eslcafe.com) and HiTeacher (hiteacher.com), though a thorough web search will yield more.There are two main subspecies of Westerner in Seoul: English teachers, and the lesser-spotted American soldier. Other jobs are hard to come by, though today’s Korea is becoming ever more prominent in global business, with the resulting foreign contingent gradually permeating Seoul’s army of suits. It’s still fairly easy to land a teaching job, though to do this legally a degree certificate is nigh-on essential; wages are good, and Korea is a popular port of call for those wishing to pay off their student loan quickly while seeing a bit of the world. The cost of living, though rising, is still way below that in most English-speaking countries, and many teachers are able to put financial considerations out of their mind for the duration of their stay – many slowly realize that they’ve inadvertently been saving more than half of their salary.
Seoul is the most obvious target for those wishing to teach English in Korea, and with the number of teaching jobs on offer, it’s quite possible to handpick the area of the city you’d like to live in. Doing so may save unnecessary disappointment: those who fail to do their research often end up living in the suburbs (Bundang, for example, has a veritable army of English teachers), which are usually dull places an hour or so from the city centre. As well as teaching, some come to study. Korea has given a number of martial arts to the world, and continues to draw in students keen to learn directly from the horse’s mouth; others choose to learn the local language.
Uncomplicated entry requirements, low tax and decent pay cheques make Korea one of the most popular stops on the English-teaching circuit. Demand for native speakers is high, though it has fallen since the public school system phased out international teachers; the cost of living, though rising, is still below that in most English-speaking countries; English-teaching qualifications are far from essential (though they certainly help), and all that is usually required is a degree certificate, and a copy of your passport.
To land a full-time job from outside Korea you’ll have to go online, and it’s still the best option if you’re already in Korea. Popular sites include Dave’s ESL Café (eslcafe.com) and HiTeacher (hiteacher.com), though a thorough web search will yield more.
Most language schools are reputable; you can typically expect them to organize free accommodation, and to do the legwork with your visa application. Some countries operate Working Holiday visa schemes with Korea, but others will need a full working visa to be legally employed; those unable to collect this in their home country are usually given a plane ticket and directions for a quick visa-run to Japan (the closest embassy is in Fukuoka).
Most new entrants start off by teaching kids at a language school (학원; hagwon). There are a whole bunch of pan-national chains, with YBM and Pagoda among the two biggest; like the smaller-fry operations, they pay around W2,500,000 per month. After a year or two, many teachers make their way to a university teaching post; pay is usually lower and responsibilities higher than at a hagwon (and these days a Masters degree is an almost essential qualification), though the holiday allowances (as much as five months per year, as opposed to less than two weeks per year in a hagwon) are hard to resist. Most teachers give their bank balance a nudge in the right direction by offering private lessons on the side – an illegal practice, but largely tolerated unless you start organizing them for others.
One of the most regular hagwon-related complaints is the long hours many teachers have to work – figure on up to thirty per week. This may include Saturdays, or be spread quite liberally across the day from 9am to 9pm – try to find jobs with “no split shift” if possible. Questionable school policies also come in for stick; for example, teachers are often expected to be present at the school for show, even if they have no lessons on.
Korea has long been a popular place for the study of martial arts, while the country’s ever-stronger ties with global business are also prompting many to gain a competitive advantage by studying the Korean language.
Courses at the institutes run by many of the larger universities vary in terms of price, study time, skill level and accommodation. Most of the year-long courses are in Seoul and start in March – apply in good time. There’s a good list at english.visitkorea.or.kr, while information on study visas and how to apply for them can be found on the Ministry of Education’s website (studyinkorea.go.kr). There are private institutes dotted around Seoul and other major cities – english.seoul.go.kr has a list of safe recommendations in the capital, while other official city websites are the best places to look for institutes elsewhere. Those who are working in Korea may find they have no time for intensive study, so opt to take language lessons from friends or colleagues.
Seoul has a range of excellent Korean cooking classes aimed at novice foreigners. The best classes are run by O’ngo (ongofood.com), a cooking school just east of Insadonggil; beginner classes include bulgogi, pajeon and kimchi techniques, and cost from W45,000 per person. More refined are the classes at the Institute of Traditional Korean Food (kfr.or.kr) north of Anguk station, which include lessons on royal cuisine. At the other end of the scale is Yoo’s Family (yoosfamily.com) near Jongmyo, who run simple kimchi-making classes from W20,000.
Finding classes for the most popular styles (including taekwondo, hapkido and geomdo) isn’t hard, but very few cater for foreigners – it’s best to go hunting on the expat circuit. Those looking for something more advanced should seek advice from their home country’s own federations, rather than just turning up in Seoul.
Many temples offer teaching and templestay programmes for around W50,000 per night, a wonderful opportunity to see Seoul at its most serene (as long as you can stand the early mornings). Some temples are able to provide English-language instruction, and some not – see eng.templestay.com for more details. Alter-natively, the Ahnkook Zen Academy, north of Anguk station (ahnkookzen.org), runs English-language programmes every Saturday afternoon, though it gets mixed reports: the teachings themselves are good, but the ugly building tends to dash any thoughts of true Zen. Simpler, but perhaps more enjoyable for some, are the classes run by Jogyesa temple, which charges W10,000 for a programme including Buddhist painting and lotus lantern-making; reserve as far in advance as possible through a tourist office. Lastly, and perhaps most suitable for spiritualism given its out-of-Seoul location, is the Lotus Lantern Meditation Centre (lotuslantern.net) on the island of Ganghwado, which runs weekend-long meditation programmes (W50,000) most weeks.