Hire native English teachers in Korea
Hire native English teachers in Korea for your hagwon, English kindergarten or private school through Meridian Teachers, a teacher recruitment agency. We introduce only teachers who want to work in Korea and fit your classes.
Who hires English teachers in Korea?
Hagwons, English kindergartens, private and international schools in Korea all hire native English teachers. South Korea made up about a quarter (24%) of the teaching roles in the Q3 2026 edition of our Teacher Hiring Report.
The median salary offered this season was 2.8 million KRW a month (about $2,100), and the middle half of roles offered 2.6 to 3.0 million KRW. See how Korea compares with China, Taiwan, Vietnam and Thailand in English Teacher Salaries in Asia.
How to hire a foreign English teacher in Korea
A hagwon hires a foreign English teacher on an E-2 visa. Once you choose your teacher from our shortlist, your hagwon checks the teacher's eligibility, collects the documents the Hagwon Act requires, applies for a visa issuance number and sponsors the visa.
- 1Your hagwon
Confirm E-2 eligibility
E-2 English instructors must be citizens of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or South Africa, with a bachelor's degree or higher, normally from a university in one of those countries.
- 2Your hagwon
Collect the hiring documents
Article 13-2 of the Hagwon Act (the Act on the Establishment and Operation of Private Teaching Institutes and Extracurricular Lessons) requires a hagwon to collect and check these documents before it hires a foreign instructor.
- Criminal record certificate from the home government, covering the whole country, apostilled or confirmed by a Korean consulate
- Hiring health certificate that includes a drug test, issued within one month of the hire date
- Proof of the degree, apostilled or consular confirmed
- Passport, visa and, once issued, the alien registration card
- Sex-offense record check for anyone who will teach children or teenagers
- 3Your hagwonAbout 1 to 4 weeks at the consulate
Visa issuance number and E-2 visa
Your hagwon applies to its local immigration office for a Certificate for Confirmation of Visa Issuance. The number is valid for 3 months and covers one visa application. The teacher takes it to a Korean consulate for the E-2 visa, where processing takes from about a week to a month depending on the consulate.
- 4After arrival
Registration and reporting
The teacher registers as a foreign resident within 90 days of arriving, and your hagwon reports the hire to its local education office. If the teacher leaves before the contract ends, your hagwon reports the change to immigration within 15 days.
How long it usually takes
Allow the most time for the teacher's papers from home: a nationwide criminal record certificate and proof of degree, each apostilled or confirmed by a Korean consulate. After that, the visa issuance number is valid for 3 months and the consulate takes about a week to a month to issue the E-2. Book the health check close to the hire date, since it must be issued within one month of it.
Rules checked October 2026
The hiring documents on this page follow Article 13-2 of the Hagwon Act as summarized by the Korean government's easylaw service. The E-2 visa steps come from Ministry of Justice and Korean consulate guidance.
Official sources
Why schools choose Meridian Teachers
Schools choose Meridian Teachers because we send a short list of teachers who fit the role and have told us they want it, then book the interviews around your timetable. See all six reasons and how a search works.
- 2,500+ teacher profiles
- 1,500+ native English speakers
- 850+ hold a PGCE, B.Ed or teaching licence
- 550+ maths, science and computing teachers
Hiring native English teachers in Korea
Have a question about hiring in Korea? Ask us through the form below and the Meridian Teachers team will reply.
Ask the schools teamWho sponsors the E-2 visa?
Your hagwon does. It applies for the visa issuance number as the employer and sponsors the teacher's E-2 visa. Work visa support is available on request if you want it.
Who can teach English on an E-2 visa?
Citizens of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or South Africa with a bachelor's degree or higher, normally from a university in one of those countries. Tell us you hire on E-2 and we only send teachers who hold one of those passports. 1,700+ teachers in our pool also hold a TEFL, TESOL or CELTA.
What documents does a hagwon need to hire a foreign teacher?
Under the Hagwon Act, before hiring you collect and check a criminal record certificate from the teacher's home government, a hiring health certificate that includes a drug test, proof of the teacher's degree, and the teacher's passport, visa and alien registration card. Foreign documents need an apostille or confirmation from a Korean consulate.
What does the health check need to include?
The health certificate must include a drug test result and be issued within one month of the hire date. Hagwons collect it under Article 13-2 of the Hagwon Act.
How does the criminal record check work?
The teacher gets a criminal record certificate from their home government, covering the whole country, with an apostille or Korean consular confirmation. Separately, your hagwon must check the sex-offense record of anyone who will teach children or teenagers.
How long does it take to hire a foreign teacher in Korea?
The teacher's apostilled documents from home usually take the longest. After that, the visa issuance number stays valid for 3 months, the consulate takes about a week to a month to issue the E-2 visa, and the teacher registers as a foreign resident within 90 days of arriving.
Can we hire a teacher who is already in Korea?
Yes. An E-2 teacher moving from another employer has to clear the change of workplace with immigration. As a rule that means permission in advance. Where a report is allowed instead, it is due within 15 days of the change.
What do hagwons pay native English teachers?
Our English Teacher Salaries in Asia report (Q3 2026 edition) puts the median salary offered in Korea at 2.8 million KRW a month (about $2,100). The middle half of roles offered 2.6 to 3.0 million KRW.
Can you find teachers for English kindergartens?
Yes. 800+ teachers in our pool have taught early childhood, and 450+ list early years as their specialism. See kindergarten teacher recruitment, or tell us the age group and start date.
Hiring now or for next term?
Subject, level and start date are enough to begin. Tell us about the role and the Meridian Teachers team will reply by email.
Every hire backed for 90 days
If your new teacher leaves or is let go in that time, the replacement is on us.
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