What Is a Hagwon? Korean Private Academies, Explained by Teachers

A hagwon is a private, for-profit academy in South Korea that teaches students outside regular school hours, and it is where most foreign English teachers in Korea work. Hagwons pay about US$1,700 to US$2,300 a month, hire year-round, let you choose your city, and run afternoon and evening shifts rather than a 9-to-5.

If you have spent any time in a TEFL Facebook group, you have probably seen the word "hagwon" tossed around like everyone already knows what it means. They don't, not really, and neither did we before our first teacher landed in Seoul and called us in a slight panic because her school was "definitely not what I pictured." So let's actually explain it properly, starting with where the word comes from.

What Does "Hagwon" Actually Mean?

The word 학원 (hagwon) breaks down into two Chinese-derived characters: 학 (hak), meaning "study" or "learning," and 원 (won), meaning "institute" or "establishment." Put together, it translates roughly to "learning institute," and that's a much broader category than most new teachers assume.

Hagwons exist for nearly every subject a Korean student might need extra help with: math hagwons, art hagwons, taekwondo hagwons, coding hagwons, and yes, English hagwons, which make up the largest and most internationally staffed segment. There are reportedly tens of thousands of hagwons operating across the country, clustered so densely in some neighborhoods that locals call the area a "hagwon-ga," or academy district.

For a foreign teacher, "hagwon" almost always means an English-language academy hiring native or fluent speakers to teach children after their regular school day ends, though a smaller number of hagwons cater to adults preparing for business English or standardized tests.

How Much Do Hagwon Teachers Earn, and What Does It Cost to Live in Korea?

Hagwon teachers earn about US$1,700 to US$2,300 a month and, because housing is usually provided, spend roughly US$550 to US$1,040 of it, which leaves around US$700 to US$1,500 a month to save. The block below is the fact spine of this page: pay, living costs and contract terms in one place, with the date they were checked.

Illustrative monthly budget for a teacher in a mid-sized Korean city with employer-provided housing, from Premier TEFL's South Korea salary and E-2 visa guide, reviewed 28 August 2026. Seoul runs higher; regional cities run lower.

How Does a Hagwon Compare With an EPIK Public School and an International School?

A hagwon pays a little more than EPIK and hires far faster, EPIK gives you daytime hours and roughly twice the vacation, and international schools pay well above both but are closed to anyone without a teaching license. This is the table most guides skip, because most guides only compare two of the three real options.

Salary bands from Premier TEFL's South Korea salary and E-2 visa guide, reviewed 28 August 2026. Ranges are typical rather than guaranteed and vary by institution, city and experience. KRW figures are approximate conversions at about ₩1,330 to the US dollar.

What Is It Actually Like to Work in a Hagwon?

A hagwon day starts in the early afternoon and finishes around 9pm, with 25 to 30 contact hours a week taught to small classes of 6 to 15 students. Picture this: regular Korean school lets out around 3 or 4pm, and that's when your hagwon day is just getting started. Compare that to a public school class of 25-plus kids, and you can see why some teachers prefer the hagwon's more intimate setting, even if the hours eat into your evenings.

One of our graduates who taught at a hagwon in Busan told us the hardest adjustment wasn't the schedule, it was realizing her "boss" was a business owner who cared about parent satisfaction surveys the way a cafe owner cares about Google reviews. Hagwons are companies. Good ones invest in materials, training and teacher welfare because happy parents keep paying tuition. Less reputable ones cut corners. That variability is the single biggest risk with hagwons, and it's why checking a school's reputation before signing matters more here than almost anywhere else in the TEFL world.

What Do Hagwon Contracts, Housing and Benefits Include?

Almost every hagwon contract in Korea runs 12 months, and most include the same benefits package you'd get with EPIK: free or subsidized housing (often a studio apartment), a flight allowance, National Health Insurance, pension contributions, and a completion bonus worth roughly one month's salary. The difference is variability. A well-established hagwon chain might offer housing that beats a rural public school posting; a smaller, newer hagwon might cut corners on the apartment or be slow with pay.

Who Should Choose a Hagwon Over EPIK?

Choose a hagwon if you want to pick your city, start sooner than an EPIK intake allows, and don't mind evening hours. Choose EPIK if you'd rather have your mornings free, a bigger vacation allowance, and the relative stability of a government contract. Our EPIK vs. hagwon comparison breaks down that decision in more depth, including contract cycles and visa specifics.

For a full breakdown of Korea's E-2 visa process and take-home pay after housing and living costs, our South Korea salary and visa guide covers that ground in detail. And for what daily life feels like once you land, our teachers set out the top 10 Korean culture shocks from their first year in the country.

Curious what a hagwon posting actually looks like day to day? In the webinar above, one of our former South Korea interns walks through schools, locations and lifestyle in her own words.

How Do You Get Qualified and Apply for a Hagwon Job?

You need a bachelor's degree and a recognized TEFL certificate to qualify for Korea's E-2 visa, then you apply either directly to schools, through a vetted recruiter, or through a placement program. Our accredited TEFL courses meet the certificate requirement, and if you want hands-on support landing a placement, our South Korea TEFL internship program pairs the certificate with a guaranteed hagwon placement, so you skip the job-hunting stage entirely.

Hiring seasons and application deadlines across every country we cover are tracked on The Departure Board, Premier TEFL's hub for TEFL hiring windows.

"I've recently completed 120 hours advanced TEFL course and it was such a great experience... Thanks TEFL team." - Hani Gupta, verified reviews

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What Else Do Teachers Ask About Hagwons?

Is a hagwon the same as a private school?

Not exactly. A hagwon is a supplementary academy students attend in addition to their regular school, usually in the afternoon or evening. A private day school replaces regular schooling entirely. Hagwons are closer to what Western countries would call a cram school or after-school tutoring center.

Do hagwons pay more than EPIK?

Slightly, on average. Hagwon salaries typically run $1,700-$2,300 USD a month versus $1,600-$2,100 USD for EPIK, but EPIK offers significantly more vacation days and a more predictable government contract, so the better financial deal depends on how you value time off.

Can I work at an international school with just a TEFL certificate?

Generally no. International schools in Korea require a recognized teaching license and typically two or more years of classroom experience, which puts them out of reach for most first-time TEFL teachers. Hagwons and EPIK are the realistic entry points, and both accept a 120-hour TEFL certificate.

How do I know if a hagwon is reputable?

Ask for the contact details of current or former teachers, check how long the school has operated, and be wary of any contract that doesn't clearly state housing, pay date and severance terms. Reputable recruiters and internship programs vet schools for exactly this reason.

What hours will I actually work at a hagwon?

Most hagwon teachers work between 1pm and 9pm on weekdays, with 25 to 30 contact hours a week plus planning time on site. Kindergarten-focused hagwons start earlier, often around 9am, and finish mid-afternoon. Saturday classes are uncommon but do appear in some contracts, so check the schedule before you sign.

Do hagwons provide housing and flights?

Most hagwon contracts include a free or subsidized studio apartment, or a housing allowance if you prefer to find your own place. Flight reimbursement, National Health Insurance, pension contributions and a severance payment worth about one month's salary are also standard. Confirm each item in writing before signing.

How to cite this page: Klimczyk, Olivia. "What Is a Hagwon? Korean Private Academies, Explained by Teachers." Premier TEFL, reviewed 1 September 2026. https://premiertefl.com/blogs/posts/what-is-a-hagwon