South Korea the new destination for English teachers

South Korea is becoming a hot destination for New Zealanders wanting to teach English.

On the job section of the popular TradeMe website many of the teach-English-overseas opportunities are for South Korean schools.

Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency business manager Kelly Kim says while the agency has only been involved in recruitment for a year, it has received plenty of responses for advertised vacancies.

One recent University of Otago graduate who took up that opportunity is Nicholas Oakley.

He is now teaching primary school children.

Oakley says only minimal knowledge of the language is needed and the teaching is pretty simple.

He claims to be making $3400 a month while having his studio apartment paid for by the school that employs him.

“I should save $12,000 to 15,000 this year, even though I am still spending way too much,” says Oakley.

“Also it is cheap as anything. Video games and others electronics are so cheap.”

It is different across the Korean Strait however.

Aucklander Oliver Chan is teaching English in Japan and says the benefits are not as great.

He says his pay rate is similar to New Zealand teachers but that is cut by the fact Japan is extremely expensive.

“I would reckon Korea is definitely on the rise as a teaching destination, while I think Japan is on the decline,” says Chan.

“The news I get from Korea is that the benefits of various jobs, whether in schools or private classes, are better.”

Chan says his contract will expire at the end of this month and he will not be renewing it.

Oakley will continue teaching in South Korea for the near future but with one grudge.

“The tax on pay here is quite high.”