Before we moved here, we were asked this question quite often: Why Korea?! Well, you asked and we've answered! Ultimately, we wanted to teach ESL and while researching more into which countries are best to do so in, we found that South Korea has some of the best benefits for ESL teachers. For each country you look into, there are a wealth of pros verses cons. Here's our list of reasons why you should seriously put Korea on your short list for countries to teach abroad in.

Free Housing

South Korea is one of the only Asian countries that provides you with housing. Upon arriving here, we were immediately taken to our new apartment that was already furnished. In our contracts, teachers are given a bed, table and two chairs, desk, tv, and microwave. Some countries, like Japan, may give you a housing allowance, but you are on your own to find a place to stay. Typically, you are given single housing, which is the equivalent to a studio apartment. Couples are usually given bigger apartments, or officetels that have a loft or a separate bedroom. In Seoul, we got a studio apartment, but upon taking contracts in a more rural location, we were given much larger apartments.

READ MORE:
Our Korean Apartment Tours
7 Reasons to Love Living in Rural Korea

Free Roundtrip Airfare

Round trip airfare is included in your contract. That's right, your school will pay you back for your flight to Korea, and upon completion of your contract, most will give you a choice of a paid flight or one month's salary! Most schools will pay you back within your first month or so of work. We actually had a coworker who couldn't afford his flight here, so our school bought the ticket for him outright. Many other Asian countries such as China, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia don't offer this. In our public school contracts, we are each given an allowance of 1,300,000 won  for flights both to Korea and the flight home upon contract completion.

Higher Salary Jobs

South Korea has higher salary jobs! The salary range is anywhere between 2 million won to 2.8 million won ($2,000-$2,800) per month depending on experience, location, and school. This is actually comparable to the beginner teacher salaries in the states, plus free housing! We considered Japan for a while, but South Korea has a cheaper cost of living. Food, transportation, and entertainment are all very reasonably priced. Japan has a higher salary range, but with high cost of living plus housing, this doesn't really translate into much savings. Always consider salary verses cost of living!

Pension, Severance, and Bonuses

In our contracts, we are also given pension which amounts to exactly one month's salary per year worked. If we re-sign our contracts, we are given a 2,000 won re-signing bonus. We we arrive in the country, we are given 300,000 won each for a settlement allowance. To top it all off, after we decide to leave Korea, a severance amount of one month's pay is given to us along with 1,300,000 won for flights. These bonuses are an amazing addition to our already comfortable salaries.

Savings

This brings us to our next point: SAVINGS! As recent college graduates, we have our fair share of student loans. We needed a job that was going to help us pay off our debts and also secure some decent savings along the way. Having a job with a good salary and paid housing helps easily do this. We were able to pay off all debts in a year and a half, even after our nightmare hagwon didn't pay us our full pay from our first year. We were eating out semi regularly and exploring the country every weekend. After five years, we had a nice bit of savings to our names!

Health Insurance

Most of the contracts here offer 50% health insurance coverage and a pension program. The health care system here is really nice and is already extremely cheap, but if something major did occur, you would get 50% coverage from your employer. If you are coming from a country which already offers free health coverage, maybe this isn't your biggest draw. For us Americans, we certainly found this to be super appealing as medical costs can really add up in the United States. When Ryan broke his finger, they had to take multiple x-rays and give him meds. Total bill was only 6,000 won!

READ MORE:
A Guide to the Korean Healthcare System
If you are considering teaching ESL in Asia, then South Korea is a really good option! All you need is a bachelor's degree in any major to get started. If you are going through a recruiter, make sure they are reputable before signing any dotted lines. Head over to Dave's ESL Café for more information and job postings!
Similar Posts:
How to Get a Good Hagwon Job in South Korea
Our Nightmare Hagwon in Korea and How to Avoid Them
Public vs Hagwon Schools in South Korea
How Much Vacation to Expect for Teachers in Korea
A Guide to the Korean Healthcare System
How to Teach English in South Korea

 

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