If you’ve ever heard of K-pop, K-drama, or K-beauty, you don’t need an explanation as to why teaching English in South Korea is so popular. In short, Korea is rocking it on all levels of entertainment and beauty, and the country’s rich culture is permeating America. Additionally, South Korea celebrates a host of holidays and traditions -- from Seollal to Chuseok -- you won’t find anywhere else.

Beyond traditions, there are plenty of other reasons teachers choose South Korea over neighboring countries. One major reason is that it’s fairly easy to save money while teaching English in Korea, especially if you live outside of Seoul or are lucky enough to land a university teaching gig. But, even as an elementary school teacher within Seoul (like I was!), it’s possible to save almost $1,000 per month if you spend wisely. Salaries start at about only $22,000 yearly, but living costs are relatively low. Housing, healthcare, restaurant meals, and transportation costs are cheap compared to the U.S.

Qualifications to Teach in South Korea

The easiest answer to most qualification questions about teaching English in South Korea is, “It depends.” Depending on the city, the age of students, and type of school you want to work at, the qualifications differ greatly. However, there are some boxes you should check off across the board.

Requirements:

Be a native English speaker from an approved country -- To teach English on an E-2 visa (assuming you don’t qualify for an F-series visa), you must be a native English speaker from a recognized English-speaking nation such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, or Australia.

Bachelor’s degree -- To legally teach English in South Korea, you must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university. The degree major does not matter.

Clear criminal record check -- In Korea, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a job if you have any charges or convictions because a clean national-level criminal record check is required to receive an E-2 teaching visa. DUI’s and misdemeanors, too, will disqualify you, but don’t worry about traffic violations.

Sometimes Required:

Teaching Certification -- While not all English teaching jobs in Korea require a teaching certificate, most do. A TEFL, TESOL, or CELTA certificate with 100 or more course hours are all equally acceptable. Many private academy jobs don’t care where the accreditation is from or whether it’s done online, but certain public school jobs may require you to have a certain number of “live hours” within a physical classroom.

Nice-to-Have's

Master's degree in relevant field -- While not necessary, if you have a master’s degree in Education, TESOL, Linguistics, or a related field, you may qualify for high-paying university jobs.

A $1,000-$2,000 “Safety Net” - For the most, Korea is a cheap country to live in. However, most jobs won’t pay you until after your first month or two of work. If you arrive to South Korea with less than $1,000, you’ll survive your first month, but you'll be hanging out at home a lot, stealing Wi-Fi from your neighbors and eating a diet of plain rice and tofu.

Some Korean Skills - I didn’t start learning Korean until I was on the plane to Seoul. But, knowing some Korean before you arrive, especially if you aren't going through EPIK, will make your life abroad dramatically easier. Even just learning to sound out hangul letters will help. Additionally, many schools will ask you to speak only English in the classroom. But, sometimes young children will not respond to English commands (such as, “Sit down, please.”) Knowing some Korean can make class time go more smoothly.

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