Working in Korea
Practical guides for getting and starting an English teaching job in Korea — the E-2 visa document order, what a hagwon contract really says, take-home pay, and the first month on the ground.
Sections
E-2, F-visas, apostille, criminal record check — what to get, in what order.
What a Korean hagwon contract really says, and what lands in your bank account.
Banking, phones, hospitals, where teachers actually hang out — the first-month list.
City by city, with real numbers from our own listings.
Everything on this shelf
- Living in Korea2026-08-18 — 6 min read
How do I set up a bank account and phone in Korea as an E-2 teacher?
You can open a Korean bank account and get a phone number within your first week if you have your ARC. Expect to spend ₩150,000–₩250,000 in your first month on deposits, plans, and essentials before your first paycheque arrives.
- Visa & Paperwork2026-08-14 — 3 min read
How long does it take to go from applying to standing in a Korean classroom?
The gap between sending your first application and starting work in Korea is set almost entirely by your documents, not by the hiring. Interviews and offers can happen in a week or two; the criminal background check, the apostille and the visa issuance are what decide your start date. Teachers who begin their paperwork before they have an offer routinely start a month or more ahead of teachers who wait.
- Living in Korea2026-08-12 — 3 min read
Your first two weeks in Korea: ARC, bank account, phone, and the order to do them in
The first two weeks in Korea run in a fixed order because each step unlocks the next: you arrive and start work, you apply for your Alien Registration Card, the ARC lets you open a proper bank account, the bank account lets you get a phone contract, and the phone number lets you register for almost everything else. Doing them out of order is where new teachers get stuck.
- Where to Teach2026-08-07 — 2 min read
Seoul, Gyeonggi, or a smaller city? Choosing where to take your first job
For a first contract in Korea, the honest trade-off is this: Seoul gives you the most to do and the most competition for jobs, Gyeonggi gives you Seoul on a train with lower costs and more openings, and a smaller city gives you the fastest Korean and the least English-speaking company. None of the three is a mistake — but picking without knowing the trade-off usually is.
- Contracts & Pay2026-07-28 — 2 min read
How English teacher pay actually works in Korea
A hagwon offer in Korea is rarely just a monthly salary. It is a base figure plus housing, plus a flight, plus severance after a full year, plus the employer half of pension and health insurance. Two offers with the same headline number can be worth very different amounts once those five pieces are counted.
- Contracts & Pay2026-07-21 — 3 min read
Reading a hagwon contract: 12 clauses to check before you sign
Before signing a hagwon contract, check twelve things: teaching hours vs office hours, overtime rate, class size, vacation days, housing terms, the deposit, severance, pension and health insurance, the end date, the probation clause, the release letter, and who pays for the visa. A contract that is vague on any of these is not ready to sign.
- Visa & Paperwork2026-07-09 — 3 min read
What documents do you need for an E-2 visa in Korea?
An E-2 teaching visa normally needs a bachelor''s degree, a national criminal background check, sealed transcripts and a passport — with the degree and the background check apostilled. Gather them in that order, because the apostille step is what takes the longest.