4 Ways To Work & Live In South Korea As A Foreigner

We all know K-pop has taken the world by storm, but that’s just the tip of the Korean Wave.

As the fourth largest economy, South Korea is making a name for itself on the international stage. With global giants like Samsung, Hyundai, LG Electronics and KPMG based in South Korea, it’s easy to see why more and more internationals are being drawn to South Korea on a long-term basis.

In 2024, the South Korean government announced a plan to massively increase the number of visas for skilled foreign workers. Which is good news for careers in Korea for foreigners!

Working & living in South Korea through TEFL

While international candidates come to South Korea for various industries, South Korea has been a popular destination for TEFL teachers for decades. This isn’t really surprising considering the generous salaries, perks and extensive support from TEFL employers in the country. 

Read more: Teach English In South Korea

English proficiency is a sought-after skill in South Korea, so English teachers are in high demand. Add to that their dedication to education (read: LOTS of schoolwork and classtime) and you have a recipe for success for TEFL teachers.

There are teaching opportunities for TEFL teachers from kindergarten to public and private high schools, universities and state or private cram schools known as hagwons. 

Besides the demand for English teachers, South Korean teaching opportunities come with generous salaries with benefits such as flights and accommodation. (More on that later.)

Another reason teaching is a popular option for South Korea is that it offers a relatively simple way to work in the country. For anyone who wants to work in South Korea, you need a university degree in the same field, as well as some level of Korean proficiency.

To teach, you need a degree but it can be in any field – it doesn’t have to be related to education or teaching. And a knowledge of Korean is not needed for the classroom. The only Korean you need to know is what you’ll need to get around outside the classroom.

Read more: Is TEFL Worth It? How Useful Is A TEFL Qualification?

Requirements to work abroad in South Korea

When it comes to requirements to teach English as a Foreign Language in South Korea, you need an E-2 Visa for a Foreign Language Instructor. To get this visa, you need to be a native English speaker and have a Bachelor’s degree. A TEFL qualification is not needed for a visa but is preferred for teaching positions. 

For other industries, it’s necessary to get a Job Seeker Visa or a Short-Term Employment Visa (for employment for up to three months). 

Individuals in the Science and Technology fields who are invited by a South Korean company can apply for a Technician Visa, while doctors, lawyers, accountants and other professions can opt for the Professional Visa. 

A Non-Professional Visa is available to workers in a number of sectors, including manufacturing, construction, agriculture and service. 

For those who work in the media, entertainment, art and sports industries, the Culture and Art Visa is applicable.

If your country of nationality has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Republic of South Korea, you should be eligible for an H-1 Working Holiday Visa. This visa allows you to work in the country to fund your travels around the country.

Visas cost between $40 and $100. If you plan on bringing your family with you to South Korea, each family member needs to apply for and be accepted for an F-3 visa.

For any position, it’s a good idea to secure a job before travelling to South Korea, for visa purposes, as a sponsor letter might be needed for your application. 

What cities in South Korea should you move to?

If you’re going to move to Korea, you need to consider where you want to live. 

Where is the best place to live in Korea as a foreigner? 

There are a number of cities in South Korea which are attractive to foreigners looking for work. Which is the best place in South Korea for a foreigner to live depends on the kind of lifestyle they want to lead.

Seoul

The capital of South Korea, Seoul is the obvious choice for many foreigners. Seoul is a big city. Of South Korea’s population of almost 52 million people, almost half live in Seoul. 

Despite that, Seoul is considered one of the most liveable cities in the country. 

With efficient public transport, interesting historical and cultural landmarks, and easy access to nature, Seoul has something to offer everyone. But it’s crowded, has a fast pace of living, and is expensive relative to other cities in Korea.

If you’re looking for big city vibes with networking opportunities, technology, and cafe culture, then Seoul is the best option for you.

Busan

Busan is South Korea’s second-biggest city. On the coast, it offers a more laid-back alternative to Seoul while still giving city vibes. Busan has one of the largest expat communities in South Korea. Shipping, tourism and manufacturing offer the most jobs in Busan.

Suwon

Suwon is close to the busyness of Seoul, but is more chilled. 

Suwon is a popular option for TEFL teachers as there are many private academies and international schools looking for foreign English teachers. There are a few universities here which makes it a popular destination for researchers and academics.

Plus with the lower cost of living it’s easier to save money here than in the bigger cities. 

Do you need to speak Korean to work in Korea?

The question of proficiency in Korean is a tricky one. 

For sure, having a working knowledge of the language is useful to get around the country, especially if you are in a more rural area. Even in the big cities, where English is spoken widely,  speaking Korean will stand you in good stead with the locals.

As a TEFL teacher, there is no need for you to speak Korean in the classroom. In fact, immersion learning is the basis of TEFL. Because of this, translation should be used on occasions few and far between. 

Read more: How Can I Teach English Without Speaking The Local Language?

Being able to speak Korean is helpful outside the classroom but not inside. (Of course, it’ll be useful to know what your students are talking about!).

On the other hand, jobs in fields besides English language teaching do require a certain level of Korean, though usually not fluency. 

If you have learnt some Korean, to impress your colleagues or future employers you can sit the Korean Language Ability Test or the Test of Proficiency in Korean.  

Salaries, benefits and cost of living in South Korea

Average salaries in South Korea are generally high. But working hours are usually long. 

South Korea has a similar problem to Japan’s karoshi. 

Called gwarosa in Korean, this is the phenomenon of people literally dying from overwork, either from poor health due to long working hours, fatigue-related industrial accidents, sleep-deprived driving, or suicide.

In 1997, in order to combat the extreme numbers of gwarosa, the maximum working hours for workers in Korea was set to 52 hours – 40 hours plus 12 hours’ overtime. But as recently as 2023 there were talks of increasing this cap to 69 hours. Though this was overturned at the time, it remains to be seen whether the minimum working hours will be increased in future. 

TEFL teachers largely avoid long working hours, usually working 40-hour weeks, with teaching hours limited to 20 to 25. But teachers working in hagwons can work disjointed hours, some lessons in the morning and some in the evening.

Salaries range from ₩ 2.3 million to ₩ 4.2 million ($1,700 to $3,100). But teaching salaries include flights to and from your home country, as well as accommodation while you are teaching. Because of this, your teaching salary will go a lot further than you might think. The potential for saving is huge.

The minimum wage in South Korea is ₩8,350 ($7) an hour. Working full-time at this rate will earn employees a yearly minimum salary of ₩17,368,000 ($14,700). Income tax is 16% on average.

All employees are entitled to company benefits after 6 months of employment. 

Benefits include:

• health insurance and employment insurance – employers and employees contribute
• work accident compensation insurance – employers contribute
• paid leave – 11 – 25 paid days a year + 12 paid public holidays
• maternity leave – 90 days’ paid leave
• paternity leave – 10 days’ paid leave
• family-care leave, fertility treatment leave, and menstrual  leave – unpaid

Read more: Teaching Salaries in South Korea

What types of other jobs are popular in South Korea?

Besides TEFL, South Korea is known for its jobs in mobile telecommunications, vehicle manufacturing, electronics and ship building, among other industries. 

Corporate jobs

An Inter-Company Transfer Visa is a possible option for an employee who wants to be transferred to South Korea within their company.

Digital nomad

Digital nomads have the luxury of being able to work from almost anywhere they choose. So why choose South Korea?

Considering that many remote working jobs involve IT, technology, and design, it makes sense to be based close to where the action is happening. This is a good idea from the perspective of convenient working hours, as well as being aware of new trends and advances in the field.

Launched on 1 January 2024, South Korea’s new digital nomad visa allows workers to live and work in South Korea for up to two years. To qualify, candidates must work for a foreign company and have worked in the same industry for at least a year. A minimum annual salary of ₩85 million ($62,000) and health insurance of ₩100 million ($72,000) are required.

Read more: The Digital Nomad Visa: A Ticket To Your Best Life

Hospitality work 

Hospitality jobs in South Korea vary from waitrons and chefs to receptionists and concierges.

These are just a few opportunities for foreigners working in South Korea. 

Work opportunities in Korea for foreigners are plentiful. It is estimated that there are currently between 2 and 2.5 million foreigners living and working in South Korea.

You may not be able to compete with Korean workers in some positions as a result of your language skills, but you can use your first language to your advantage. 

German-speakers, for example, can work in multinational companies in Korea which deal with German colleagues in their German offices. Spanish-speakers can work in tourism and help in communicating to Spanish-speaking tourists.

Ready to work in South Korea?

With stunning natural landscapes, glorious food, and an interesting lifestyle, living and working in South Korea suits those who are looking for a different sort of adventure. 

Technology, manufacturing and hospitality are all valid ways of finding employment in South Korea, but by far the most popular job for foreigners in Korea is teaching English as a foreign language. 

Teaching English as a Foreign Language in South Korea is actually not permitted on a Working Holiday Visa, so the best option to get a valid E-2 visa is to take a TEFL course from a highly accredited and internationally reputable course provider. 

Still on the fence? THIS IS YOUR SIGN to sign up for a TEFL course and join the more than 25,000 TEFL teachers living their best lives in South Korea!