EPIK Program Guide: Pay, Requirements and How to Apply

The EPIK program (English Program in Korea) is the South Korean government's scheme that places qualified English teachers in public schools nationwide. Published pay runs from 2.2 to 2.8 million KRW a month by level and region, with housing, a settlement allowance, severance and bonuses on top. Applications for the Spring 2027 intake are open now.

What is EPIK in Korea?

EPIK stands for English Program in Korea. It is the South Korean government's public school teaching scheme, which recruits native English speaking teachers for elementary, middle and high schools in every province and metropolitan city. Teachers co-teach with a Korean English teacher, work daytime hours, and are employed directly by a provincial or metropolitan Office of Education.

That last point matters. Because an Office of Education is your employer, your salary scale, housing and bonuses are published in advance on the official EPIK website, which is why this guide quotes that site rather than recruiter adverts. If you are weighing EPIK against a private academy, our EPIK vs hagwon comparison and our explainer on what a hagwon is cover the trade offs in detail.

Is the EPIK program worth it?

For most first time teachers, yes, provided you want a structured, salaried route into Korea rather than the fastest possible start. The package is predictable, the employer is a government body, and the published benefits (housing, settlement money, severance and renewal bonuses) add a meaningful amount to the headline salary. The trade offs are a long application cycle, placement anywhere in the country, and class sizes larger than a hagwon's.

EPIK's Apply page lists no application fee for direct applicants. Your real costs are documents: apostilles, the criminal record check, a TEFL course if you do not yet hold one, and the flight (EPIK pays an entrance allowance after your first contract month rather than booking the flight for you).

What are the EPIK requirements?

Eligibility and pay, verified 12 October 2026 against the official EPIK eligibility page and the official salary and benefits page. The pay scale is marked by EPIK as updated on 4 May 2026 for the Fall 2026 intake and is subject to change between intakes.

• Degree: a minimum of a bachelor's degree from an accredited university in one of EPIK's designated countries. The current list of designated countries is on the official eligibility page.
• TEFL certificate: applicants whose degree is not in education must hold a TEFL, TESOL or CELTA certificate of at least 100 hours from an accredited programme. Holders of a teaching licence, B.Ed, M.Ed, or a major in Teaching, TESOL, Second Language Studies or Education are exempt. Your certificate may still be in progress when you apply, as long as it is finalised no later than six weeks before your expected arrival in Korea.
• Minimum pay level: the Offices of Education are not currently hiring Level 3 applicants (bachelor's degree only), so you must qualify for at least Level 2 before signing the final contract.
• Documents: two scanned recommendation letters (one from your current school and a copy of your contract page if you already teach in Korea), an apostilled degree, an apostilled criminal record check, sealed transcripts and your TEFL certificate. The full package is submitted only after a successful interview.

If you still need the certificate, Premier TEFL's 120 Hour Online TEFL Course meets the 100 hour threshold EPIK sets for Level 2, and our South Korea TEFL internship is a supported alternative route if you would rather not apply alone.

How much does EPIK pay?

EPIK publishes a pay scale in millions of Korean won per month. Your level is decided by qualifications and experience, and the figure within each level depends on which Office of Education employs you. Seoul (SMOE) uses its own scale, published separately. The table below is the published scale as read on 12 October 2026.

For context on what that salary buys, our cost of living in South Korea guide and the canonical South Korea salary and E-2 visa guide put EPIK beside hagwon, university and international school pay.

What benefits does EPIK include?

Benefits as published on the official EPIK salary and benefits page, verified 12 October 2026. All apply regardless of level unless stated.

• Housing: a leased house, apartment or studio provided by your Office of Education. Utilities and maintenance fees are the teacher's responsibility, and size and location vary by region.
• Settlement allowance: 300,000 KRW, paid once within the first month of your first contract.
• Entrance allowance: 1,800,000 KRW at the end of the first contract month (1,300,000 KRW in Chungbuk). It is issued as a loan and must be repaid if the contract ends within the first six months. In Busan, Daegu, Jeju, Incheon and Chungbuk it is paid after six months.
• Contract completion bonus: 1,300,000 KRW at the end of each contract (1,800,000 KRW in Chungbuk). Seoul, Jeju and Gyeonggi pay a 1,300,000 KRW exit allowance at the end of the final contract instead.
• Renewal bonus: 700,000 KRW on completing each renewed contract. Gyeonggi pays 2,000,000 KRW in two parts and Jeju a flat 1,300,000 KRW at the start of the renewed contract.
• Severance: approximately one month's salary on successful completion of the contract.
• Medical insurance: your employer pays 50 percent of the premium. EPIK states premiums are currently about 5.89 percent of salary, so roughly 2.945 percent is deducted from your pay.
• Orientation: mandatory, unpaid and held before the contract starts, with lodging and meals provided free of charge.

When do EPIK applications open?

Timeline verified 12 October 2026 against the official EPIK application process page and the Apply Now page.

The official homepage banner currently invites applications for the Spring 2027 intake. EPIK does not publish a closing date; it processes applications in the order received and advises that earlier submission, followed quickly by the complete document package, improves your chance of a placement. The most recent dated notice on the Apply page records that the Spring 2026 application opened on 1 August 2025 at 9:00am Korean Standard Time, which is a reasonable guide to when each Spring window opens.

How do you apply for the EPIK program?

The process has seven steps. EPIK reviews applications in the order it receives them, so the practical advice is to have your documents moving before the portal opens.

1. Check you qualify for Level 2 or above. EPIK's Offices of Education are not currently hiring Level 3 applicants, so a bachelor's degree on its own is not enough. You need a degree plus a 100 hour or longer TEFL, TESOL or CELTA certificate, or an education degree, or a teacher's licence.
2. Prepare your documents early. Two scanned recommendation letters, an apostilled degree, an apostilled national criminal record check, sealed transcripts and your TEFL certificate. Apostilles can take weeks, so start before the portal opens.
3. Submit the online application. Apply directly on the official EPIK portal, or through a recruiter or MOU partner, who you should contact before creating an account. Applications are processed in the order received, so earlier is better.
4. Complete the EPIK interview. Shortlisted applicants are invited to an online interview. For the Spring intake interviews run from October to January; for the Fall intake, April to July.
5. Send the full document package. Only after a successful interview do you submit the complete required documents package for screening. Incomplete packages are the main cause of delay.
6. Receive your placement and apply for the E-2 visa. EPIK recommends you to a provincial or metropolitan Office of Education, which makes the final decision and issues your visa documents. You then apply for the E-2 visa at a Korean embassy or consulate.
7. Fly out and attend orientation. Orientation is mandatory and unpaid, with lodging and meals provided. Spring intake orientation and contracts begin in late February; Fall intake in late August.

Our complete guide to teaching English in South Korea covers the E-2 visa paperwork in detail, and the Departure Board tracks programme windows across countries if you are comparing EPIK with Japan's JET or Spain's NALCAP.

What is the EPIK interview like?

The interview is an online video call with EPIK staff. Expect questions on why you want to teach in Korea, how you would manage a class of 25 or more mixed ability learners, how you would work with a Korean co-teacher, and how you cope with change. Prepare a short sample lesson outline, know the basics of the curriculum you would support, and be honest about placement preferences while making clear you will accept a posting anywhere. EPIK's Apply page notes that review can take some time, so do not read silence as rejection.

What is life as an EPIK teacher like?

Most EPIK teachers work a standard weekday school timetable in one school, sometimes two, with around 22 teaching hours a week and the rest of the day for planning. Placements range from Seoul and Busan to small rural towns, and while you can state a preference the Office of Education decides. Because housing is provided and the settlement and entrance allowances arrive early, many teachers save a large share of salary in year one. Our guide to culture shock in South Korea is worth a read before you land, and if you decide a private academy suits you better, where to find English teaching jobs in South Korea lists the main boards.

Get EPIK ready with Premier TEFL

EPIK's Level 2 threshold is a bachelor's degree plus a TEFL certificate of 100 hours or more from an accredited programme. Premier TEFL's courses are regulated by Ofqual in the UK at Level 5 and carry an Approved Quality Curriculum accredited by DEAC in the US. Explore our TEFL courses and get the certificate finalised well before your arrival date, or read about our South Korea internship if you would like placement support alongside your application.

Figures on this page were read from epik.go.kr on 12 October 2026 and will change between intakes. Where the official site and this page differ, the official site is correct. Pay figures are in Korean won; US dollar equivalents are approximate.