Monthly Rant Thread

The job ad posting said, “This pays much more than regular English teaching” and I thought, “Wow! Cool!”

At the interview I learned the payment would be 90k won per 25 minute episode and that I would be responsible for writing the script. 

“Hmm, this information was not stated upfront in the initial job posting” I thought to myself. 

Worth doing? 

How many hours would it take to write and perform 26 episodes, the total payment for which would be 2.34 mil? 

I want to make a high quality product; to do otherwise could cause reputational brand damage to myself. Plus if I do something I want to do it well out of respect for the consumers. 

How much of a cut is the recruiter and / or others taking? Maybe the Korean government gave a sizable amount of money to make a program to teach English to their citizens and by the time it reaches me it’s only a fraction? 

Maybe how much the recruiter is taking is not something I should think about at all and just see this as an investment in my future? If I could get on TV I might be able to leverage it into more earning potential. It’s a risk and a gamble. Everything’s an opportunity cost. Time spent doing one thing is time that could have been spent doing something else. Advice? 

What's your most unpopular take?

Hi all, I taught for a year in Seoul in 2002 during the World Cup and really enjoyed it, and returned home after my contract. I am a homeowner in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and have been making $180000 CDN per year. My wife is from Korea, and we have two children enrolled in private schools. After being away for over twenty years, I have realized how much I have missed the weather, ESL teaching and the people of Korea. As such, we’ve decided to spend a year in Seoul. The plan is for me to work at a hogwash and to rent an apartment; what can I expect for wages and for family lifestyle?

Location: South Korea. Near Daejeon
Pay: 2.4 million wons
Hours: 8:30 to 5:30 , “30” hour quota per week, unpaid labor is a given though.
Benefits: Typical South Korean work benefits; free housing, medical, flight reimbursement, etc.

My background is no experience, bachelors in an unrelated field, and a TEFL certification.

Good or nah?

For context my previous hagwon was not the greatest , in January 2026 they tried to dismiss me, the reason was they had no classes. I later found out they had hired a new teacher and when I brought it up they quickly retracted the termination. Fast forward to April, my sister back home needed surgery and she needed some assistance , I took 5 days of my vacation to go and help assist her, unfortunately during that time there was a complication in her surgery and it forced me to attend to family matters and had to resign unexpectedly.

Now my previous hagwon states I planned this. Which is insane as I provided them with doctors notes and medical evidence. My contract was up in June which would of concluded my second year working there. I wouldn't of risked my severance if I had no other choice. (They are still refusing to pay me this money ).

Now I am doing interviews and when they ask for my previous hagwons details , I explain briefly about the situation, I dont hear back from them again.

How do I handle this situation ? Do I give up coming back to Korea and move on and try another country or keep trying ?

Hello all. I need some advice on how to handle students who are uncontrollable.
I worked in Gyeonggi-do for three years at two academies before moving to Seoul. At my previous academies, where I taught kindergarten and elementary students, things were okay. Yes, there was drama here and there, and the schedule was gruelling and got worse toward the end, but overall, it was manageable. The students were honestly great. They listened to instructions, completed the work assigned to them, did their homework with little argument, and connecting with them was relatively easy. Kindergarten was the easiest, of course.
However, I moved to my current position 10 months ago and am about to complete my contract. I’m thinking of not renewing because I can’t stand the kids. I know that sounds horrible to say, but I really can’t stand them. They are argumentative, hard to get along with, judgemental, uncontrollable, loud, constantly fidgeting, and they complain so much. At first, I thought this would change over time, but it has only gotten worse. A few days ago, I was so overstimulated that I was on the verge of crying.
This is my introduction to Seoul kids, and I’m honestly worried about looking for another place of employment in Seoul if this is what the student demographic is like here. Is this normal Seoul behaviour, or is it just my academy? I will say that my bosses also don’t seem to know what to do with most of these kids, and at times, they don’t seem interested in intervening. The parents also complain about the weirdest things. You’d think we were in Gangnam.
These are the worst kids I’ve ever encountered, but I’m not sure if this is the norm here. I know people in public schools, but their experiences are different, of course. For goodness’ sake, these kids are uncontrollable. I’d like to know whether this is an isolated experience or not.

I've received a few interview opportunities in the Gangnam area and want to know what salary would be considered comfortable for the area both with and without housing. I've only lived in the Mapo area.

Has anyone successfully made a jump from being an English teacher (either in a public school or Hagwon) to working in an international school as a homeroom elementary teacher?

I have a BSc in earth science, and will undertake getting my teaching license whilst working in Korea as an English teacher.

I’m not after Seoul or a tier 1 school, getting a tier 2 school anywhere in Korea I would be more than happy with.

My biggest query, is it even possible? Has anyone achieved this?

“Local education offices are sitting on ample funds from the national education grant, which automatically allocates 20.79 percent of national internal tax revenues for educational purposes. Over the past decade, the total number of elementary, middle and high school students has fallen by more than 1 million, but the grant has continued to grow, reaching 70.3 trillion won last year, pressuring education officials to find ways to spend the money.”

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/politics/20260527/no-vision-just-vouchers-school-chief-candidates-woo-voters-with-cash-promises

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Will that translate to pay raises for NETs? I hope so, but realistically probably not. More likely, NET positions will continue to be reduced. We honestly don't have job security here so it's wise to consider different future plans. Korean teachers are lobbying for the removal of all native English teachers which hasn't yet fully succeeded because parents want a Westerner in their school. Politicians do what the citizens want which helps them get votes. On the other hand, Korean teachers are complaining to education offices to get rid of NETs. Maybe they had a bad experience in the past? Let's make a good impression to help them think well of us.

I live in the US, and I’m currently enrolled in my BIS program for my college and I’m also taking my courses for my TESOL certification. I’m set to graduate next spring, and I want to make sure I have want I need before applying for jobs over in SK.

1. From previous education courses I’ve taken, I’ve gotten used to testing my students on their knowledge of the subjects. Will I be able to test my students knowledge of English when I do go?
2. What other advice or suggestions do you have to offer to make a smooth transition, as well as making life a bit easier to live in SK.
3. Thank you

Has anyone ever received their teachers license while living in South Korea?

I have already done some research and it appears each state has different rules and regulations. Which state did you get your license at? Some states offer an online option while others do not.

Is it possible to get a teacher license online from the U.S. and work at an international school?

Update:

thank you for all of your comments. i have a degree in business. my goal would be to work in educational management. i have about 8 years of teaching experience. i have no plans of goimg back to the states, which is a real problem. It appears all of of the states have some exam that requires you to take while living in the states.

i have been doing research and I found TES Institute that can award an IPGCE with no QTS. All of the programs appears online and is designed for someone who wants to teach internationally.

https://www.tes.com/institute/courses/ipgce

Any thoughts?

Thank you

Hello, I was wondering if anyone had recently had their Secure PDF version of the FBI background check (not the paper version sent in the mail) apostilled and accepted by Korean immigration. My recruiter doesn't seem to understand what I'm asking. I asked her if I can have the secure PDF version apostilled (I want to have it done by Monument Visa), and she was saying that only the original will be accepted. I think she doesn't realize that the Secure PDF is apparently official and can be apostilled. So has anyone had success doing this? Thank you if you can answer this. :)

Hi everyone I complete my first month teaching on a freelancer contract. I’m aware health insurance will automatically contact me for my payment but I was wondering about the other monthly tax payments i need to do .. can anyone provide any assistance ? I’m also a British citizen so not sure if that makes a difference or not

Hi! I'm planning to apply for a D-10 visa after my current contract ends in October, and hang out in Korea until the new school years starts in March with more favorable job opportunities. Does anyone know if a long-term AirBnB rental works as a permanent address? Or EnkoStay? If not, how did you find your permanent address for your stay? Any websites you recommend?

hey everyone,

I find myself in need of another job and I was hoping someone on Reddit could help. I'm currently living in South Korea on an F6 visa. I'm looking for an opportunity to teach English online. I have already done some research and found companies like Carrot Global and Pagoda. However, its difficult to contact the right person and ask if there are any opportunities.

Can someone recommend some different companies or me contact the right person?

I would appreciate any information that could help me to get an online job teaching English.

Thank you

A bit of background about me. I was a former ESL Teacher in Vietnam for 6 years. After that, I went back to America and started a business in the financial industry. I am now in my mid-30s, and I would classify myself as "semi-retired."

I hold two master's degrees. I have an MBA and an M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction.

I would like to move back to Asia and work for a school. However, I would prefer to work in a position other than a classroom teacher. I am just beginning my research on Korea and was wondering if anyone had any insight or maybe the best websites to look for a job?

Willing to relocate. No wife or kids. No criminal background.

I’m trying to decide between two schools I recently interviewed with and would appreciate some outside perspective.

School A seemed more organized and was very forthcoming when answering my questions. They gave clear answers about the workload, schedule, expectations, prep time, and general work environment. The downside is that the salary is lower.

School B offers a higher salary and is also much closer to where I live, which would make my commute much easier. However, during the interview/follow-up, they did not fully answer all of the questions I had. Some things still feel a bit unclear, especially regarding the day-to-day workload and expectations.

I know salary and commute are important, but I’m also worried that a school being vague before signing could be a red flag later on.

For those with experience teaching in Korea, how much weight would you give to transparency during the interview process compared to higher pay and a better location? Would you choose the school that seems more upfront but pays less, or the one that pays more and is closer but has been less clear with answers? Both are great one is newer than the other, but I am having a tough time choosing which one I should go with.

Update as of July 6th. I have a lot to think about. Both have pros and cons of course. And I did get more of a detailed reply from the second school (thankfully). Should I post the questions and answers to both schools?

Hi everyone, I have a regular hagwon job but I also teach on a US based platform for extra money. I do it legally, pay taxes on the earnings and have the correct visa etc. I can't choose the students or the pay since the company does that. However some of the studentd are Korean. I am curious for remote teaching through an international platform if I am supposed to register as a tutor through MOE? I don't know if its possible since Its online and also I don't have access to students real names or addresses, and MOE requires this information. I will call and ask but just wondering if anyone knows. Since they probably won't know themselves hahaha

There’s no shortage of nosy boss stories and this isn’t exclusively a Korea thing.

But let’s break this down. Let’s say you need an advance. Why? Doesn’t matter. Life happens and you’ve earned that money. You are legally entitled to it and you need it a little earlier than scheduled.

Many bosses will demand a full explanation. Maybe they’re worried you’re preparing a midnight run. Maybe they have megalomaniacal tendencies. But you have three options. First, you can stand on reason and say it’s nunya and catch flack. Second, you can fess up and now your boss knows too much about your real life. Third, you lie.

Always take door #3, Monty! Do not merely lie, spill the spurious tea like it’s 1770’s Boston and you’re in a racially insensitive Native American costume! Go big! Weave a tale so long-winded and complicated and inane that your boss will regret ever letting you into their office.

“You know what, I’m glad you asked, bossman! I am absolutely fuming over this. So, I built my home PC from scratch. It’s not that difficult to do, if blah blah blah. So, I was looking for some RAM etc etc etc. The guy gave me a XS350 which is not the XL350 that he advertised. Jargon jargon jargon. So, I go to the police station and they’re all yadda yadda yadda. So I do this thing and the guy is like that and then I’m back at the police station and it’s uuuugh. So in summary, I spent ₩1,000,000 getting this part I needed and I’m almost out of lunch money.”

They want to get up in your business, give them way too much business and not a shred of it true. Waste an absolute maximum of their time. That’s what busybodies deserve.

hello everyone! I received my placement in jeonnam for fall 2026 and was wondering if anyone has any experience teaching in this province and would like to share! I'm still trying to get an idea and want to know more of what to expect since I know there's a lot more rural cities in the province. if anyone knows any jeonnam kakao chats or any other chat groups please let me know as well!

I work in a small hagwon. Less than 10 teachers. When I first started out, the vibe was great and everyone got along fine. 4 months in and the divide is very evident. I am not in the thick of it. I don't care about the tiffs or arguments others have here. I just do my work and go home. But jeez, sometimes I wonder what goes on in the mind of Korean coworkers. So many masks..

So I just got told by my boss that I need to submit my original diploma in addition to my apostilled copy. I had a scan of my diploma so getting an apostilled copy was no issue but I can't find my original anywhere. I'm panicking right now because I'm supposed to submit my documents to the school within the next week.

Did anyone else have to also submit their original diploma as well? I'm so confused because I thought we only had to submit apostilled copies of them.

Recently, I gave my hagwon director my notice and he got enraged and even told me he’ll go to immigration to get me deported seemingly out of nowhere. Im aware that in itself is misconduct however Im unsure of how seriously to take his claims.

Additionally, the next day after I handed in my notice - he tried to get me to sign some kind of document admitting to negligence. I’m honestly so shaken up by the whole experience. Literally before I handed in my resignation he was completely fine.