Trista,
There is a preference for caucasian teachers in Korea. In the past, many non-native English speakers taught English in Korea (from the Philippines, Koreans that studied overseas, etc.) pretending to be native speakers. There had been numerous cases where people have obtained fake diplomas in order to teach in Kore as well. After much attention from the media, immigration has become much more stringent on their regulations. At the same time parents have become more particular and skeptical about the schools/teachers they send their children to. Overall, majority of parents beleive that caucasian teachers are native speakers, and more skeptical of teachers with ethnic appearances. This also makes it a great challenge for Korean-Americans to teach in Korea with similar benefits.

Koreans take education very seriously which can be supported by the fact that Korea spends the most on private education in the world. It is a competitive market, therefore private schools try their best to meet the demand for caucasian teachers.

HOWEVER, we always encourage schools to consider all applicants based on their qualifications instead.

We pride ourselves as one of the major equal opportunities employers of Korea. We would be confident to find you placement as long as you can be flexible and patient. The public school system is one of the employers in Korea that may be an option for you.

Sincerely,
Park English Team