Frequently Asked Questions

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How much will I be paid?
South Korea currency is called won (KRW). As of 4/25/2005 the exchange rate is 1 US dollar is equal to 999.065 won. The average rate for first year teachers is 1.8 -2.1 million won per month. If you have teaching experience or a TEFL certificate you may be able to negotiate a higher salary. Yes, you will be a millionaire (but only in Korea).

Do I need to be able to speak Korean!?
NO!! In fact, it is desirable for you not to speak Korean. This is because not being able to communicate with the teacher in Korean forces the students to use English to convey what they would like to say. Even if you are learning Korean during your stay you will be discouraged from using it with your students in class. You want your students actually think in English, not just mentally translate English into Korean. An all English atmosphere encourages students to think in English, like a native speaker!

Wait, is my roundtrip flight and apartment really fully paid for!!? What's the catch?
Yes, it's the law in South Korea! Korean schools employing a foreign teacher must pay for a roundtrip flight and provide an apartment. Furthermore, you may schedule a flight of your choosing and your school will reimburse you upon arrival in Korea. This will all be in your contract. There is no catch!

What is the cost of living in South Korea?
While your salary may seem low by your home country’s standards you will be paid quite well by Korean standards. Meals will cost between 3000-10,000 won (around $3-10). If you like going out, you will find drink(s) will also not cost as much as back home, perhaps 20,000 for a night out. To ride the subway or bus can cost less than $1. Depending on your lifestyle, there is plenty of opportunity to come home with money saved. Your salary will be more than enough to live a comfortable lifestyle and save.

Will I have health insurance?
Your Korean school will provide you with full health coverage. You will be responsible for 50% of this cost, but this accounts for about 1.7% of your monthly salary. This will cover all basic medical and dental necessities.
IMPORTANT! – Your medical insurance will not take effect until you have received your Foreign Registration Certificate. You need to register with Korean immigration to receive this and it may take a few weeks. You may want to consider purchasing temporary travel insurance to cover you for this period of time until your government provided insurance becomes effective.

How is the food? Will I like it?
Korean food can be very spicy. The national food, which is a staple at each meal, is kimchi, a spicy fermented cabbage. Korean BBQ is also widely popular. This involves cuts of meat brought to your table and cooked right in front of you. A major theme with Korean food is health. Many Korean foods are based on the health benefits it provides.

What will my apartment be like?
Housing will vary between single and shared apartments. Some single apartments are studio and will seem much smaller than what you are used to by your home country’s standards. All will be western style and furnished with the basic necessities – bed, furniture, tv, washing machine, fridge, table and chairs.

Will I be trained on how to effectively teach Korean children?
Unfortunately, many schools will provide only minimal training. You will, however, be provided with all the teaching materials you need. Many schools will require you to come in early to preapare your lesson plans. Use this time productively and you shouldn’t have a problem. Before you get nervous, it is important to keep in mind that there are thousands of people just like you in Korea right now who went through the same thing and are now excellent teachers! Being creative and having an active imagination is by far the most important characteristic of a successful teacher. If you like being around children and put effort into your lesson planning, you will be fine. You may also find yourself learning as much from your students as they do from you!

Will there be other foreigners teaching at my school or living in the same area?
Seoul is an international metropolis. Everywhere you go you will see people from all different countries. In all of Korea’s major cities there are hundreds of foreigners, most of them teaching English. You will also be teaching with other foreign ESL teachers in your school. In the major cities there is an extensive network set up and if you would like to meet English speaking people, it will be quite easy. Check out the Links page for some sites that can get you in touch with lots of people just like you. These sites are also great to learn about different clubs and events that ex-patriots are interested in.

How will I obtain my working visa?
In order to work in South Korea you need what is called an E-2 visa. This can be obtained at any Korean Consulate. If you are planning to teach English in Korea for the first time, this should all be done before you leave the country. The necessary documents may take some time to gather, but once they've been approved by the immigration office in Korea, the Korean Consulate can issue you a visa in just a couple days.

Where can I find more information about teaching and South Korea in general?
Visit our links page, you should find plenty of useful websites there. Feel free to contact us friendly folk here at anytime. We are here to answer all your questions, concerns and worries. We have been through the same process ourselves, so we understand it can be confusing at times. Again feel free to contact us for questions about anything from your salary to the availability of your favorite shampoo!