If you’re thinking about teaching English abroad, I highly recommend EPIK (English Program in Korea). I taught in Seoul for 2 years and had the most extraordinary experience. So if you’re thinking about teaching English abroad in South Korea here is a breakdown of the benefits of going through EPIK (specifically for Seoul). There are some variations if you are placed elsewhere in Korea but in general it’s pretty similar across the board.
1. Steady Salary
The pay scale ranges depending on your education level and teaching experience. Salaries start from 2,000,000 KRW.
Since it’s public schools and the program is backed by the Korean government rest assured you will get consistent timely payments.
2. Regular Hours
It’s a 1-year contract, 8-hour workdays scheduled Mondays through Fridays, and 22 teaching hours per week. I heard this amount was decent for industry standard.
Anything above 22 teaching hours would be considered overtime but that’s a rare occurrence and I personally never got OT.
The remaining work hours are allocated for future lesson preparations and miscellaneous meetings.
3. Entrance Allowance
As a first-year teacher you get an entrance allowance equal to 1,300,000 KRW to cover your flight to Korea.
If your ticket costs under that amount then the rest is profit so try to look for some flight deals.
4. Orientation
Prior to starting your first contract you will attend a mandatory orientation alongside the rest of the new intake.
The purpose of orientation is to offer training and to help you better assimilate to Korean culture. It’s also a great opportunity to make new friends as you’re surrounded by others going through the exact same process as you.
Orientation is unpaid but lodging and meals are all included.
5. Free Housing
A huge perk is FREE accommodation. Utilities are not included but it’s usually not much.
There is a security deposit of 500,000 KRW but you get it back at the end of your contract as long as your place is in good condition.
If you want to choose your own housing then a 500,000 KRW per month rent subsidy is provided.
6. Settlement Allowance
As a first-year teacher you get a one-time payment of 300,000 KRW as settlement allowance.
Schools provide essentials such as a bed, a refrigerator, a washing machine, etc. This settlement allowance is to help cover any additional costs for items you might need in your home.
7. Paid Vacation
Teachers are allotted 21 paid vacation days. This is on top of Korean national holidays (red days).
You have the freedom to determine how/when you want to use your vacation days as long as it is taken during school breaks and scheduled around English camps.
8. Paid Sick Leave
My contract allotted me 15 sick days. It looks like that amount has currently decreased to 11 which is still pretty good though.
9. Medical Insurance
Employers will pay 50% of medical premiums each month and the remaining balance will automatically be deducted from your paychecks.
It’s worth noting that medical expenses are generally quite low in Korea especially compared to the U.S.
10. Severance Pay
For every completed contract you are entitled to severance pay which equates to a full month’s salary.
You get paid out when you finish your final contract with your school.
11. Renewal Allowance
Certain regions offer renewal allowances which are given when teachers renew their contracts with their schools.
Unfortunately, Seoul no longer offers this bonus and I myself didn’t get to benefit from this.
12. Tax Exemption
Depending on where your home country is you might qualify for tax exemption for your first 2 years working in Korea.
Currently eligible countries include the United States, South Africa, Australia, the U.K., New Zealand, and Ireland.
13. Pension
A lump sum is deducted from each paycheck and goes towards your pension. Once again where your home country is will determine whether or not you are entitled to retrieving your pension upon exiting Korea.
Current eligible countries include the United States, Canada, and Australia.
14. Exit Allowance
At the end of your final contract you will be granted an exit allowance of 1,300,000 KRW to cover your flight out of Korea.
As with the entrance allowance, if your ticket costs under that amount then you can pocket the rest.
Overview
Okay, so let’s run that by again.
Free flight, rent-free housing, medical insurance, paid time off, and so on…umm YES PLEASE!
That’s exactly how I felt when I was doing my research. The benefits of teaching English abroad in Korea through EPIK seemed too good to be true.
In the end, this was by far one of the best decisions I’ve made. I taught abroad in Seoul from March 2016- February 2018 and truly had a fantastic time in Korea! I made amazing memories and lifelong friendships. I also learned a lot about myself in the process and grew as an individual.
So if you’re considering teaching English abroad I highly recommend EPIK. Trust me, you will have the experience of a lifetime.
For additional EPIK content, check out my breakdown of the EPIK application timeline, a list of questions from my EPIK interview, a video tour of my EPIK apartment, and an overview of my EPIK orientation.
Read about how I came about making the decision to drop everything in America and move halfway across the world to South Korea.
Are you convinced to teach through EPIK yet? Which of these perks sound most appealing to you? Let me know in the comments!
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