Teach English in Seoul

It’s no stretch to say that Seoul is one of the world's most unique, fascinating cities. A big claim, yes, but consider the landscape of the capital of South Korea. It’s high-tech, filled with skyscrapers and cutting-edge transport. There’s also, though, a real reverence for tradition, with Buddhist temples, busy street markets and a range of palaces dating back hundreds of years. 

Its forward-thinking aesthetic won Seoul the WDO’s Design Capital honours in 2010, while Seoul City Wall has long been a UNESCO Heritage Site. Before we venture into clichéd territory - “Seoul is a land of contrasts” - it is important to note how varied and exciting the capital of South Korea truly is.

Seoul, and South Korea in general, has always held lustre, but the country’s cultural offerings have arguably never been hotter. K-pop is utterly dominant, with groups like BTS and BLACKPINK scoring huge hits. 2012’s ‘Gangnam Style’ was about a district of Seoul. So, you get the idea - Korean culture isn’t just having a moment in the West, it’s here to stay. Little wonder, then, that so many people want to teach English in South Korea specifically in Seoul.

With a fantastic climate, and so much to see and do, Seoul is continually listed as one of the best places to live worldwide. It was already popular before the 2002 World Cup, hosted by Japan and South Korea, but Seoul was beamed to TVs worldwide in the early 2000s and has enjoyed enormous interest from tourists ever since.

So, what’s the job market like in South Korea and Seoul? Are there programmes for prospective TEFL teachers? Can you make a comfortable living as a TEFL teacher in Seoul, and are competitive salaries available? Realistically, can a new TEFL teacher launch a teaching career in the most populous city South Korea has to offer?

Let’s explore one of the most exciting cities the world has to offer.

Requirements to teach English in Seoul

To teach English in Seoul, you will need:

• Bachelor's degree: Any field works, but education or TESOL qualifications shine.
• TEFL/TESOL certification: Master the art of teaching English as a foreign language.
• Native English speaker: Fluency from an approved country opens doors wider.
• E-2 teaching visa: Secure your legal right to work and thrive in Seoul.
• Clean criminal record & health check: Show your commitment to a safe learning environment.

The maximum age for new English teachers in South Korea is 62. These requirements are often what’s needed to attain an E-2 teaching Visa from the South Korean government. Individual employers will have their own requirements, which can include proof of full-time teaching experience, a copy of your TEFL certificate of at least 100 hours (either online or in-person classes) and, if applicable, a copy of your teaching licence or certificate.

English teaching jobs in Seoul 

In a sense, hagwons can function as private language schools, and be covered more broadly when discussing private school jobs. They are certainly an idiosyncrasy in terms of teaching in Korea.

You can also go freelance, of course. With the nature of work in Seoul and the number of prominent businesses, it’s easier than you’d think to run your own small business as an English teacher, and earn a decent salary while teaching in Korea. An important part of being a freelance English teacher for adults in Seoul is adaptability; most lessons will need to be before and after the working day. A good online presence with prominence given to your qualifications and your working hours should find you work with relative ease.

English teaching jobs in Seoul are far from scarce if you're TEFL certified and have all the teaching credentials necessary. If you have designs on teaching English, whether at elementary schools, middle school, public schools or any student age group, you're likely to find a teach abroad opportunity in Korea with plenty of teaching benefits thrown in.

The majority of teaching jobs in Seoul, especially for newer English teachers, are in hagwons, with a wide age range of students, although there are often public school jobs available. There are some jobs in areas like business and universities, although hagwons are more readily employing teachers purely as a function of the type of school they are.

A hagwon is a private, for-profit school for both kids and adults, generally for learning specific subjects. Think of it as something akin to a college or community college, where you study subjects as diverse as gaming and K-pop. The most popular function of hagwons, though, is arguably learning English. Hagwons, especially early on, were either run by predominantly English-speaking teachers, or had extensive English learning departments. These schools earn a collective $15 billion annually, such is their popularity.