HomeOfficial Recruiters of South Korea's EPIK Program
Premier TEFL has been awarded the 2023 Official Recruiter status from South Korea for their Government sponsored English teacher program.
Apply with us for exclusive support during your application and pre-departure preparations. You’ll come highly recommended as a Premier TEFL candidate.
Experience teaching English in Korea with high-paid 12 month public school contract positions and two intakes per year (Feb & Aug) to choose from.
You’ll feel confident and ready to begin your first day of teaching thanks to your virtual pre-departure training and arrival orientation. You’ll join other TEFL teachers in a series of online webinars and in-person presentations that will train you in Korean history, language and culture as well as classroom management techniques, ESL games and lesson planning skills.
Teaching positions include openings in elementary, middle and high schools.
South Korea is, and has always been one of the most sought-after destinations for TEFL jobs. After all, who wouldn’t want to live and work with this gem of a backdrop?
Boost your international TEFL career with our fully supported TEFL job in South Korea on the EPIK program!
South Korea TEFL Job Highlights
MONTHLY SALARY
KRW2.1 million~KRW2.7 million
($1,600~$2,050/€1,575~€1,950/£1,300~£1,675)
TEFL Job Summary
Teaching positions are in public schools, and placement locations vary from small towns to large cities throughout Korea including Seoul, Gyeonggi-do, Incheon, Daegu, Busan and Gwangju.
Typically the school day starts at 8.40am, finishing by 4.40pm Monday to Friday.
Through 22 hours of face-to-face teaching in school classroom settings each week, you will be aiming to improve your students’ reading, writing, listening and speaking skills.
Any support you need for activity planning will be on hand from your curriculum, Korean co-teacher and colleagues.
While applicants can state a preference for age group and placement location it depends upon availability and suitability. Friends are also welcome to apply, placement together depends on availability.
Apply if you have / are:
- Native English speaker
- Have a passport from USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand or South Africa
- Bachelor’s degree (obtained in a native English speaking country)
- Up to 61 years old (if you are older than 45, speak with an advisor)
- TEFL qualified (minimum 120 hours)
- Clean police record
- In good mental and physical health
Download the guide to teaching English in South Korea
Get the GuideEmployer Overview
Priority Candidates
EPIK stands for “English Program in Korea” and is a government sponsored initiative of the Korean Ministry of Education, run through the National Institute of International Education (NIIED). Founded in 1995, its goal is to improve the English speaking abilities of students and teachers in South Korea, to foster cultural exchanges, and to reform English teaching methodologies in South Korea.
The hugely popular program seeks to recruit over 1,000 foreign applicants annually to teach English in public schools nationwide. As a government sponsored program, support locally means that you will have a network to rely on should you face any challenges while settling in, and throughout your year-long contract.
Tailored Teacher Training
Before you start teaching English in South Korea, you’ll be completely prepared as a TEFL teacher by taking our 120 hour online TEFL course.
Included too are two TEFL-Pro short courses in IELTS Exam Coaching and Teaching Young Learners plus 20 pre-written lesson plans for teaching young learners and general English classes.
As part of the EPIK program training schedule, you will also complete Korean cultural training and language lessons as well as workshops in lesson planning and teaching methods.
We also welcome applicants who have completed a comprehensive TEFL course (minimum 100 hours) with another internationally recognized provider.
You will provide high impact learning experiences for your students.
- You can expect to teach English ~22 hours weekly to your students, leaving you ample time (~10 hours) to prep lesson plans and activities or grade papers.
- Teach English in South Korea to young learners from elementary school age to high school
- Weekends off – Monday to Friday working week
- Online pre-departure cultural training
- Full arrival orientation
- Language lessons
- Settlement allowance of KRW300,000 ($230/€220/£190)
- Fully furnished rent-free apartment
- Contract completion bonus (typically one-month’s pay)
- Flight reimbursement
- All Korean public holidays off (between 12 – 16 annually)
- Week-long paid vacations at winter and summer
- National health insurance (50% subsidized)
- Contract renewal after 12 months, with a resigning bonus
- Improve students’ conversational English in an impactful way
Locations
After you settle in, you will spend your teaching placement in one our stunning nationwide placements including small towns to large cities: Seoul, Gyeonggi-do, Incheon, Daegu, Busan and Gwangju.
Want to learn more about this placement? Drop your details below & we'll get in touch very soon!
How it works
What do you need to Organize?
Questions and Answers
When will I get my flight reimbursement?
Most schools offer a one-way flight to Korea reimbursement. This is usually paid to the teacher in their first month’s pay, which is around 6 weeks after arrival.
Note: The flight itinerary and cost must be approved by the school prior to booking.
What will my accommodation be like?
Housing is provided throughout your contract which will be a furnished single studio apartment. You’ll budget KRW60,000 – 80,000 ($40 – 60) for utilities monthly.
Culture Tip: Aside from the inexpensive cost, dining out plays a large role in Korean socializing. Due to this, your housing might not have an extensive kitchen but you should be able to boil water and refrigerate food.
How can I earn more than US $1,600 per month?
Teachers with a degree or Masters in Education / English / Linguistics and experience typically receive 2.2M KRW to 2.4M KRW (US $1,760-$1,930) per month.
An experienced teacher is classed as someone who has completed 12 months of in-classroom ESL teaching.
Schools will also offer a one-time settlement allowance, severance pay and contract completion bonuses too which will be outlined in your contract.
Will I be co-teaching?
Yes, all EPIK teachers work with Korean co-teachers.
This often takes the form of the lesson being split into two and shared between teachers. As a simple example, the Korean teacher may teach from the curriculum textbook for 20 minutes followed by the native teacher coordinating the game or target language practice for the following 20 minutes.
What time off and holidays do I get?
Teachers get weekends off plus all Korean recognized red days (공휴일), a.k.a. public holidays. There are typically between 12 to 16 red days annually.
You will also have 18 paid vacation days… giving you plenty of time to tick off a few bucket list items!
What kind of training will I get on the EPIK program?
On the EPIK program you’ll get pre-orientation online training, an arrival orientation experience and ongoing in-service training.
The aim of the pre-orienatation is to give EPIK teachers an insight into Korean history, culture and the school system including co-teaching and curriculum samples. You’ll also learn essential tips for living in Korea as well as take ‘survival’ language lessons. (total training time 15 hours)
Your main week-long orientation takes place on arrival in Korea. During these action-packed days you will learn about Korean culture, language and society, while forming friendships with other teachers. Warm up your classroom skills with lesson planning and observation workshops.
Throughout your year of teaching you will complete professional development training online to grow your teaching skills, with special focus on co-teaching scenarios. (total training time 17 hours)
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