a job teaching English.

To obtain an E-2 visa, you will require your CV, a copy of your passport, a photo, a visa issuance number (your school will assist you with this after you have received a job offer) and apostilled copies of your bachelor’s degree and criminal background check.

How Much Does The E-2 Visa Cost?

The visa itself costs £150 (US$189.01). Although there are other necessary costs on top of this. The other costs will vary depending on your country and where you apply, however mine were as follows:

• £18 (US$22.68) for a criminal record check
• £210 (US$264.62) for apostilles for both the criminal record check and the bachelor’s degree

This brings the total cost up to £378 (US$476.31). So just remember you will also need to put this amount of money aside as a requirement for your application.

Do I Need To Speak Korean To Work As An English Teacher In South Korea?

No. You do not need to know a single word of Korean to find work teaching over here. The expectation is that foreign English teachers will not know any of the local language.

In many cases, you will work with a Korean co-teacher who will take charge of anything that requires communication in Korean. Usually disciplinary matters and liaising with parents. Schools generally have a good mixture of native Korean teachers and foreign English speakers, with the two playing different roles within the school, so don’t worry about any language barrier issues at work.

Speaking Korean will have more usage travelling around the country. I’ve been on many solo trips in Korea and found that outside the main tourist spots, there are sometimes language barriers to overcome.

Is It Easy To Find A Job In South Korea If I Meet All Of The Above Criteria?

If you meet all of the requirements for teaching English in South Korea listed above, then yes, it is fairly easy to find a job here. Most people will apply to EPIK, the main program to work in public schools. EPIK offers a lot more stability than hagwons (private schools – the main alternative to EPIK), which makes it the popular choice.

My EPIK application fell through on a minor technicality (I could obtain references, but not on official letterheads as requested because my former employer did not have access to these). My friend’s EPIK application also failed, as mentioned earlier, because he declared a disability. From what I’ve heard, it’s fairly easy to get into EPIK if you don’t trip up on minor aspects of the application process along the way.

Even if you don’t get into EPIK, hagwons are very easy to find jobs with. They might be a little trickier in Seoul, because most native English speakers who teach abroad in Korea want to work in the capital. Elsewhere however, demand for teachers outweighs supply. And they hire at any time of year.

I applied for two hagwon jobs, and was interviewed for them back-to-back. One is where I work right now, and the other which rejected me is based in Seoul. Although it is still easy to do a day trip to Seoul from here, which I’d recommend doing several times if you don’t get a job in the capital. On the weekends you can even book a place in the capital and do a 2-day Seoul trip instead.

If you can get a job here, you will be able to spend your weekends checking out incredible places such as Gyeongbokgung Palace, Ikseon-dong Hanok Village, Beopjusa Temple, Jeju Island, the DMZ and so much more.

If you wish to find out more information, I wrote a beginner’s guide to teaching English in South Korea with everything you need to know. Go check it out and comment below if you have any further questions. I will be more than happy to help you!