When to apply for teaching jobs in South Korea – Korean School Starting Dates

Gone2Korea has credible jobs at reputable schools available every month. 

On average it takes 4-5 weeks to complete the visa formalities therefore, applications need to be submitted 6 weeks in advance (minimum) before your preferred starting date.

Ideally, submitting an application to Gone2Korea 2-3 months prior to when you want to depart is best. This should allow the neccessary time required to complete the placement process which includes: gathering your required documents, matching you with a school, contract ammendments if necessary, correspondence with other western teachers, visa processing, completing your interview with the Korean Consulate in your region and booking your flight.

We also accept applications up to 1 year in advance, although your file does not become active until 2-4 months before your desired starting date.  How early your file becomes active (2-4 months) depends on the month you are interested in leaving for Korea.

The private sector literally accepts hundreds of teacher applications every month of the year, although February, March, June, July and August tend to be the busiest transition periods.

The public sector tries to fill all their vacancies before the start of each semester, February and August, however, schools that were unable to find a suitable candidate for these dates continue to accept applications during the other months of the year.  You should know; the good locations always go first, and getting a public job in a good location, after the semester has started, is slim.

If you are new to the industry and unaware of the differences between the different sectors (which is quite noticeable) then please visit our other pages about the different employment sectors.