Teach English in Korea

Special Allowance

Beginning from the third consecutive year as a Level 1 with the same POE, EPIK ELIs will receive a special allowance of 200,000 won per month upon renewing their contract.

Example:

• Join EPIK in 2002 as Level 2
• Become Level 1 in 2003
• Stay at Level 1 for 2004-2005
• Receive special allowance of 200,000 won per month from 2005

Settlement Allowance

A settlement allowance of 300,000 won is provided, usually within the first month of working for your POE.

Provincial Allowance

EPIK ELIs who work in one of the following provinces will receive an additional 100,000 won for 'hardships' of living in non-urban areas:

• Gangwon
• Chungbuk
• Chungnam
• Jeonbuk
• Gyeongbuk
• Gyeongnam
• Jeju

ELI Level 3

1.8 - 2.0 million won

Requirements:

Basic Requirements for the EPIK Program are:

1. Be a citizen of one of the 6 designated English speaking countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, or the United States of America
2. Have lived in one of the 6 designated English speaking countries for at least 10 years
3. Have studied in one of the six designated English speaking countries from the junior high school level (7th grade)
4. Hold at least a Bachelor's degree
5. Be mentally and physically healthy
6. Possess a good command of the English language
7. Have desire and ability to adapt to living in Korea

ELI Level 2

EPIK Program salary and benefits consist of the following:

Housing is included in your EPIK contract but differs greatly depending on POE and location. It can range from a small studio apartment to a several room house. The contract also stipulates that those who are not given accommodations will receive a monthly housing allowance of 300,000 won. As of February, 2007 the housing allowance in Jeju was increased to 350,000 won.

The demand for English teachers in Korea greatly exceeds the supply, and just about anyone from an English-speaking country with a four-year university degree can find a job here. These TEFL jobs provide salary, airfare to and from Korea, housing, and severance pay.

English teaching jobs in Korea should also pay for half of the money put into the mandatory national pension fund, though at present only American and Canadian citizens are eligible for pension fund reimbursement. Most employers offer these benefits so if you don't see them in your contract, you should seriously consider looking for another job.

The high demand for native English teachers in Korea ensures competitive salaries and a lot of money can be made teaching English there. Subsequently, there are a fair number of Koreans in the English school business specifically for that reason, some of whom have little sympathy or care for people coming from other countries to work for them. There have been countless stories of Westerners coming to teach English in Korea under promises of large salaries, bountiful bonuses, and competitive benefits only to find that their work conditions were very different from those they were promised. Of course, if you have done any research online about teaching English in Korea then you already know this.

That being said, most people who come to Korea to teach English enjoy their experience and find the vast majority of Koreans to be kind and friendly people. English teaching salaries start at around 1.8-2.2 million won per month and go up as high as 3 million won or more, making them very competitive when compared with the relatively low cost of living in Korea.

Click on the currency converter for the most current exchange rates so you can make an informed decision as to whether or not teaching English in Korea is for you.

Meet our latest users!