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Frequently Asked Questions |
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Q. How much will I get paid?
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Depending on where you are teaching in Korea and how much experience you have, salaries range from 1.8 million Won - 2.5 million Won monthly. Salaries of 2.4 to 2.5 are harder to come by and they are generally offered to teachers with previous experience as an ESL teacher or to applicants with Masters degrees in English. Currency Converter |
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Q. Am I responsible for paying Taxes while I'm teaching in Korea? |
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Taxes in Korea are very minimal. As a teacher you will be responsible for paying 3-5% of your monthly income. The school you work for will automatically deduct the taxes from your salary; therefore you do not have to worry about filing papers or documents with the Korean government. |
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Q. How much can I save? |
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This obviously depends on your lifestyle. Cost of living usually accounts for roughly 20-30% of your income. Most teachers average 8 -10 million Won a year in savings and live a very good quality of life which includes traveling, entertainment and shopping. |
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Q. Is there opportunity to make other sources of income? |
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Many schools will offer overtime work which can help you bank some extra money. And remember, Gone2Korea envites you to Join Us in helping new teachers find suitable jobs. We will give you a percent of the placement fee if we place a teacher based on your referral. Your referral can be at a different school other than your own. We require the job details, conditions, location, start date and a digital photo of the school (if possible). |
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Q. Where can I save the most? |
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Saving the most money depends on your habits. You can make more money teaching in a large city, however the cost of living is slightly higher and there are more things to distract you into spending. If you can avoid these distractions, than city living is the best option. However if you are the type of person with little self control (i.e. shopping, nightlife, spending) then living in a smaller city is definitely a more suitable place to save extra money. |
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Q. How many hours will I work? |
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Depends on the school you choose. The standard work week is between 28 - 30 hours of in class teaching. Although director's and school managers usually expect teachers to arrive 1 or 2 hours early in order to prepare for their classes. This is an industry standard and is not negotiable. |
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Q. What benefits and incentives will I receive? |
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Benefits include 50% of health insurance, roughly 210,000 Won depending on the insurance company your school deals with. Free return flight to and from Korea, and furnished living accommodations (apartment). Complete visa sponsorship. Plus one month's 'bonus' salary at the end of your contract. Meaning if you make 2.0 million Won a month then your last paycheck will have the 2.0 million plus an additional 2.0 million bonus. Therefore, even if you save nothing during the entire year, you will still be bringing 4.0 million Won home when you finish. For a more complete list of the benefits of teaching in Korea please visit the Job Benefits section of our website. |
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Q. Do I need a university degree? |
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Yes a university degree in any field is mandatory. You must have an undergraduate degree, or higher, in any field. Your degree must be from a University that resides in a native English speaking country. You will need to provide proof of this to obtain your E2 working visa. You will also need officially sealed transcripts to accompany your degree during processing. Please visit our Requirements page for more details. |
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Q. Do I need practical teaching experience? |
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No! Practical teaching experience is not required to teach in Korea. In fact, you are probably better off going in with little to no teaching experience at all. Why? Because teachers in western countries are used to teaching children of the same culture and same language which in reality is very different than teaching students of another culture who do not speak your language. Believe us, its fun learning how to teach and everyone develops their own teaching style built around their own character, strengths and weaknesses. However, it is important that the students learn from their teachers and therefore, and even more importantly, that teachers make a genuine effort in helping their students learn as much as possible. |
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Q. What are 'Officially Sealed' transcripts and where do I get them? |
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You will need to speak to the registrar office of your graduated university and request 2 copies of 'Officially Sealed' transcripts to support your application. Transcripts are the breakdown of your final marks towards your degree/diploma. Your grades are not of importance, rather the transcripts proove your degree/diploma is legit. Make sure to inform the university that you need the transcripts for employment purposes. It is extremely important that the university seals the envelope by placing their logo, stamp, crest, or official seal over the seal of the envelope. It is also strongly advised to ask them to place their signature over the seal to show that it has not been tampered with and that the contents within are genuine.
If the envelope is not properly sealed, Korean immigration will reject your application and you will have to submit another copy.
Please avoid this from happening! it will cause delays and you may loose the job you are after. If you are concerned with what the university has sent you, contact Gone2Korea and discuss things before mailing them to Korean Immigration. |
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Q. Do I need to complete any ESL training courses to obtain a teaching position in Korea? |
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You are not required to enroll and complete any formal ESL training courses in order to obtain a Conversational English Teaching position in South Korea. However, any formal training courses completed will give you an edge when school directors are reviewing your profile. We recommend the GLOBAL TESOL course if you are looking for an internationally recognized preparation course.
If you have any specific questions concerning training courses please contact the appropriate institution offering the course. |
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Q. Who pays for my flight to and from Korea? |
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The school you choose to work at will pay for your flight to and from Korea. Typically you will be provided with a one way ticket from an international airport in your area to Korea. Once you have completed your contract, a one way return flight will be provided. |
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Q. Where will I live? |
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You will live in an apartment which is usually located within walking distance of the school. Some schools are 5 minutes away and others can be 20 minutes away. Your living arrangements will also depend on your school selection. Some schools offer 2 or 3 bedroom apartments that you share with other foreign teachers, while other schools will house you in your own studio apartment. This is something to consider before choosing the school. Do you prefer to have roommates or do you prefer to live alone? |
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Q. How much money should I bring to Korea to get going? |
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Bringing $500 is usually a sufficient amount to get you going before receiving your first paycheck, however we would recommend bringing $1000 just in case. Most schools pay their teachers bi-weekly or monthly. If you run out of money before your first payday then you can try asking your director for a cash advance. Directors are not contractually obligated to offer you an advance so please do not rely on them to do so. |
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Q. Should I get immunized against any specific diseases? |
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Disease in South Korea is rare, although we recommend getting your Hepatitis, A, B, and C shots just in case as they are the most common. It is always a wise decision to get a checkup before going to a foreign country. Korea is not a tropical county so don't worry about most diseases associated with the Orient such as Typhoid, Malaria and Yellow Fever. If you plan on going traveling to tropical countries afterwards it is easy to get immunized while you are in Korea, their hospitals are very good. |
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Q. Should I take any teaching resources with me to Korea? |
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You can if you want but they're not really needed. Every Hagwon uses a selected set of English books to teach from. You will be given a different book for each class you teach and everyday you will cover a certain number of pages, so introducing your own curriculum doesn't really happen, although it may impress the director that you came so prepared. Besides, your key role will be to stimulate conversation with your students. If you would like to bring something with you we would recommend bringing English games and puzzles. The kids love them and it's a great way to get children talking which is ultimately what you are paid to do.
Please visit Education Station, a Canadian based company that offers a wide variety of games, flashcards, puzzles and other English related items that you can order online and bring with you to South Korea. |
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Q. Is South Korea safe? |
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Yes, South Korea is a very safe country. We realize that from time to time westerners here stories on the news about protests and demonstrations in Korea which is true, however many of the stories are sensationalized and do not reflect the true nature of the Korean people. South Koreans are very law abiding citizens and kind in nature. We can honestly say that Western countries are just as, if not more dangerous, than South Korea. It's a safe place for women and men. |
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