Footprints Recruiting

This section contains a brief comparison of the private language schools (known as hagwon in Korean) and public schools in Korea.

*Please note that this is a rough guideline of some of the general differences between private and public schools in Korea. Some schools may differ from these for any number of reasons. This chart is for general reference only and not indicative of any particular contract nor a guarantee of any particular benefit.

There are many international schools in South Korea, most of which are DOD - Department of Defense - schools for dependents of personnel stationed in Korea and civilians working with the army, navy, marines and airforce. We are also aware of a couple Korean children that attend these schools and a couple American kids who were not affiliated in any way with any part of the American military.

If you're American, or if you're a teacher with dependants who wants to teach in Korea you might want to look at this angle to get your kids into an international school. This is not to say that you could necessarily teach there but rather that you might be able to get your child in which would be far cheaper than a traditional international school where the tuition is pretty steep.

International schools will only accept candidates with teaching degrees and often several years experience.  If your purpose in teaching abroad it to experience culture we urge you to consider public or private schools rather than the international schools for obvious reasons.

There are two types of teaching opportunties at the university or college level in South Korea.

Private language institutes, also known as Hogwans or Hakwons, are found all over Korea.  Some institutes are well-known with many branches throughout the country while others are small and short-lived. The ESL teaching market in Korea is extremely competitive which leads to bankruptcies and sudden school closures.

Footprints screens these schools in an effort to minimize your risks so that your experience there is as positive as possible.

Many full-time English teachers teach part-time as well, either at another institute or with privately arranged classes. Many full-time contracts stipulate that teachers are not to take on additional private work. Many English teachers however do take on private students. Part-time instruction at a second institute is legal only with permission from the sponsoring institute and Korean immigration authorities.

To learn more about teaching privates in Korea please - CLICK HERE

Despite the population, Korea has relatively few private schools.  In order to find a job in this area you need to have some serious credentials. A Bachelor's in Education is a minimum qualification. Often a teacher will also need to have 2 or 3 years of experience.

Footprints has select few opportunities in private schools in South Korea and all these opportunities are offered exclusively to Footprints Alumni.