5 key things TEFL teachers need to know about South Korea

All the time, people ask us about teaching in South Korea. It’s an amazingly popular TEFL destination, a country that holds enormous intrigue in terms of its history, culture, breathtaking sights and its politics. 

East Asia, more broadly, captivates the attention of TEFL teachers from across the globe, and South Korea, with its megacities like Seoul and Busan, are more than welcome landing spots for highly qualified, motivated educators.

As Ilsa Strough told us in her episode of ‘I Taught English Abroad’ , and as we’ve read in Student Stories , it’s not just the major metropolitan areas of South Korea that hold such appeal. Rural Korea, with its intricately designed temples, stunning views and slower pace of life, is becoming increasingly alluring for TEFL teachers.

What’s important to know about Korean culture, though? What mistakes do you want to steer clear of when you’re visiting the ‘Land of Morning Calm’? Well, like we did for Japanese etiquette , we’re going to tell you 5 things you need to know before heading over.

1. Seniority and rank are important!

“Respect your elders”. It’s a pretty common mantra across the world, but nowhere is it perhaps taken more seriously than in South Korea . 

Showing respect and gratitude to elders in South Korea is massively important. Whether it’s at the dinner table or in the classroom, you must show deference to elders. If someone is older than you at a table, they eat first. If you’re in a classroom with young students, you ought to hold their utmost respect. 

According to zKorean , wearing sunglasses, “lounging around” or eating before elders is totally unacceptable. It’s not necessarily just age, either. In a situation where rank is important, deference is imperative. Wherever you are in the world, you’d expect to get into trouble for disrespecting your head teacher. this is particularly true in South Korea. In a country where national service is mandatory (barring very few exceptions), rank and respect are values that Koreans learn from a very early age.

2. Serving drinks is a serious business

If you’re in company, never pour your own drink. Especially if you’re thinking of pouring your own before you pour for another person.

Drinking alcohol in Korea is full of little, crucial rules. Firstly, you always pour someone else’s drink rather than your own, and you pour with two hands on the bottle. Wait for them to return the favour to you, rather than pouring for yourself.

Soju, perhaps the most popular drink in South Korea, is usually served in shot form. You’ll be expected to drink and eat with colleagues after work, as part of a concept called Hoesik, and there are rules there, too. It’s meant to strengthen your bond with co-workers, and your boss should never have an empty glass. If you’re offered a shot by your boss, it’s impolite to turn it down.

If it sounds like a lot of work, don’t worry - the Koreans have plenty of hangover cures readily available.

3. Silence isn’t a bad thing, especially around food

Silence, especially in the West, can be seen as painfully awkward, especially with colleagues, friends of friends, or - God forbid - on a date. You’ll often find yourself in social situations that revolve around food. If it goes quiet while you’re eating, though, don’t worry.

It’s not necessarily a faux pas to speak when food has been served, but if you want our best advice, we’d suggest that you don’t need to say anything. Normally, South Koreans will eat their dish and continue a conversation afterwards, as opposed to talking and eating. This, of course, eliminates the possibility of hearing and seeing people talk with their mouths full, which we’re sure you’ll agree is a wonderful thing.

Talking (or not) about meals, here’s a bonus etiquette lesson - if you’re offered the “seat of honour” in a Korean dining situation , the polite thing to do is decline unless you’re the oldest person there. Also, thank the host before and after you’ve finished eating. Trust us on that one.

4. Bowing 

You might be familiar with bowing as a Japanese custom, but it's also a very important social practice in South Korea.

Again, we go back to respect - particularly for elders. Nothing demonstrates respect quite like an understated bow, whether you’re entering a restaurant, speaking to someone older, or meeting a colleague. A good rule is if you think a situation demands a bow, then bow.

Respect and “keeping face” are important parts of Korean culture. Much depends on maintaining harmony, a concept known as Kibun . Keeping a harmonious Kibun, and not offending people, really is crucial. Deep, respectful bowing is a part of that.

5. Avoid red ink at all costs!

Some teaching clichés are unavoidable. Hatred of chewing gum. A big, red pen for marking, especially pointing out mistakes!

Well, not in South Korea. The red pen of doom, as we’re hereby calling it, may be a teaching staple in the West, but never, ever use it in South Korea. The simple reason: Koreans believe that writing in red ink indicates death .

It’s not just a faux pas, or a cultural misunderstanding, it’s prohibited by law. According to News18 :

“Historically speaking, the colour red symbolises death in South Korea, so it has been forbidden… the seventh monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea, Grand Prince Suyang, the second son of King Sejong the Great, plotted a coup against his nephew King Danjong. Reportedly, there have been claims that Grand Prince Suyang used red ink to create a hit list of his enemies. One more theory claims that during the Korean War, red ink was used to remove the names of deceased civilians or martyred soldiers.”

At this point, we’d love to add more, but what can you say to that? Keep your red pen at home if you’re planning on finding TEFL teaching jobs in South Korea , and thank us later.

Now you know!

While some things are obvious we hope we’ve alerted you to some of the finer points of Korean etiquette. While Koreans don’t expect you to get everything right at first, they do expect you to know the basics, and behave in a manner befitting their culture.

A final tip: learn some Korean. Again, respect is enormously important, and so learning even some basic phrases demonstrates respect for Korean language and society at large. Get those lessons in before you head over. With today’s language learning tools, there’s really no excuse.

Respect the rules of etiquette in South Korea, and you can expect to get on well with people and have a fantastic time teaching in Busan, Seoul or wherever you choose to go.

잘봐요! (Good luck!)

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