Teaching English in South Korea means choosing between EPIK, the government-run public school placement programme, and a private hagwon, an after-school academy, both requiring a bachelor’s degree and offering some of the best-structured contracts in the TEFL world. Pay typically runs KRW 2.0 to 2.7 million a month with flights, housing and a completion bonus included, and Irish citizens qualify because Ireland is one of EPIK’s recognised native-English-speaking countries.

Key takeaways

• Both EPIK (public schools) and hagwons (private academies) require a bachelor’s degree; South Korea has no realistic no-degree route for foreign English teachers.
• Irish citizens are eligible for EPIK, since Ireland is one of the seven countries EPIK recognises as a native-English-speaking nation for visa purposes.
• Typical pay runs KRW 2.0 to 2.7 million a month (roughly EUR 1,350 to 1,850), and most contracts include flights, furnished housing (or a housing allowance) and a completion bonus.
• EPIK offers more structured hours, holidays and job security; hagwons often pay similarly but with longer hours and more variable working conditions between academies.
• The E-2 work visa requires a notarised, apostilled degree certificate and a criminal background check, both of which take real lead time to arrange from Ireland.
• EPIK’s application cycles are seasonal and don’t always announce a new intake on the same schedule each year, so checking the current notice directly is essential.

EPIK or a hagwon: what’s actually the difference?

EPIK (English Program in Korea) places foreign teachers in public schools nationwide, run through the Ministry of Education, with standardised pay scales, set holidays that align with the Korean public school calendar, and generally the most predictable, secure contract available to a first-time teacher in Korea. Hagwons are private after-school academies, found on almost every street corner in Korean cities, that hire directly and can offer earlier start dates, a choice of specific city, and sometimes higher pay for experienced teachers, but with far more variation in working conditions, management quality and contract enforcement between individual academies. Neither option is a legal shortcut around the degree requirement; both require a bachelor’s degree for the E-2 visa.

Do you need a degree to teach English in South Korea?

Yes, without exception for the standard route. South Korea’s E-2 visa, required for both EPIK and hagwon positions, legally requires a bachelor’s degree from a recognised university, along with citizenship from one of the seven countries EPIK and Korean immigration recognise as native-English-speaking nations: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Irish applicants qualify on both counts as long as they hold a genuine bachelor’s degree, in any subject; there is no accredited no-degree pathway into mainstream Korean teaching the way there sometimes is in parts of Latin America or the Middle East.

How much do English teachers actually earn in South Korea?

EPIK pay runs on a set scale based on qualifications and experience, typically KRW 2.0 to 2.7 million a month (roughly EUR 1,350 to 1,850), with flights to and from Korea, furnished (or subsidised) housing, national health insurance and a completion bonus of one month’s salary built into standard contracts. Hagwon pay sits in a similar range, sometimes slightly higher for experienced teachers or specific subjects, but housing and bonus terms vary far more by academy, so reading a hagwon contract closely, and ideally speaking to a current or former teacher there, matters more than it does with EPIK’s standardised terms.

Figures are typical ranges reported by teachers, EPIK and recruiters and will vary by qualifications, experience and contract.

What visa do Irish teachers need for South Korea?

Both EPIK and hagwon positions require an E-2 (foreign language instructor) visa, sponsored by the employer once a contract is signed. The core documents are a notarised and apostilled degree certificate, an original, apostilled criminal background check, a health check completed in Korea after arrival, and a signed contract; the degree and background check need to be arranged and apostilled from Ireland before departure, which typically takes several weeks and is worth starting early. EPIK runs its own structured application timeline with set document deadlines; hagwon sponsorship timelines vary by academy but follow the same basic document requirements.

How do you actually apply, and when?

EPIK’s official application notice, published on its own site, is the authoritative source for the current intake’s dates and deadlines, since its cycle has not run on an identical calendar every year; checking the notice directly rather than relying on a remembered date from a previous year avoids missing a deadline. Hagwon positions are advertised directly by individual academies and through Korea-specific TEFL recruitment agencies, with hiring happening closer to a general year-round pattern, though the run-up to the Korean school year in March and the second semester in September tend to see the most listings.

Frequently asked questions

For the full overview of jobs, pay and getting started in South Korea, see our complete guide to teaching English in South Korea.

Where this fits with our wider Asia coverage

South Korea is one stop on a wider Southeast and East Asian TEFL map; see our pillar guide to teaching English in Asia for how it compares with Vietnam and Thailand, and our TEFL vs TESOL vs CELTA comparison if you’re still choosing a course. Our real salaries for Irish teachers abroad guide sets Korean pay against Europe and the Gulf, and paid TEFL internships for Irish graduates covers another structured route into teaching abroad.

Ready to start?

Both EPIK and hagwon roles expect a degree and reward a recognised TEFL certificate on top of it. Our accredited 120-hour TEFL course covers the standard requirement, and the Level 5 TEFL diploma strengthens an EPIK or hagwon application. Both are studied online from Ireland, with plenty of lead time to sort your apostilles before applying.

Sources: EPIK, official programme information; Department of Foreign Affairs, apostille authentication.