Some jobs in Korea do not ask for Korean. Most of them are professional roles at tech, research, and global employers, plus English teaching. The visa decides whether you can take any job. The job ad does not.
This guide lists 13 kinds of jobs foreign residents get with little or no Korean. For each one you see the usual visa, where Korean still shows up, and where to search on Seoulstart Jobs. Most Korea jobs on Seoulstart Jobs open with our read of the Korean level the posting asks for. It is our read, not a guarantee, so confirm it with the employer.
Before you start: four things to know
- The visa decides. HiKorea lists the visa statuses that allow employment. Working without the right status is an offence for both you and the employer.
- No Korean in the job ad is not no Korean on the job. Korean often returns in team chats, paperwork, bank and insurance steps, and health checks.
- The "unskilled" door needs a Korean test. The E-9 route runs through EPS-TOPIK (see job 13).
- Student part-time work needs some Korean. Hours scale with your level (see job 11).
The 13 jobs
1. Seoulstart Jobs: roles that do not ask for Korean
Start with the Korean not required collection. It shows Korea jobs whose posting asks for no Korean, by our read of the posting. (Disclosure: this is us.) The page shows the live listings.
Next to it sits the English jobs page. It shows Korea jobs with an English job description. The posting may still require Korean, so check the language line before you apply.
- Usual visa: depends on the job. Check each posting and ask the employer which visa applies.
- Where Korean shows up: check each posting.
- Search: Seoulstart Jobs. To get new roles as they appear, use job alerts.
2. Tech and engineering
Software, hardware, and other engineering teams often work in English, especially at startups and global companies.
- Usual visa: E-7 (special occupations, 특정활동) with employer sponsorship. See the E-7 visa guide. The E-7-4 route has its own rules, so read the E-7-4 guide before you plan around it.
- Where Korean still shows up: meetings with Korean colleagues, internal documents, and company chat.
- Search: engineering roles and the E-7 visa collection.
3. Design, data, and product
Design, data, and product roles at tech companies and global teams.
- Usual visa: E-7 with employer sponsorship in most cases. Confirm with the employer.
- Where Korean still shows up: user research, product copy, and cross-team work with Korean speakers.
- Search: design, data, and product roles.
4. AI and research
AI companies, labs, and universities hire foreign researchers and engineers.
- Usual visa: E-3 (research) or E-1 (professorship). Both are on the HiKorea list of employment-allowed statuses. Korean is not a stated condition there, but each employer sets its own bar.
- Where Korean still shows up: grant paperwork, university administration, and team life.
- Search: AI frontier employers, Korean tech employers, and research roles.
5. Global companies and employers that sponsor visas
Multinational companies in Korea and international organizations often work in English. Check each employer's own careers page for current openings.
- Usual visa: the employer sponsors it. Ask early whether the company will do so.
- Where Korean still shows up: local government paperwork, and work with Korean partners and clients.
- Search: global multinational employers and employers that sponsor visas.
6. Marketing, sales, operations, and finance
Companies that sell abroad or serve foreign customers hire people for these roles in English. Customer-facing roles for Korean customers usually ask for Korean.
- Usual visa: E-7 with employer sponsorship in most cases.
- Where Korean still shows up: clients, contracts, and anything that touches Korean customers.
- Search: marketing, sales, operations, finance, HR, and legal roles.
7. Remote work for an overseas employer
You live in Korea and work for a company based outside Korea.
- Usual visa: F-1-D (digital nomad, 워케이션). Holders cannot work for Korean employers. Read the F-1-D visa guide for the income and time rules.
- Where Korean still shows up: daily life, such as banking and the health system.
- Search: remote jobs and global jobs. Check the pay of any remote offer. For online AI-training work, read the guides on DataAnnotation, Outlier, Alignerr, and Mindrift.
8. Hospitality and service
Hotels, travel companies, and venues for international guests hire English speakers. Many of these jobs also need Korean for colleagues and local guests.
- Usual visa: depends on your status. Some residence statuses on the HiKorea list, such as F-2, F-4, and F-5, allow employment. Other statuses need an employer sponsor. Check which applies to you.
- Where Korean still shows up: shift handovers, guests, and managers.
- Search: hospitality roles.
9. Internships
Internships let students and graduates start in Korea with a lower bar. Each company sets its own Korean level.
- Usual visa: depends on your status. Read the internships guide for programs and the visa rules.
- Where Korean still shows up: check the Korean-level line on each posting.
- Search: Seoulstart Jobs internships.
10. Working holiday jobs
A working holiday (H-1) visa lets young people from partner countries work while they travel. It is on the HiKorea list of employment-allowed statuses. Age limits and the list of countries vary, so read the working holiday visa guide first.
- Usual visa: H-1.
- Where Korean still shows up: most short-term jobs, such as cafes and shops, deal with Korean customers.
- Search: Seoulstart Jobs, then match the visa read on the listing to your H-1.
11. Student part-time jobs
Students on a D-2 or D-4 visa need a part-time work permit from immigration. The Study in Korea portal says students must have "a certain level of Korean language proficiency" and typical work is simple labor, such as restaurant help, office help, tourism guide help, and duty-free shop sales help. Manufacturing is allowed only with Korean at Level 4 or higher.
The hour limits depend on your Korean level and degree. They have changed over time. Read the student part-time work guide for the current numbers, and the D-2 visa guide for the visa itself.
- Usual visa: D-2 or D-4, plus the part-time work permit.
- Where Korean still shows up: most listed student jobs.
- Search: Seoulstart Jobs. Match each listing's Korean-level read to your own level.
12. Teaching English
Teaching English is a common job for foreign residents who do not speak Korean.
- Usual visa: E-2 (foreign language instructor, 회화지도). Read the E-2 visa guide and the teaching English guide.
- Who can apply to EPIK: EPIK accepts citizens of seven countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and South Africa, plus Indian citizens under the Korea-India CEPA who hold a teaching certificate in English education. You need a bachelor's degree. If you have neither a teaching license nor an education-focused degree (such as a B.Ed., or a major in Teaching, TESOL, or Second Language Studies), you need a TEFL, TESOL, or CELTA certificate of at least 100 hours. The page asks for "a good command of the English language" and lists no Korean requirement.
- Pay: On EPIK's pay table for the Fall 2026 intake, monthly pay for Level 2 and above runs from ₩2.2 million to ₩2.8 million by level and region. Chungbuk has two higher levels at ₩2.9 million and ₩3.0 million. Seoul uses its own scale. The offices are not hiring Level 3 applicants, so you must qualify for Level 2 or higher. Pay scales change with each contract, so check the EPIK page before you apply.
- Where Korean still shows up: school staff rooms, parent notices, and daily life.
- Search: education jobs.
13. Factory work through EPS
This is the main legal route for non-professional work. It is not a no-Korean route.
- Usual visa: E-9 (non-professional employment, 비전문취업), through the Employment Permit System (고용허가제, EPS).
- The Korean test: HRD Korea has run the EPS-TOPIK (고용허가제 한국어능력시험) since August 2005. The test takes 50 minutes (25 for listening and 25 for reading), has 40 questions, and is scored out of 100 points. To pass you need at least 60 points in manufacturing, 45 in other sectors, or 30 (pass/fail) on the special fishing track (어업특례). Passers are then ranked by score within the quota.
- Who can sit it: you must be aged 18 to 39 (18 to 38 for the Philippines), with no criminal record at imprisonment level or above, no past deportation or removal from Korea, no ban on leaving your country, and less than 5 years combined in E-9 or E-10 status.
- Read next: the E-9 visa guide and the EPS-TOPIK guide.
What these jobs pay
Pay varies by job and employer. For reference, the 2026 minimum wage (최저임금) is ₩10,320 per hour. If you count as a worker under Korean labor law, ask about any offer that pays less.
Where to search
- Seoulstart Jobs: the first place to look. Filter by the Korean not required collection or by role, and set job alerts.
- Other job sites: Best Job Sites in Korea and Korean Job Platforms compare the others.
- Language-specific search: Jobs in Korea for Vietnamese, Russian, Chinese, and Japanese Speakers.
- Beyond teaching: Non-Teaching Jobs in Korea.
Before you accept
Read the contract for the pay, the visa sponsor, and the working hours. Korea Job Offer Red Flags covers what to check. After you start, Your First 90 Days at a Korean Job covers what comes next. If Korean turns out to matter for the job you want, the TOPIK for jobs guide shows which test level to aim for.