Daegu, Daejeon and Gwangju: what a second-city posting looks like
Korea has several cities of a million or more people that most incoming teachers never consider. Postings there are less competitive, living costs are lower, and the trade-off is a smaller foreign community and a shorter list of schools.
Park English · Published 2026-08-19 · Updated 2026-08-18 · 2 min read
Almost every teacher who contacts us names Seoul first and Busan second. The cities in the middle of that list get skipped, and that is a shame, because they are where a lot of the steadier jobs are.
The three worth knowing
Daegu sits between Seoul and Busan on the fast train line, which matters more than it sounds. You can be in either city for a weekend without planning a trip. It is famously hot in summer. The hagwon market is established and there is a long-standing foreign teacher community, so a new arrival is not a novelty.
Daejeon is the country's research and university city, roughly an hour from Seoul by KTX. Teachers who want a quiet week and easy access to the capital on Saturday tend to like it. It is flatter and easier to cycle than most Korean cities.
Gwangju is further southwest and feels the most separate of the three. It has a strong food reputation, cheaper rent than the others, and a smaller expat scene, which some teachers want and others find isolating after six months.
What actually changes compared with Seoul
- Fewer postings, less competition. You may wait longer for the right opening, but when one appears you are not one of forty applicants.
- Lower rent, if you house yourself. With a school apartment this matters less.
- Less English around you. Signage, restaurant menus and pharmacy staff switch to English less often. This is either the reason to go or the reason not to.
- Weekend travel becomes a habit. Almost everyone we place in these cities ends up on the KTX once or twice a month.
The part we would want to know
A smaller city means a smaller number of schools, and that cuts both ways. If a placement is not working, there are fewer alternatives within commuting distance. In Seoul a teacher who wants to change schools after a contract has dozens of options in the same neighbourhood. In Gwangju that list is short.
We say this not to steer anyone away but because it is the single most common surprise we hear at the end of a first year outside the big two.
A reasonable way to decide
Ask yourself what you want the year to be. If it is "meet a lot of other foreigners, be out most weekends, and have Seoul on my doorstep", the answer is Seoul or Daejeon. If it is "save money, learn some Korean because I have to, and travel", the second cities are better at that than Seoul is, and they are cheaper while you do it.
Either way, do not decide from a salary figure alone. Two schools in the same city differ more than two cities do.