r/teachinginkorea

Hi everyone I complete my first month teaching on a freelancer contract. I’m aware health insurance will automatically contact me for my payment but I was wondering about the other monthly tax payments i need to do .. can anyone provide any assistance ? I’m also a British citizen so not sure if that makes a difference or not

My contract at my current school ends on a holiday when no one is working. I just got a message saying I need to be moved out first thing in the morning of this day. Legally I can stay the full day until midnight as it’s my last “working day” per my contract, correct?

My previous schools let me stay until the following morning after my contract end date. I don’t care if my current school were to let me do that, but I want to double-check that even if it’s a holiday on that day, I am still owed the full day because it’s the end date of my contract.

A bit of background about me. I was a former ESL Teacher in Vietnam for 6 years. After that, I went back to America and started a business in the financial industry. I am now in my mid-30s, and I would classify myself as "semi-retired."

I hold two master's degrees. I have an MBA and an M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction.

I would like to move back to Asia and work for a school. However, I would prefer to work in a position other than a classroom teacher. I am just beginning my research on Korea and was wondering if anyone had any insight or maybe the best websites to look for a job?

Willing to relocate. No wife or kids. No criminal background.

I’m trying to decide between two schools I recently interviewed with and would appreciate some outside perspective.

School A seemed more organized and was very forthcoming when answering my questions. They gave clear answers about the workload, schedule, expectations, prep time, and general work environment. The downside is that the salary is lower.

School B offers a higher salary and is also much closer to where I live, which would make my commute much easier. However, during the interview/follow-up, they did not fully answer all of the questions I had. Some things still feel a bit unclear, especially regarding the day-to-day workload and expectations.

I know salary and commute are important, but I’m also worried that a school being vague before signing could be a red flag later on.

For those with experience teaching in Korea, how much weight would you give to transparency during the interview process compared to higher pay and a better location? Would you choose the school that seems more upfront but pays less, or the one that pays more and is closer but has been less clear with answers? Both are great one is newer than the other, but I am having a tough time choosing which one I should go with.

Update as of July 6th. I have a lot to think about. Both have pros and cons of course. And I did get more of a detailed reply from the second school (thankfully). Should I post the questions and answers to both schools?

There’s no shortage of nosy boss stories and this isn’t exclusively a Korea thing.

But let’s break this down. Let’s say you need an advance. Why? Doesn’t matter. Life happens and you’ve earned that money. You are legally entitled to it and you need it a little earlier than scheduled.

Many bosses will demand a full explanation. Maybe they’re worried you’re preparing a midnight run. Maybe they have megalomaniacal tendencies. But you have three options. First, you can stand on reason and say it’s nunya and catch flack. Second, you can fess up and now your boss knows too much about your real life. Third, you lie.

Always take door #3, Monty! Do not merely lie, spill the spurious tea like it’s 1770’s Boston and you’re in a racially insensitive Native American costume! Go big! Weave a tale so long-winded and complicated and inane that your boss will regret ever letting you into their office.

“You know what, I’m glad you asked, bossman! I am absolutely fuming over this. So, I built my home PC from scratch. It’s not that difficult to do, if blah blah blah. So, I was looking for some RAM etc etc etc. The guy gave me a XS350 which is not the XL350 that he advertised. Jargon jargon jargon. So, I go to the police station and they’re all yadda yadda yadda. So I do this thing and the guy is like that and then I’m back at the police station and it’s uuuugh. So in summary, I spent ₩1,000,000 getting this part I needed and I’m almost out of lunch money.”

They want to get up in your business, give them way too much business and not a shred of it true. Waste an absolute maximum of their time. That’s what busybodies deserve.

hello everyone! I received my placement in jeonnam for fall 2026 and was wondering if anyone has any experience teaching in this province and would like to share! I'm still trying to get an idea and want to know more of what to expect since I know there's a lot more rural cities in the province. if anyone knows any jeonnam kakao chats or any other chat groups please let me know as well!

I work in a small hagwon. Less than 10 teachers. When I first started out, the vibe was great and everyone got along fine. 4 months in and the divide is very evident. I am not in the thick of it. I don't care about the tiffs or arguments others have here. I just do my work and go home. But jeez, sometimes I wonder what goes on in the mind of Korean coworkers. So many masks..

Hi everyone, I have a regular hagwon job but I also teach on a US based platform for extra money. I do it legally, pay taxes on the earnings and have the correct visa etc. I can't choose the students or the pay since the company does that. However some of the studentd are Korean. I am curious for remote teaching through an international platform if I am supposed to register as a tutor through MOE? I don't know if its possible since Its online and also I don't have access to students real names or addresses, and MOE requires this information. I will call and ask but just wondering if anyone knows. Since they probably won't know themselves hahaha

I was desperate, because my current school closed down, and I had little time or options to look around.

I am very limited by my choice for a school, owing to my location, which I have to remain in; and I'm based near Incheon.

I have agreed to join a school which I really don't want to go to, because they're Prep/Kindy age. 8-5pm. I have been given 6 year olds, as a kind of homeroom teacher, supported by a Korean co teacher. The pay is ok, like 3.7, though I think I could have got 3.9. Even so, that's not exactly earth shattering. I'm just a bit too old for this age group, feel burnt out, and also know I'm diffefently qualified (Masters, Qualified teacher, 11 years experience covering between 10-20 years old). I'm F Visa too.

I just feel a real sense of dread...

I much prefer Secondary age, or even High School - University, but I know that is a little unrealistic given the scarcity and requirements of these jobs.

Do I just need to accept this, bite the bullet and wait it out, or will there be a slither of hope before August/September, you think?

So I just got told by my boss that I need to submit my original diploma in addition to my apostilled copy. I had a scan of my diploma so getting an apostilled copy was no issue but I can't find my original anywhere. I'm panicking right now because I'm supposed to submit my documents to the school within the next week.

Did anyone else have to also submit their original diploma as well? I'm so confused because I thought we only had to submit apostilled copies of them.

Recently, I gave my hagwon director my notice and he got enraged and even told me he’ll go to immigration to get me deported seemingly out of nowhere. Im aware that in itself is misconduct however Im unsure of how seriously to take his claims.

Additionally, the next day after I handed in my notice - he tried to get me to sign some kind of document admitting to negligence. I’m honestly so shaken up by the whole experience. Literally before I handed in my resignation he was completely fine.

Share your experience.

I'm moving to Korea soon and I will have to get a health check for my E-2 visa. I take Lexapro for depression/anxiety and I brought this up with my employer for full transparency. They said to not mention my condition on my health form, but stop taking the medication a week before the health check just in case. However, Lexapro s not something that you can just 'stop'. There are some pretty bad withdrawal symptoms that come with it. So should I keep taking the medication? Do I need to worry if it will show up on a drug test? Lexapro is legal in Korea so its not like its an illicit substance...

The Korean won is consistently staying above 1500 won to the dollar. On top of that, wages have actually been decreasing over the last 20 years when adjusted for inflation. Are you tempted to relocate back to the US? If not, how are you managing to stay afloat as an English teacher?

Hi everyone!

I'm planning to become a preschool/ kindergarten teacher in South Korea and I'm looking for some guidance from someone who's already working in this field. If you're currently a kindergarten/early childhood teacher in Korea and don't mind answering a few questions about qualifications and the application process, I'd really appreciate it.

Please DM me if you're willing to help. Thank you!

I do. I'm looking for people who feel the same, or at least want to try to fix what's broken.
Tldr; if you want to do something about it, message me directly here on Reddit or on Discord.

Some teachers come to stay for just a year, some don't even make it that long. Others fall in love with this country and wish it could be a "forever home", where instead of an ESL job that only deserves your bare minimum, you can have a proper ESL career where you enjoy teaching, feel good in your work environment, and actually develop into the best teacher you can be. If you've ever counted the days left on your contract, or felt anxious when it comes time to look for your next job (Russian roulette, anyone?), then I'm talking to you.

Whether you're looking for a job in the near future or just want to help create a future network where teachers can exercise their leverage and have agency instead of just "wishing things were better" or complaining, please reach out or join the free job site created by teachers in Korea, for teachers, because a larger teacher network will encourage participation. I wrote a full article explaining my initiative here, which I'd love for you to read. I think most people who read it will relate to it, and hopefully many of you will help join the cause.

It's not the only solution, it's not a magic fix, but it's a good start. Some of you may have your own ideas, your own requests, your own skills and talents to contribute to this project or others. Reach out.

I'm continuing to build solutions for teachers (and academies), so we can have the kind of industry we all want: careers we can grow in, work we're passionate about, service we're proud of, and most of all an environment of well-being.

I also built an editor to help with your corrections. I'm still developing and improving it, and it has come a long way so I encourage you to check that out too if you are feeling burdened by your workload or want to give better feedback to your students in a fraction of the time, whether you are at an academy or working as a freelance tutor.

The goal is on actually making a difference in the lives of the teachers in our community and improving quality of life, not profit (everything is free). So once again, if you feel you have something to contribute (be it skills, ideas, or simply support), message me here or on Discord and hopefully I'll see you around! If you are passionate, talented at, or interested in:

- marketing
- asset creation (images, video, outreach campaigns)
- event coordination/management
- software development
- want to share your story and thoughts as a teacher in Korea (we're starting a YouTube series for it) and want to be interviewed (on/off camera are ok).

REACH OUT! :)

- Matt

Hey there,

I plan on teaching at a Hagwon , initially settling in alone, then my partner will join a few months thereafter (he’ll study online). I’d like to know if this has worked out for anyone and how did they go about the F3 application process?

Has anyone worked with an autistic teacher at a hagwon?

We have a new teacher who recently started at our school, and she seems to be struggling to meet the expectations of her role. As a result, many of us have had to take on additional responsibilities, including extra training and covering parts of her workload. I understand her condition but it’s really becoming stressful and quite unfair.

I’m genuinely interested in hearing how other schools have handled situations like this.