Find Your Hagwon Job in Korea — Korvia-Vetted Since 2006
Hagwon jobs in Korea pay ₩2.1–3.0M per month, usually include housing, and let you choose your city. Korvia has placed thousands of English teachers at private academies since 2006 — every partner school is screened for contract compliance and salary payment history. Application is free.
Apply Now — Free₩2.1–3.0M
Monthly Salary
E-2 Visa
Supported
Year-Round
Start Dates
Housing
Usually Included
Free
Application
20 Years
Screening Data
What Are Hagwon Jobs in Korea?
A hagwon (학원) is a private, for-profit academy in Korea. While public school programs like EPIK, GEPIK, and SMOE place foreign teachers in government-run schools, hagwon jobs run through the private sector. That difference shapes nearly everything about the role — hours, class size, location choice, and pay structure.
For foreign English teachers, hagwon teaching jobs in Korea are the most flexible entry point to the country. You pick the city (Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, or a smaller regional hub), you pick the student age group (kindergarten, after-school, adult), and positions open year-round rather than on a fixed spring/fall cycle. Hagwons sponsor the same E-2 teaching visa that public school programs use.
The trade-off: hagwons are private businesses of varying quality. Some are long-running institutions with strong benefits and great management; others are newer or smaller operations where contract compliance can be uneven. That variability is why a vetted recruiter matters — and why Korvia has maintained a 20-year database of partner academies since 2006.
The Hagwon Job Landscape in Korea
Korea has one of the largest private education markets in the world. According to Korea's Ministry of Employment and Labor (moel.go.kr) and the Ministry of Education's Hagwon Information Disclosure System (hagwon.go.kr), tens of thousands of registered hagwons operate nationwide, and foreign-language academies make up a significant share of them.
Urban vs. regional. The majority of hagwon vacancies for foreign teachers are in the Seoul Capital Area (Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi-do) because student density and parental spending on English education are highest there. Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, Ulsan, and Daejeon also have active markets. Smaller cities offer less competition and often lower cost of living — a good fit for teachers prioritizing savings.
Chain vs. independent. Large hagwon chains (CDI, CMS Edu, Chungdahm, Avalon, Poly, YBM, Pagoda, Jongno) offer standardized curriculum, in-house training, and more predictable working conditions. Independent academies are often smaller and more personal, with room to shape the curriculum, though HR processes vary more. Korvia places teachers at both, depending on applicant preference.
Schedule & Compensation
Monthly Salary
₩2,100,000 – ₩3,000,000+ depending on school type, city, and experience. Korvia publishes the aggregate range based on 20 years of placement data.
Typical Schedule
After-school academies run 2–9 PM. English kindergartens run 9 AM–2 PM. Adult schools run split shifts. Teaching load is usually 25–30 hours per week.
Housing
Most hagwons provide a furnished single apartment near the school, or a ₩300,000–₩500,000 monthly housing allowance.
Airfare
Round-trip airfare is often included. Some hagwons reimburse on arrival; others pay at contract completion. Confirm in your contract.
Vacation
Typically 10–11 paid vacation days plus Korean national holidays. Shorter than EPIK's 26-day allowance, which is one of the main hagwon trade-offs.
Severance
Korean labor law requires one month's salary as severance pay upon completing a full 12-month contract. This applies to all hagwon positions.
Health Insurance
National Health Insurance with 50% employer contribution, the same public health coverage every Korean employee receives.
Pension
National Pension with 4.5% employer and 4.5% employee contribution. Teachers from many countries can reclaim the full pension balance upon departure.
Overtime
Any hours beyond contracted teaching hours must be paid separately. Be wary of contracts that bundle unlimited office hours.
Types of Hagwon Jobs in Korea
After-School Academy (방과 후 학원)
The most common hagwon type. Students attend after their public school day ends. Classes of 5–15 students focus on conversation, reading, writing, and test preparation.
₩2.1M – ₩2.5M/month
English Kindergarten (영어 유치원)
Full-day English immersion programs for young learners. Teachers lead songs, stories, activities, and basic literacy. Often the most rewarding and highest-paying entry-level hagwon positions.
₩2.2M – ₩2.8M/month
Adult Conversation School
Business English and general conversation for working adults. Often located in Seoul's Gangnam, Jongno, or Yeouido office districts. Professional environment with motivated students.
₩2.3M – ₩3.0M/month
Test Prep / SAT / TOEFL Hagwon
Focused on standardized test scores (TOEFL, SAT, internal school exams). Higher expectations and sometimes higher pay, but intensive workload during test seasons.
₩2.3M – ₩3.0M/month
Hagwon Job Requirements (E-2 Visa)
Hagwon jobs in Korea use the same E-2 Foreign Language Instructor visaas public school programs. Requirements are set by Korea's immigration authority (hikorea.go.kr) and apply to every hagwon employer:
Bachelor's degree
From an accredited 4-year university, in any major. Original diploma must be apostilled for the visa application.
E-2 eligible citizenship
USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, or South Africa. Native speaker of English is the underlying requirement; these are the seven countries HiKorea recognizes.
Criminal background check
Clean, apostilled CRC from your country of citizenship. See our CRC guide for country-specific instructions.
TEFL certificate
Preferred by most quality hagwons (100+ hours from an accredited program). Not a legal E-2 requirement, but strongly recommended for competitive applications.
Health check + apostilled documents
On-arrival medical check plus apostilled degree and CRC for the E-2 visa registration.
Official source check:Any hagwon that offers an E-2 sponsorship must be registered with the local 교육지원청 (District Office of Education). Korvia verifies each partner academy's education-office registration before recommending a placement.
Why Apply for Hagwon Jobs Through Korvia
Korvia Consulting has placed English teachers in Korean hagwons since 2006. We only work with partner academies that pass our screening: verified education-office registration, clean salary payment history, and transparent contracts. 94% of Korvia-placed hagwon teachers complete their full 12-month contract — far above the industry norm. See the full screening methodology on our Korvia-vetted private academies page.
Free for Teachers
Korvia is paid by partner schools, not by applicants. Our full placement and visa support service costs you nothing.
20 Years of Screening Data
Since 2006 we've tracked salary payment history, teacher feedback, and contract disputes. Academies that fail screening are removed from the network.
Contract Review Before You Sign
We translate and review every hagwon contract for hidden clauses, unpaid overtime terms, and mismatches with posted offers.
On-Ground Dispute Support
If something goes wrong during your contract, Korvia has Korean-speaking staff who can mediate with the school directly.
Red Flags to Watch in Hagwon Contracts
Not every hagwon is a good employer. If you apply directly or through an unknown recruiter, watch for these warning signs — they're the same ones Korvia screens for before adding an academy to the network:
Contract terms that differ from what was posted or verbally promised
Late, partial, or missed monthly salary payments
No registration with the local Office of Education (교육지원청)
Excessive unpaid office hours bundled into the teaching schedule
Missing National Pension or National Health Insurance enrollment
Vague housing terms (exact unit, furnishings, or deposit unclear)
High turnover — most teachers don't renew past the first year
Unresponsive management during early negotiation
For a deeper walkthrough of warning clauses and how to negotiate them, read our dedicated guide Hagwon Contract Red Flags. For the full screening methodology Korvia uses to remove non-compliant academies, see the Korvia-vetted private academies page. For a side-by-side comparison with public school programs, read Hagwon vs EPIK 2026.
Hagwon Jobs Korea — FAQ
What is a hagwon and how is it different from a Korean public school?
A hagwon (학원) is a private, for-profit academy that offers after-school instruction — English, math, music, test prep, and more. Hagwon teaching jobs in Korea run outside regular public school hours (typically 2–9 PM for after-school academies, or 9 AM–2 PM for English kindergartens). Unlike public programs such as EPIK/GEPIK/SMOE that place teachers through government contracts, hagwons hire directly and let applicants choose the city and school type.
What qualifications do I need for a hagwon job in Korea?
To qualify for an E-2 teaching visa, Korea's immigration authority (HiKorea, hikorea.go.kr) requires: (1) a bachelor's degree from a recognized university, (2) citizenship of an E-2-eligible country (USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, or South Africa), and (3) a clean apostilled criminal background check. TEFL certification is not legally required for E-2 but is preferred by most reputable hagwons.
How much do hagwon jobs in Korea pay in 2026?
Korvia-placed hagwon positions typically pay ₩2,100,000–₩3,000,000 per month, depending on school type, location, and teaching experience. English kindergartens and adult conversation schools tend to pay at the higher end of the range. Housing is usually provided (or a ₩300,000–₩500,000 housing allowance). Korean labor law also requires one month of severance pay upon contract completion.
Are hagwon jobs in Korea legal and properly regulated?
Yes. Legitimate hagwons must be registered with the local Office of Education (교육지원청) to sponsor an E-2 visa. Korea's Ministry of Employment and Labor (moel.go.kr) oversees foreign worker conditions, and HiKorea handles E-2 visa issuance. Korvia only partners with hagwons that hold valid education-office registration and have a verifiable history of contract compliance.
What is the typical hagwon job schedule?
After-school academies (the most common hagwon type) run roughly 2 PM to 9 PM, Monday through Friday, because students come after their regular school day. English kindergartens run 9 AM–2 PM, adult schools often run split shifts (6–9 AM and 6–10 PM around work hours), and test prep academies concentrate hours on weekends and evenings.
How do I avoid bad hagwon contracts?
Red flags include late or partial salary payments, working conditions that don't match the written contract, missing pension/insurance enrollment, and excessive unpaid overtime. Korvia maintains a 20-year database of partner academies — schools with unresolved issues are removed from the network. Our /korvia-private-academies page lists the full screening criteria and the specific red flags we filter for.
Ready to Apply for Hagwon Jobs in Korea?
Submit one free application and Korvia will match you with vetted hagwon positions that fit your city, age-group, and salary preferences. 20 years of placement data on your side.