Teaching English in Korea: EPIK, Hagwon, and University Jobs

The English teaching market in Korea is well-established and highly structured. Three employer types dominate: EPIK public schools, private hagwons (학원), and universities. They differ significantly on pay, hours, housing, and job security. This guide breaks down what each option involves, what the E-2 visa (회화지도, Foreign Language Instructor) requires, and what to watch for in your contract.

Who Can Teach English in Korea?

The E-2 visa is limited to citizens of seven countries: the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. If your passport is not one of these, the E-2 is not available to you.

Three things are non-negotiable regardless of which employer you choose:

1. A completed bachelor's degree in any field (transcript and diploma, both apostilled)
2. A national-level criminal background check from your home country (apostilled, issued within 6 months of your visa application date)
3. Employer sponsorship: you cannot self-sponsor an E-2

The degree field does not matter for hagwons. EPIK has its own level system (see below) that factors in degree level and teaching experience.

A TEFL, CELTA, or equivalent certificate (typically 100+ hours) is not a legal requirement for the E-2 visa, but EPIK requires a 100-hour or longer certificate from applicants who do not hold a teaching license or an education-focused degree, so treat it as the real floor for EPIK applications. EPIK's Level 3 category (bachelor's degree only, no teaching experience or certification) rarely results in placement in practice.

How the E-2 Visa Process Works

Your employer files first, then you apply from outside Korea.

Step 1: Your employer files a Certificate of Visa Issuance (사증발급인정서) with Korea Immigration (출입국관리사무소). This takes approximately 7–10 business days.

Step 2: You apply for your E-2 visa stamp at a Korean consulate in your home country. Processing typically takes 5–10 business days after the visa issuance number is confirmed.

Step 3: You arrive in Korea and start work.

Step 4: Within 90 days of arrival, you must do two things:

• Complete a health and drug screening at a designated clinic (your employer arranges this)
• Register for your Alien Registration Card (외국인등록증) at your local immigration office

The E-2 carries a maximum stay of up to 2 years per grant under Korean immigration regulations, though it is commonly issued aligned to a one-year contract and is renewable. It is employer-tied: if you change jobs, your new employer must sponsor a fresh visa application.

For a deeper look at the visa mechanics, see the E-2 visa guide and the Korea Immigration Service at hikorea.go.kr.

The Three Employer Types Compared

EPIK: Public Schools

EPIK (English Program in Korea) is run by NIIED under the Ministry of Education. Teachers are placed in public elementary, middle, and high schools across the country. It is the most structured path for first-time teachers in Korea.

Approximate salary and benefits (verify current figures at epik.go.kr before applying, amounts are reviewed each intake):

Beyond the monthly salary, EPIK provides:

• Free furnished housing (or a housing allowance)
• Settlement allowance: ₩300,000 one-time payment on your first contract
• Entrance allowance: approximately ₩1.8M (varies by region)
• Contract completion bonus: approximately ₩1.3M (varies by region)
• Severance (퇴직금): approximately one month's pay per completed year
• National Health Insurance (NHIS) and National Pension (NPS) enrollment
• Generous paid vacation, plus Korean national holidays
• Maximum 22 teaching hours per week

EPIK runs two intakes per year: spring (February/March start) and fall (August/September start). Applications close several months before the start date. Check epik.go.kr for current deadlines.

The demographic reality: Korea's birth rate was 0.748 in 2024 and student numbers keep falling, with school closures spreading in rural areas. EPIK positions in rural areas are shrinking. Urban placements (Seoul, Gyeonggi, Busan) remain competitive and are harder to secure. If placement location matters to you, understand that your assignment is not guaranteed, EPIK places you where schools have openings.

Hagwon: Private Academies

Hagwons (학원) are private after-school academies. English hagwons run afternoon and evening programs for children and adults. They hire year-round and offer more location flexibility than EPIK.

Approximate salary and benefits (market rates vary significantly by school and city; treat these as starting-point ranges, not guarantees):

• Monthly salary for first-timers: approximately ₩2.3M–₩2.5M
• Teaching hours: 25–30 hours per week (more than EPIK)
• Schedule: typically afternoon through evening, often finishing at 9 pm or later
• Housing: usually a monthly housing allowance or a furnished apartment
• Severance (퇴직금): one month per completed year, mandatory
• NHIS and NPS enrollment: legally required, though enforcement varies

Hagwons give you more control over where you live and when you start. Many hire for immediate placement. The trade-off is that management quality varies widely between schools, and your experience depends heavily on the individual owner.

What to look for in a hagwon contract:

• Exact monthly salary in writing, with any deductions listed
• Housing: address, type, or a specific allowance amount, vague language is a red flag
• Teaching hours clearly defined, with overtime rates if hours exceed your contracted limit
• NHIS and NPS enrollment confirmed (both are legally required, not optional)
• Vacation: specific dates or a minimum number of days
• Severance clause that matches the legal standard

If a clause is not in the signed contract, it is not enforceable. Korean labor law covers you regardless of what a contract says, but claiming unpaid severance or pension contributions after the fact is difficult and slow.

Universities

University positions are a different category. Most require a Master's degree as a minimum; some prefer or require a PhD. The lighter teaching load and long vacation periods attract teachers who want more time for their own research or personal projects.

Approximate salary: ₩2.5M–₩4.0M per month. The upper end of this range varies significantly by institution type (major national university vs. smaller private university) and your qualifications. Treat the ₩4.0M figure as a ceiling that applies at well-resourced institutions with strong qualifications, not a typical starting salary.

Teaching load: approximately 10–16 hours per week, plus office hours. Universities observe Korean academic holiday schedules, which means long winter and summer breaks.

What university positions typically do not include: housing. Unlike EPIK, universities generally do not provide accommodation. Factor this into your cost comparison.

Getting a university position: most positions are listed on job boards such as Dave's ESL Cafe, Korvia, and WorknPlay, as well as individual university HR pages. Direct applications to university English departments are common. Competition is higher than for hagwons or EPIK.

Tax: Who Pays What

This is one of the most misunderstood areas of English teaching in Korea. The rules depend on your employer type AND your passport country.

Public school and university teachers from treaty countries qualify for a 2-year exemption from Korean income tax under bilateral tax treaties:

The exemption period runs for 2 years from your date of arrival, and applies to teaching or research at a university, college, school, or other recognised educational institution. To claim it: submit a certificate of home-country tax residency to your employer's payroll department before your first paycheck. If you miss that window, recovering the withheld tax takes longer.

Canada is the notable exception among the seven eligible countries: the Canada–Korea tax treaty contains no teachers or professors article, so Canadian teachers do not get this exemption at public schools or universities.

Hagwon teachers are commonly engaged as independent contractors and pay approximately 3.3% flat business-income withholding (3% income tax plus 0.3% local tax) regardless of nationality. The bilateral treaty exemption does not apply to private academy employment.

Verify your specific situation with your employer and a tax professional. Treaty text for US teachers: IRS Korea Treaty PDF. For other countries, check your home-country tax authority's treaty list.

Severance Pay and Leaving Korea

Severance (퇴직금)

Any employee in Korea who works for one year or more under a formal contract is legally entitled to severance pay. The amount is approximately one month's average wage per completed year of employment. Your employer must pay it within 14 days of your last working day.

This applies to all three employer types. It is not optional and cannot be waived in your contract.

For more detail, see the severance pay guide.

NPS Pension Lump-Sum Refund

If you contributed to the National Pension Service (국민연금) during your time in Korea, you may be eligible for a lump-sum refund when you leave. Eligibility depends on whether Korea has a totalization agreement with your home country.

Check nps.or.kr for current eligibility rules and the refund application process.

Health Insurance

Once you start work, your employer is required to enroll you in the National Health Insurance Service (건강보험). For most teachers this happens automatically via payroll deduction alongside your pension contribution. If your employer has not enrolled you within a few weeks of starting, ask, this is a legal obligation on their part.

See the NHIS enrollment guide for what coverage looks like and how to use it.

What Happens After the E-2?

The E-2 is employer-tied and does not automatically lead to permanent residency.

F-2-7 (points-based residency): After enough years in Korea, you may accumulate sufficient points (based on education, income, Korean language proficiency, and other factors) to apply for an F-2-7 long-term residency visa. Teaching years count toward your Korea residence history.

E-7 (specialist employment): If you move into a different professional role, for example, a curriculum development or corporate training position, you would apply for an E-7 with a sponsoring employer. The E-2 does not convert directly to E-7; it is a new application.

F-6 (marriage): If you marry a Korean national, you apply for the F-6 spousal visa, which operates independently of employment history.

Finding Teaching Jobs

The main channels:

• EPIK directly: epik.go.kr for public school positions through the national program
• Korvia and similar recruiters: place teachers in EPIK and hagwons; free for teachers (paid by employers)
• Dave's ESL Cafe job board: high volume, covers hagwons and universities
• WorknPlay: similar job board with a Korea focus
• Individual university HR pages: for university positions
• Job boards for Korea generally: see the best job sites in Korea guide for a broader comparison

Legitimate recruiters do not charge you a placement fee. If someone asks you to pay to be placed, that is a red flag.

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FAQ

Which countries can teach English in Korea?

Citizens of seven countries are eligible for the E-2 visa: the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. If your passport is not one of these seven, the E-2 is not available to you.

What documents do I need for the E-2 visa?

A completed bachelor's degree (apostilled transcript and diploma), a national-level criminal background check from your home country (apostilled, issued within 6 months), and a Korean employer willing to file your Certificate of Visa Issuance (사증발급인정서). A 100-hour TEFL certificate is required by EPIK for applicants without a teaching license or education degree, though it is not a legal requirement for the E-2 visa itself.

EPIK vs hagwon: which is better for first-time teachers?

EPIK offers free housing, capped hours, generous vacation, and the stability of a government employer. Hagwons pay comparably or slightly more but run longer hours and evening shifts, with management quality that varies significantly by school. For most first arrivals who prioritize predictability, EPIK is the stronger starting point. Verify current EPIK terms at epik.go.kr before deciding.

Do English teachers pay income tax in Korea?

It depends on your employer and your passport country. Teachers at public schools and universities from the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa qualify for a 2-year Korean income-tax exemption under bilateral tax treaties. Canadian teachers do not qualify, because the Canada–Korea tax treaty has no teachers article. Hagwon teachers commonly pay approximately 3.3% flat business-income withholding regardless of nationality. Confirm your status with your employer before your first paycheck.

Am I entitled to severance pay at the end of my contract?

Yes, if you work for one year or more. Severance (퇴직금) is approximately one month's average wage per completed year, payable within 14 days of your last working day. This is mandatory under Korean labor law and applies to all employer types.

Can the E-2 lead to permanent residency?

Not directly. The E-2 does not convert to permanent residency on its own. After sufficient years and points in Korea you may qualify for the F-2-7 points-based residency visa. If you marry a Korean national, the F-6 is available. For a different professional role, a new E-7 application is required.

What contract red flags should I watch for with a hagwon?

Watch for: overtime framed as unpaid "lesson prep," missing NHIS or NPS enrollment, vague vacation clauses, housing described as "provided" with no written address or allowance amount, and severance language that tries to exclude your legal entitlement. If it is not in the signed contract, it is unenforceable. Ask a recruiter or the Korea Labor Welfare Corporation (근로복지공단) if anything looks unusual.

@misc{seoulstart-teaching-english-in-korea-guide,
  author = {{Seoulstart Editorial Team}},
  title = {{Teaching English in Korea: EPIK, Hagwon, and University Jobs (2026)}},
  year = {2026},
  publisher = {Seoulstart},
  url = {https://seoulstart.com/guides/teaching-english-in-korea-guide},
  note = {Last updated June 21, 2026}
}