Teaching EFL Job Market in Korea

It has been about seven years since I left my last job teaching EFL in South Korea. But since I left Korea in 2016 I never went back
for a visit. But after seven years I am wondering how is the EFL teaching job market in South Korea right now? I know that the
private sector jobs are always hiring, but how about the public schools (or the EPIK Program)? Is the job market for foreign EFL
teachers as great as it was before? Is it harder to get into the EPIK Program now than it was 15 years ago?

I still have one Korean friend who I talk to on the Facebook messenger. She told me that I am the only former foreign language
teacher she talks to that used to work in her local region. There is also a Filipino woman whos daughter went to one of the
elementary schools I used to teach at, and she told me that one of the schools I used to teach at is currently shut down for good.
This was a school in the rural area where I used to live and work.

Even if I should quit my current teaching position here in Canada, I don't think that getting back into the EPIK Program in South Korea
would be that easy for me because I have 7 years of experience teaching in South Korea. And even if I did get back in, the top salary
they would offer me will never beat the salary that I am currently earning here in Canada working for an Indigenous school board. So
basically the conclusion is there may be no point in trying to get back into the EPIK Program in South Korea. As for the private sector,
forget it.

Korea has had a lot of inflation over the years plus the exchange rate is worse. 

Let's say you made 2.5 million won 10 years ago. 

₩2,500,000 in 2013 is ₩3,040,452.55 in 2023.  plus for a Canadian, take off a couple of hundred dollars off the exchange rate from when you left in 2016.  At that time 2 million won was 2200 to 2300 CAD.  Nowadays it fluctuates from parity (2000 bucks) to 2100 dollars.  Yet, the salary is still 2.5 million for your old position.  For you to have the same spending power and saving power as you did, you should be making at least 3.3 million won in 2023 going into 2024.  Korea has gotten really expensive in the last several years and you may have seen it beginning even before you left.

A newbie shouldn't come over for less than 3 million and an experienced teacher should be 3.5 to 4 million in order for Korea to be worth it.  Yet, some do still come over anyways.  Though less and less foreigners are coming here nowadays due to the lousy pay and worse contracts.  With inflation, China is paying equal to what Korea did years ago.  Not telling you to go there, just highlighting that Korea isn't what it once was. 

If you want to make yourself more marketable as a teacher, consider upskilling. You can get a MATESOL for not too much money these days.

Korea The world has had a lot of inflation over the years...

Fixed it for you!

epik is still fine, imho. that said, its still more of a gap year option than a career, and once your pay caps out its probably time to move on. pay isnt great, but cheap housing/healthcare makes up for it if youre american, lol.

Dude, if you're teaching in Canada (assuming you're certified), why the heck are you looking at hagwons and public schools?

International schools are well on your radar, and don't accept anything less than 5 million won net. Even international schools in Korea are starting to realise they too can strong-arm weak-willed individuals into accepting less.

ah don't listen to foreverparadise too much...this is what he does and has done for as long as he's been here. if memory serves me, one of his last previous posts was similar to a drunken rant about all us racists around here.

It has been about seven years since I left my last job teaching EFL in South Korea. But since I left Korea in 2016 I never went back
for a visit. But after seven years I am wondering how is the EFL teaching job market in South Korea right now? I know that the
private sector jobs are always hiring, but how about the public schools (or the EPIK Program)? Is the job market for foreign EFL
teachers as great as it was before? Is it harder to get into the EPIK Program now than it was 15 years ago?

I still have one Korean friend who I talk to on the Facebook messenger. She told me that I am the only former foreign language
teacher she talks to that used to work in her local region. There is also a Filipino woman whos daughter went to one of the
elementary schools I used to teach at, and she told me that one of the schools I used to teach at is currently shut down for good.
This was a school in the rural area where I used to live and work.

Even if I should quit my current teaching position here in Canada, I don't think that getting back into the EPIK Program in South Korea
would be that easy for me because I have 7 years of experience teaching in South Korea. And even if I did get back in, the top salary
they would offer me will never beat the salary that I am currently earning here in Canada working for an Indigenous school board. So
basically the conclusion is there may be no point in trying to get back into the EPIK Program in South Korea. As for the private sector,
forget it.

Working at an indigenous school is a great way to contribute to the community but I've heard some horror stories. Maybe try China or the Middle East if you have a teaching license. It's more competitive than Korea.

Working at an indigenous school is a great way to contribute to the community but I've heard some horror stories. Maybe try China or the Middle East if you have a teaching license. It's more competitive than Korea.

Some of the resident trolls get triggered if you suggest going to China or anywhere else for better pay and contracts.  Careful they don't troll on you in their bitterness. 

Working at an indigenous school is a great way to contribute to the community but I've heard some horror stories. Maybe try China or the Middle East if you have a teaching license. It's more competitive than Korea.

teaching 18 feral cats how to play aussie rules football would be a more enjoyable and easier time than working at an indigenous school (as a non indigenous person) in Canada. A friend of mine worked at one for 3 months.  On day one they all welcomed him to the classroom by chanting "quit, quit, quit!"

Fixed it for you!

Korea for years even before the recent global phenomenon.  Nothing to fix unless you're raising the pay by a lot.  In which case, you are fixing nothing.