Where to teach
City and region profiles for teachers deciding where to work in Korea — cost of living, commute, what the teaching scene is like, and who each place suits.
7 articles — newest first
Cheonan for English Teachers: What the KTX City an Hour From Seoul Actually Costs
Cheonan is a mid-sized Chungcheongnam-do city about 40 minutes from Seoul by KTX, with lower rent than the capital, a steady mix of hagwon and public school jobs, and a subway line if you want to skip the train fare entirely.
09-12Suwon Has Gyeonggi's Biggest Teaching Market, and Samsung Money to Match
Suwon is Gyeonggi Province's largest city, built around Samsung Electronics' headquarters in Yeongtong, and it offers Seoul-adjacent pay with lower rent, a real subway line into Gangnam, and one of the country's densest concentrations of private English academies.
09-06- Adult
Why Ulsan Pays More Than Seoul But Has a Fraction of the Foreign Teachers
Ulsan is Korea's industrial capital — Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hyundai Motor, SK Energy — and that means real demand for business English at wages that often beat Seoul, but a foreign teacher scene so small you'll know everyone within a month.
09-03 Incheon for English teachers: airport city wages, Seoul commute math, and who actually stays
Incheon pays 2.2–2.5 million won for hagwon work, sits 40–90 minutes from central Seoul depending on where you land, and suits teachers who want lower rent and sea air more than they want nightlife within walking distance.
08-25Busan for English teachers: what the second city actually costs and who it suits
Busan offers lower rent and a beach commute, but fewer jobs and tighter foreigner circles than Seoul. Here's what teaching in Korea's port city looks like in 2025, including real monthly costs and the visa quirk that trips people up.
08-23Daegu, 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.
07-24Seoul, 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.
07-08