EPIK contracts and what they mean irl

Nov 19

a guide to be used for SOUTH KOREA
use CTRL + F (windows) / command + F (mac) to find information quickly

correlating video: coming soon

guide updated 22.12.23 — information about severance pay

Contracts can be exhausting to read. This guide should give those thinking of teaching through EPIK some understanding of what the contract looks like in practice. Everything is expanded upon: from what to expect in your first paycheck, to clarifications on maternity leave, even to where your contract draws from Korean legislation.

This guide is incredibly long but organized. Please use the table of contents to your advantage. Important information is repeated where it is relevant, so even if you skip around, you should still get what you need. All topics people tend to get confused about are over-explained on purpose. You should not be left with any questions after reading this guide.

Parts of the contract may be enacted differently depending on where you are placed. If any current EPIK teacher would like to make note of how certain aspects of the contract are enacted in your MOE/POE, please message me on Reddit. You can leave a comment below (they are anonymous), but a private message is better. If anything is factually wrong, please let me know. Spreading misinformation is not on my agenda. Please provide your source if there is a correction.

Disclaimer: All of the information talked about below is publicly available. You can find anything discussed here either from a quick Google/Naver search or on public forums and blogs. All of this public knowledge is compiled into this massive guide for convenience. No confidential information is shared.

THE BASICS

Quick Definitions

If you are new to teaching English in Korea, here are some common abbreviations:

EPIK = English Program in Korea
EFL = English as a Foreign Language
TEFL = Teaching English as a Foreign Language (in reference to a specific certificate)
NET = Native English Teacher
KT = Korean Teacher
MOE = Metropolitan Office of Education
POE = Provincial Office of Education
ARC = Alien Registration Card, your ID and key to a smooth life in Korea
NEIS = National Education Information System (나이스), a portal that holds all of the information for all teachers in an MOE/POE
HWP file = “Hangul Word Processor” file, Korea’s version of Microsoft Office

Contract Files

The contracts used in this guide are the EPIK Fall 2021 sample contracts from the 16 MOEs/POEs that are listed on the EPIK website (there are 17, but Ulsan is not included for 2021). You can find a zip file here to download all the contracts at once on your computer. If you want to download the latest sample contracts on EPIK’s website, you can do so here.

Although they are listed as “sample contracts” on their website, these are the actual contracts you will be given. There are some changes year to year as laws and policies are updated, but the contracts don’t differ too much. You can expect the contract you will sign to be 90-95% the same. You will not know what your contract will consist of until after you have accepted the position and you have the contract in your hands. If you are a current EPIK teacher (or a new hire) and have any specific questions about your contract, the best person to ask is your MOE/POE coordinator.

About the Contracts

A majority of the MOE/POE contracts are copied and pasted from one office of education to another, but there are differences: some MOEs/POEs reword statements, some have grammatical and spelling errors, and some have interesting additions. The articles will be listed verbatim and then each will be expanded upon in the notes of each article.

There is a lot regarding this position that is not specified in the contracts; however, it will still apply to you. This includes MOE/POE policies, information packets about NETs handed out to co-teachers, etc. Only publicly available information will be included in this guide.

If you are a current EPIK teacher and want the co-teacher/NET information packet for yourself, you will need to ask your co-teacher. The document may be called something like “원어민 보조교사 업무 길라잡이” (Guidelines for Working with NETs). The actual title may differ by MOE/POE. Do not expect them to give that document to you; it is not something NETs are supposed to have access to. If you want to get an example of what this document looks like, Jeonbuk has its 2018 manual linked online. This link will automatically download the document as an HWP file. The document will be in Korean.

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LET’S BE CLEAR

To give context to the contract and the job as a whole, a few important topics should be expanded upon before diving in:

What is EPIK?

EPIK is the English Program in Korea. Under the Ministry of Education’s NIIED (National Institute for International Education), EPIK is designed to further English education within Korea. Here is the EPIK website and here is the NIIED website.

EPIK rounds up eligible English speakers to teach at public schools and government-run language institutes. A common misconception is that EPIK is your employer. It is not. Think of it as a recruiting agency that helps you find a job with the Korean government. Your MOE or POE is your employer. EPIK, according to a Gwangju Program Manager, does not even accept applications anymore. NIIED is the one that approves or denies applications.

The number of EPIK positions available each intake depends on the demands of the MOEs/POEs. If there are minimal vacancies, the application process will be incredibly competitive. If there is a mass exodus of NETs, it’ll be easy to get in. MOEs/POEs do not know how many vacancies there will be until November (for spring) and May (for fall).

Keep in mind that you don’t get to pick where you work with EPIK, which means you do not get to negotiate your contract. What you get is what you’re stuck with. For this reason, knowing the basics of all of the MOE/POE contracts can better prepare you for this job. If you are not alright working within any MOE/POE, EPIK is not for you. Instead, look into private language academies (hagwon, 학원). You’d be able to pick out your city, sift through all the shitty contracts, and negotiate a bit. You can also earn more money at a hagwon (학원); however, you do get more vacation days, generally have less work, and have better hours with EPIK.

Where will I be placed?

The higher-ups at EPIK and the EPIK coordinators are the only ones who truly know the inner workings of the program. There is a lot of speculation on how NETs are placed, so any information you may see is usually a guess, educated or not. This includes the following:

It usually does not matter which MOE/POE or school level you list as your preference. After you pass the interview and begin collecting your documents, you have until around November/December (for spring) or May/June (for fall) before EPIK coordinators will send them to the MOEs/POEs. Most EPIK coordinators will take a stack of applications and send them to the MOE/POE with the most vacancies. That office will either decide to hire you or send your application back to your coordinator. Your application will jump around the MOEs/POEs until one selects you.

Some coordinators care more about your preference and will try to group applications by preferred MOE/POE and send them to the corresponding office; however, it is typically “first come, first served” at this stage. You want your EPIK coordinator to send your application to the MOEs/POEs as soon as possible. Once the vacancies are filled, you can be deferred or denied even if your application is strong.

If you want to work in one specific MOE/POE, you should turn in your required documents as soon as possible so your EPIK coordinator can do their job. There is never a guarantee, but you’ll have a better shot.

What are MOEs and POEs?

MOE and POE refer to the offices of education (교육청) for specific areas within Korea. MOE is “Metropolitan Office of Education” (Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Daejeon, Ulsan, and Sejong) and POE is “Provincial Office of Education” (Gangwon, Chungbuk, Chungnam, Jeonbuk, Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam, and Jeju). Each area of Korea has its own Office of Education and abbreviation (ex. Incheon Office of Education is IMOE); some MOEs/POEs have the same abbreviation (ex. Daejeon and Daegu are both DMOE). Your MOE/POE is your employer as they are who you sign your contract with.

MOEs and POEs are divided further into smaller regional offices of education (교육지원청) depending on the district and/or city. For instance, in Busan you have the main MOE — Busan Metropolitan Office of Education — and Seobu Regional Office of Education, Nambu Regional Office of Education, and so on. In Gangwon, you have the main POE as well as Wonju Regional Office of Education, Sokcho-Yangyang Regional Office of Education, etc.

EPIK NETs are employees of the main MOE/POE, but Korean teachers are employees of the regional offices. While NETs can get moved from a school in Seobu to a school in Nambu and have it be no problem, Korean teachers can only ever work at schools in the district of whichever office they were first hired. You can switch district offices as a Korean teacher, but there need to be vacancies (retirees, other teachers moving, etc.) and the office of education needs to take into account new graduates from education universities. Many Korean teachers don’t ever want to touch this transfer process and therefore suffer driving from one end of the city to the other if they move out of that district.

MOE/POE NET Coordinators

MOE/POE NET coordinators manage everything related to your job. They either select or help select applicants, curate NET data for statistics, run NET-related programs, and inform NETs about important events and/or changes among other managerial tasks. They do a bit of everything. Some may even teach. You will see them only once or twice a year but may have to communicate through email sporadically. It goes without saying that you should have a professional email address for this correspondence.

How “good” your MOE/POE coordinators are depend on the person and the MOE/POE work environment. Some are incredible people who go above and beyond to make sure your stay in Korea is comfortable and that you have all of the tools you need to teach your students. Some are so condescending, they’ve had to send follow-up emails to apologize for demeaning their NETs.

Regardless of the circumstances, you should think of the MOE/POE NET coordinators as an HR department. Do you unequivocally trust HR? Absolutely not. HR works for the company, not for you. They will keep the company afloat, not you. Unless something has gone haywire, they don’t protect you. They protect the company. The MOE/POE coordinators are the same.

They will make sure you receive your allowances and that your school is following your contract, but if you are the issue, they will have no problem finding someone else to take your place. Although NET coordinators are better than a typical HR department, it is always a great idea to remember that you are not friends. They work for the government, not for you.

If you have any issue that you cannot resolve with your co-teacher or school, you need to contact your MOE/POE coordinator. If you cannot solve the issue within the MOE/POE, you’ll need to go to the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board in Seoul. The chain of command for any work-related problem is: the co-teacher it involves → main co-teacher → headteacher → vice-principal → principal → MOE/POE NET coordinator → MOE/POE NET chief officer → the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board. More about the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board is discussed in Article 22 (Governing Law, Language and Venue). The NET chief officer is the person in charge of the MOE/POE coordinators. There is little to no reason why you should ever have to contact them. You may not ever see them, but they do exist.

Who am I?

An existential question, but in Korea, you are a Guest English Teacher (GET), a Native English Teacher (NET), a Native English Assistant Teacher (NEAT), or a Guest Language Teacher (GLT). Many MOEs/POEs will refer to you as one of those in English (they all mean the same thing), but here you will be refered to as a NET. In Korean, no matter the MOE/POE, you are always considered “영어 원어민 보조교사” (Native English Assistant Teacher).

You are also a contract worker or contract employee. Your contract and working conditions do not follow those of Korean teachers, even those also on a contract. This is why vacation times, benefits, responsibilities, and the like differ greatly. Keep that in mind when you learn about the differences between your Korean counterparts’ benefits and your own.

Am I a teacher?

According to the teacher qualifications in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, you are not legally considered a teacher in Korea. Because you do not have a teaching license or certificate that was obtained in Korea through a specialized university, you cannot be labeled as a legally recognized teacher like your Korean co-teacher is. Although you are not a teacher nor a “public educational official” (교육공무원), it is unclear if NETs are categorized as any other type of “public official” (it’s assumed that NETs are not public officials). Many laws that apply to public officials are listed in the MOE/POE contracts, but it is not clearly defined in law what NETs are. What applies to public officials will still be listed in this guide, but until the NIIED categorizes NETs, do not expect the benefits related to public officials to apply to you.

No matter your qualifications, you are an assistant teacher (보조교사); more specifically, a Native English Assistant Teacher or Guest English Teacher (영어 원어민 보조교사). In other legal documents (actual laws, not this contract), you are considered an “Industrial-Educational Teacher” (산학겸임교사) which is categorized further as a “specialized spoken English instructor” (영어회화 전문강사, this translates more literally to “English conversation lecturer”) (Enforcement Decree of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Article 42). Anyone can be a lecturer, including a 22 year-old who graduated with a degree in math, almost failed their first-year English course, and barely was able to get an online TEFL certificate. Being an EPIK teacher is not a distinguished role, although the stress of the application process sure as hell makes it feel like it should be.

One of the images on the EPIK website says that you can “Launch your professional teaching career through EPIK!” This is not a job that can launch into a career, this is a job that is meant to be temporary (5 years max, according to most pay scales). If you want to make EFL your career, you’re going to need to get more education and experience. EPIK alone is not enough to “launch” anything.

On another note, there are plenty of teachers with years of experience and even Master’s degrees in education who transferred from their home country to Korea. They came here, through EPIK, with the idea that they would be a core part of their students’ English education and co-teach in an effective way. These people are often stunned at how mind-numbing this job can be. Even if you come here with credentials that could land you jobs at prestigious schools in your home country, your co-teachers in Korea may not trust you to create a lesson plan. That can be incredibly frustrating.

Come to Korea through EPIK knowing that you’re not a “real” teacher, but with the intention of helping your students learn English. Although this isn’t seen as a “serious” job by most, it’s still a job and you directly influence your students’ relationship with English, especially if you teach elementary school. You help set the foundation they have to work off of for the rest of their English-language journey, which is from 3rd grade to at least until graduating high school.

The E-2-2 Visa

The visa you apply for is under the category of E-2 (foreign language instructor). The exact visa is the E-2-2 (teaching assistant) and is different from the visas hagwon (학원) NETs receive. They are both under the umbrella of the E-2, however. What you can do on the E-2-2 is slightly different than what hagwon (학원) NETs are allowed.

According to the Korean Visa Portal, the E-2-2 visa holder is “[a] person who meets the qualifications determined by the Minister of Justice of ROK and has signed an employment contract with the Minister of Education (or superintendent of a school district) to teach foreign language at an elementary, middle, or high school as an assistant teacher” (법무부장관이 정하는 자격요건을 갖춘 외국인으로서 교육부장관(시·도 교육감)과 고용계약을 체결하고 초·중·고등학교에서 외국어보조교사로 근무하고자 하는 자).

This visa limits you in what you are allowed to teach; the E-2 visa is for conversational English (회화). Anything outside of English and “conversational” can lead to fines and possibly deportation. According to KOTESOL, what the Korean government means by “conversation” is not well-defined. To some immigration officers, a debate class would not be considered a “conversation.” For other officers, teaching linguistics or literature would land you a fine. You can only ever teach English listening and speaking; you cannot teach any other subject, even if that subject is being taught in English. It is unclear if teaching parents is fine under the E-2-2 visa.

Some MOEs/POEs might tell the Korean teachers that having NETs do certain teacher training or conversation classes without students goes against the E-2 visa. If you are asked to teach non-conversation classes, you should be firm that it is not allowed with immigration and let your MOE/POE coordinator know. Sometimes MOEs/POEs will do programs that promote learning about various topics through English (like science, food, art, etc.); as long as it is still focused on conversation and producing dialogue, it does not go against your visa (… probably).

Co-Teachers

With EPIK, a co-teacher is a Korean teacher whom you either assist or jointly conduct class with. If you teach at more than one school, you may have multiple co-teachers at every school. Only one of those co-teachers will be your main co-teacher. They will be the ones “managing” you and they get paid for this extra work. Although you will have only one main co-teacher, you may have “proxy-main” co-teachers at your second, third, and fourth schools (if applicable). They will be responsible for the paperwork concerning that school. Your main school’s main co-teacher should be doing everything else.

Your main co-teacher is responsible for:

Going with you to get your ARC (Alien Registration Card), open your bank account, and get a phone number
Subscribing you to health insurance and setting up your pension
Explaining school vacation times, holidays, and the class schedule
Communicating with your second/third school (if applicable)
Recording any negligence (not doing your job properly, repeatedly coming in late, etc.) and giving you either verbal or written warnings
Managing your NEIS (National Education Information System, 나이스) account (inputting sick days, vacation time, tardiness, early leave, etc.)
Keeping a work record card (근무기록카드) and keeping track of allowances (Entrance, Settlement), annual paid leave, overtime, and severance pay
Evaluating your work and filling out an official evaluation document toward the end of your contract
Signing you up for extra MOE/POE work and/or programs
Helping you complete teacher training (if it is all in Korean)
Finding your apartment, if new school-provided housing is not already available and needs to be found
Making sure you are aware of how to use the facilities in your home, like how to turn on the heat and use the gas stove
Communicating with your landlord if anything were to go wrong

Many worry if their co-teacher will be “good” or not, and there are plenty of stories online playing up both extremes. Every Korean teacher (KT) has different teaching philosophies, personal interests, and biases; there are incredible KTs and questionable at best KTs, just as there are with NETs.

The types of KTs you will encounter will be a mix of a kind co-worker, an indifferent co-worker, a genuinely good teacher, and someone who should rethink their career. There are some KTs who are very kind but can barely communicate, some who are rude but are incredible educators, others who are a joy to be with all around, and those who make your experience hell in and outside of the classroom.

Some NETs have amazing experiences with their KTs; they end up life-long friends who go on trips together, visit each other’s family, and are important people in each other’s lives. Many KTs are open-minded, especially the ones who study English intensively and like learning about other cultures. Some NETs have KTs who are [choice words]. They’ll make derogatory comments against non-Koreans (regardless if they think you can hear/understand them or not), blame NETs as a whole for students not knowing English, treat you like a child, ostracize you, call you inferior, and consistently fail at their “NET manager” responsibilities. As a side note, as long as you are a participant in a conversation, you can record it (Protection Of Communications Secrets Act). If you feel your co-workers are making degrading comments, document it. If they have strange requests or are threatening you, get it in writing or on tape.

Unsurprisingly, KTs are worried about how “good” you will be, too: are you nice, adaptable, and know how to teach, or will they have to pick you up at the police station and beg you ad nauseam to make a simple PPT?

There have been horrible NETs who have caused mountains of trouble. It is a common perception that most NETs are fresh out of university and only want to travel Korea to go to K-Pop concerts and get drunk. They are worried that you won’t know how to teach, won’t care about the students, and that they will have to babysit an adult for an entire year, something no one wants to do.

Main co-teachers are often told to “avoid having compassion” for and set boundaries with NETs because some NETs take advantage of their kindness (making the co-teacher translate things unrelated to work, asking the co-teacher to drive the NET somewhere, etc.). Giving in to certain favors can set a precedent for other NET/co-teacher relationships which can end up being more work than what they are paid for. KTs are also told that a lot of conflicts can come out of cultural misunderstandings, so they should try to think from the NET’s perspective when dealing with certain situations. It goes without saying that no one should excuse racism, bigotry, or discrimination as a “cultural difference.” Korea has no anti-discrimination law, but you should not have to repeatedly subject yourself to a hostile work environment.

KTs often have a lot of work-related stress (students’ parents, the MOE/POE (yes, Korean teachers hate them, too), the principal/vice-principal), and although you are a responsibility your main co-teacher gets paid for, some did not want this position. They don’t have something against you personally, but they may loathe the responsibility. This could make it difficult for a KT to warm up to you; don’t be discouraged if you’re not friendly right away. Some KTs will dislike NETs regardless of how well they work and adapt to Korea. Do not go into this work relationship with the expectation you’ll end up being life-long friends.

However, creating strong relationships with co-teachers is important not only for your well-being but for your students’ education. If you don’t work well together in the classroom, it’s your students who suffer; being unorganized and talking over each other is not a way to co-teach. Students can also pick up on any tension between you both. There are a lot of ways to foster a good work relationship, but some quick advice is to treat your co-teacher with respect and make it clear that you expect that respect to be reciprocated. Listen to their feedback for ways to improve your teaching, but don’t let them walk all over you or do their work for them — you are an assistant teacher, but you are not their personal assistant.

Communication-wise, your main co-teacher should be informing you of important information like schedule updates, if classes are moved around, open classes, picture day, etc. This is not always the case, though, which means that you’ll come to school not caring too much about how you look and it’ll be picture day, or your lesson may not be the best and the MOE/POE will be walking around. Sometimes this is the fault of your co-teacher; they may forget to tell you or assume someone else had already informed you. Sometimes it is the fault of the school: the administration staff will tell all of the teachers late, meaning you will find out extra late since you have to rely on someone informing you. If you work in middle and high school especially, do not be surprised if you walk into a class you expect to teach only to find out that the schedule has changed. Korea is incredibly unstructured; being told information so late is not unusual. This is often referred to as a “Korean surprise” in the NET community.

With co-teachers who are especially bad at communicating, ask them every Monday morning if there is an important event during the week, and then again every morning if there has been a schedule change. Yes, this is annoying, but you will not be left in the dark.

If your MOE/POE has a messaging system, you should ask to have an account. If you do have an account, you will receive messages from various teachers and admin that share important information like when Sports Day is, severe weather updates, the lunch menu, etc. You’ll be able to check announcements for yourself instead of having to rely on someone relaying those messages to you. Some co-teachers may say that NETs should not have access to the messaging system because they are not considered a “real teacher” and should not have access to the “confidential information” shared. NETs sign an NDA and are employees of the MOE/POE. Being able to receive announcements from the school and MOE/POE is not a special privilege.

In terms of English ability, some KTs sound like they’ve lived in an English-speaking country for the last 30 years and some cannot even get a complete sentence out. The range is huge. High school and middle school teachers have to do more schooling in order to obtain their position, so their English ability is a lot higher than elementary school teachers. High/middle school teachers are typically homeroom teachers and subject teachers, but they only ever teach their subject. For elementary school, any teacher can teach any level and any subject. They may be a 1st-grade homeroom teacher one year, an English subject teacher the next, and a 5th-grade homeroom teacher the year after that.

Being a subject teacher for elementary school (English, gym, home economics) is generally seen as an easier task than being a homeroom teacher, so the position is often coveted by those who are going through or plan on going through a big life event (getting married, getting pregnant, chronic illness like cancer, or a spouse with a chronic illness). Because of this, your co-teachers might change throughout the year.

Co-Teaching

There are many methods to co-teaching, but it can be deceptive to describe this job as a position where you will absolutely co-teach. Although it is listed on EPIK’s website and in the contract (in Korean and in English) that you should “jointly conduct” classes with your Korean co-teacher, that is not always the case.

The amount of co-teaching your co-teachers do can depend on a few different factors, mainly grade level and how much effort they want to put in. In elementary schools, you will probably actually co-teach (or stand in the corner repeating words, either one). In middle and high school, you will probably teach the entire class without the help of your co-teacher. The most they will do is translate something if the students do not understand, and if kids are being too disruptive or sleeping, they’ll be the ones dealing with them. No matter what, your co-teacher should always be in the room with you.

Every co-teacher you work with will want to co-teach differently. Expect that you will have to adapt to multiple styles. You should have a conversation with each co-teacher before classes begin; the expectations for co-teaching need to be made clear.

The concept of “saving face” is also important to understand while working in Korea. In the context of teaching, this looks like not embarrassing, correcting, or purposefully making your co-teacher look foolish in front of other teachers or students. If your co-teacher makes a mistake, don’t point it out in the middle of class where students can hear. Depending on the severity of the mistake, either whisper it to them while students are working on something individually or explain what went wrong once you are alone together.

Most co-teachers will reciprocate this respect while others don’t. Some see themselves in a “higher” position than you and therefore treat you accordingly. Do not be shocked if you are criticized in front of a room full of students.

Employee vs. Employer

In the contracts, you will see “Employee” and “Employer” written well over 200 times. What do they mean? Well, you are obviously the Employee. Your MOE/POE is your Employer, not EPIK or your school.

Sometimes the language is a little off in the contract and it makes it seem as if you should submit certain documents to your MOE/POE or that your school is actually your employer. It will be clarified who the contract is referring to in the article’s notes. In general, your co-teacher(s), vice-principal, and principal are your supervisors and you should listen and follow their instructions, but they are not your boss. They can heavily influence your boss, making it so that you either lose or keep your job, but they do not have the final say. 99% of the time, you work for the MOE/POE and are “stationed” at your school.

On certain occasions, your school will be your employer, but that is not the norm. If that is the case, your EPIK coordinator will make it explicitly known to you and the MOE/POE coordinator will explain again while meeting them at orientation (usually). Your contract may also look different than the ones looked at in this guide.

Labor Standards Act

You’ll see the Labor Standards Act mentioned repeatedly throughout the contracts as well as in the notes. Knowing the Labor Standards Act is important. You don’t have to memorize every line, but knowing a few key parts can help you navigate your time working in Korea.

Information about the Labor Standards Act can be found on the Korean Law Translation Center website. The English translation is only a courtesy, not legally binding. The Korean version of the law is. When using the Labor Standards Act to “prove” something to your school, use the “영문/국문법령보기” (English/Korean) version. You can see both languages side by side. This is an option at the top right under the act’s title.

If there is any type of attachment, it does not show up on the Korea Law Translation Center’s website. To find the attachment, Google the Korean title of the law and find a link from the official website of Korean laws (law.go.kr). The attachments are linked at the bottom and can be downloaded as a HWP file, a PDF, or can be viewed online.

There are various other laws that are also important; those will be linked when relevant.

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE

Like the Labor Standards Act, Article 22 (Governing Law, Language and Venue) of your contract says that the English translation is just for funsies. It has no legal value, the Korean version does. Most people who come to teach in Korea don’t know Korean, so you just have to trust the MOE/POE with the translation. This is why you will see Korean added to talk about the articles and clauses. A lot of miscommunication happens because the Korean contracts can differ slightly from the English translation (mostly how things are interpreted). There aren’t any huge differences in meaning between the Korean version and the English translation in the 2021 contracts, but it is still enough to cause tension now and then.

In general, it is quite common for contracts all over the world to have various clauses that are illegal, like not discussing salaries. Companies and organizations bank on people not knowing the law, making it easy for them to get away with breaking it. It will cost them less to change the contract after a petition is filed through the labor board than to be honest upfront. This may not be the same with a government-funded program’s contract, but it’s still worth mentioning that they know you are (probably) not fluent in Korean nor know Korean law.

It goes without saying that the MOE/POE contracts are not above the law.

How to Read This Guide

This is a MOE/POE:

This is a clause
1. This is a subclause.
— MOE/POE only —
This clause only applies to the MOEs/POEs listed above.

＊ This: under a clause means this is what is different for a specific MOE/POE.
＊ This: within a clause means this is an addition with that specific MOE/POE.
A specific part that is underlined means this is what is different from the standard clause, including subtractions.
An entire clause underlined means it has the same meaning, just different wording.

≡ This: under a clause means this is different from the standard clause, but it is either the same or similar somewhere else in the article or contract.
≢ This: under a clause means this is completely different from the standard clause and not in any other contract.

The “standard clause” is the one first listed and without an asterisk. If all MOEs/POEs do not have an asterisk, it means that there is no standard clause.

This guide was written with the intention that you’ll be reading along with your own contract in hand. If you are not a current teacher and are just researching EPIK, pick out whatever contract for the MOE/POE you wish to work for. Read an article of the contract and then read the correlating section here. You’ll be able to see what differs between your contract and other MOEs/POEs as well as get some notes.

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THE CONTRACT

Header, Pay Level, and Salary

There are 4 to 8 levels of pay per MOE/POE. The salary for each level differs depending on the MOE/POE; what level you qualify for is decided by a number of factors (which you can find on EPIK’s website here). Gyeonggi’s contract does not have the levels of pay listed. On EPIK’s website, Gyeonggi is on the same pay scale as Busan, Incheon, and Daegu. The pay scale on EPIK’s website is not completely accurate.

Because Korea is increasing the minimum wage, EPIK will be updating the pay levels for 2023. In 2022, the minimum wage was 9,160 KRW hourly and 1,914,440 KRW monthly; for 2023, it is increasing to 9,620 KRW hourly and 2,010,580 KRW monthly. View current and past minimum wages here.

The former pay scale is listed below on the left (sourced from the MOE/POE contracts) and the new amount is on the right (sourced from the EPIK pay scale). The updated amount may not be accurate. EPIK has released a graphic detailing the pay raise, but MOEs/POEs have yet to release the new contracts for 2023 including this updated pay scale. The contracts will be the most accurate.

Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gangwon, Sejong, and Jeonbuk; Gyeongnam is not listed on the EPIK pay scale update:

1+ level / 2,700,000 → 2,700,000 (no change)
1 level / 2,500,000 → 2,500,000 (no change)
2+ level / 2,300,000 → 2,300,000 (no change)
2 level / 2,200,000 → 2,200,000 (no change)
3 level / 2,100,000 → 2,100,000 (no change)

Gyeonggi, new pay scale only:

1+ level / 2,500,000
1 level / 2,300,000
2+ level / 2,200,000
2 level / 2,100,000
3 level / 2,050,000

Gwangju, Daejeon:

1+ level / 2,600,000 → 2,600,000 (no change)
1 level / 2,400,000 → 2,400,000 (no change)
2+ level / 2,200,000 → 2,300,000 (100,000 increase)
2 level / 2,100,000 → 2,200,000 (100,000 increase)
3 level / 1,900,000 → 2,100,000 (200,000 increase)

Daegu:

1+ level / 2,500,000 → 2,600,000 (100,000 increase)
1 level / 2,300,000 → 2,400,000 (100,000 increase)
2+ level / 2,100,000 → 2,300,000 (200,000 increase)
2 level / 2,000,000 → 2,200,000 (200,000 increase)
3 level / 1,850,000 → 2,100,000 (250,000 increase)

Busan:

1+ level / 2,500,000 → 2,600,000 (100,000 increase)
1 level / 2,300,000 → 2,400,000 (100,000 increase)
2+ level / 2,100,000 → 2,300,000 (200,000 increase)
2 level / 2,000,000 → 2,200,000 (200,000 increase)
2- level / 1,900,000 → not listed
3 level / 1,850,000 → 2,100,000 (250,000 increase)

Seoul:

Level H / 1,800,000 → 2,020,000 (220,000 increase)
Level G / 2,000,000 → 2,100,000 (100,000 increase)
Level F / 2,200,000 → 2,200,000 (no change)
Level E / 2,300,000 → 2,300,000 (no change)
Level D / 2,400,000 → 2,400,000 (no change)
Level C / 2,500,000 → 2,500,000 (no change)
Level B / 2,600,000 → 2,600,000 (no change)
Level A / 2,700,000 → 2,700,000 (no change)
S** / 3,000,000 (new level)

Incheon:

S level / 2,700,000 → not listed
1+ level / 2,500,000 → 2,600,000 (100,000 increase)
1 level / 2,300,000 → 2,400,000 (100,000 increase)
2+ level / 2,100,000 → 2,300,000 (200,000 increase)
2 level / 2,000,000 → 2,200,000 (200,000 increase)
3 level / 1,850,000 → 2,100,000 (250,000 increase)

Jeonnam:

S level / 2,700,000 → 2,700,000 (no change)
1 level / 2,500,000 → 2,500,000 (no change)
2 level / 2,300,000 → 2,300,000 (no change)
3 level / 2,000,000 → 2,100,000 (100,000 increase)

Jeju:

1+ level / 2,600,000 → 2,600,000 (no change)
1 level / 2,400,000 → 2,400,000 (no change)
2+ level / 2,200,000 → 2,200,000 (no change)
2 level / 2,100,000 → 2,100,000 (no change)

Chungnam:

1 level / 2,500,000 → 2,700,000 (200,000 increase)
2+ level / 2,300,000 → 2,500,000 (200,000 increase)
2 level / 2,200,000 → 2,300,000 (100,000 increase)
3 level / 2,100,000 → 2,200,000 (100,000 increase)

Chungbuk:

1+ level / 2,700,000 → 2,700,000 (no change)
1 level / 2,500,000 → 2,500,000 (no change)
2+ level / 2,300,000 → 2,300,000 (no change)
2 level / 2,200,000 → 2,200,000 (no change)

Notes

Depending on MOE/POE, you may only be tentatively hired at the lowest pay level. You need a TEFL/TESOL/CELTA certificate or other qualifications listed on the EPIK website to teach in Korea; if you do not have a certificate yet, you may be listed at the lowest level when you first receive your contract. It will be updated once you turn in the proper paperwork and should be correct while signing the contract at orientation. If it is not, let your MOE/POE coordinator know.

Some people argue that EPIK does not have decent pay, some say it’s generous. Let’s look at the math so you can make your own decision.

For simplicity's sake, say you are starting at the bottom of the EPIK food chain and are making ₩2,100,000 a month. You have your housing paid for through the MOE/POE and do not have any extra allowances (multiple schools, overtime hours, or work in a rural area).

Calculating your hourly wage in Korea is different than calculating it in your home country. If you calculate hourly as salary per year ÷ hours per week ÷ weeks per year, EPIK pay (including Level 3) would be above minimum wage even if you excluded fixed allowances and bonuses (₩2,100,000 × 12 = ₩25,200,000 a year ÷ 40 hours a week ÷ 52 weeks a year = ₩12,115 per hour).

In Korea, the calculation is different. The Enforcement Decree of the Labor Standards Act Article 6, Clause 2, Sub-clause 2.4, states, “The amount obtained by dividing a monthly wage by the number of standard hours (referring to the hours obtained by dividing by 12 the number calculated by multiplying the number of standard hours for the calculation of the weekly ordinary wage by the average number of weeks per year) for the calculation of the monthly ordinary wage, if a wage is paid on a monthly basis.”

Here is that equation. Hourly =

(monthly pay + regular monthly bonuses/allowances + (one-time bonuses/allowances ÷ 12 months)) ÷ ((weekly hours worked + weekly paid vacation) × (365 days ÷ 12 months ÷ 7 days))

This calculation is for a 40-hour work week and does not include working overtime (working after designated work hours, on the weekend, or during holidays). If you have extra allowances (Multiple Schools Allowance, Rural Allowance), you should include those while calculating your hourly wage. You can use this website (nodong.kr) to play around with your own salary if you don’t want to do the math yourself; however, it is all in Korean.

You will receive bonuses and allowances during your time at EPIK. During your first contract, you will get a one-time Settlement Allowance (₩300,000) and a one-time Entrance Allowance (₩1,300,000); in the case of renewal, every time you complete and start a new contract with the same MOE/POE, you’ll receive a Contract Completion Bonus (₩1,300,000) and a Renewal Allowance (₩700,000). If you do not renew, you still receive a Contract Completion Bonus.

Entrance Allowance — ₩1,300,000
Settlement Allowance — ₩300,000
Contract Completion Bonus — ₩1,300,000
Renewal Allowance — ₩700,000

Plenty love to use these bonuses and allowances as a way to say that EPIK teachers make well over minimum wage; however, it is important to note that these types of bonuses/allowances are not included while calculating your ordinary wage or severance if calculated by ordinary wage. Regular/fixed bonuses and allowances, like the Rural Allowance and Multiple Schools Allowance, do qualify to be included in calculating hourly ordinary wages. The Entrance Allowance, Settlement Allowance, Renewal Allowance, and Contract Completion Bonus are not considered as “occurring on a regular basis” and are instead “given at a specific point in time” (특정시점). They are not “fixed” (“근로 대가가 아니므로 고정성 불인정”; Korean teachers also receive bonuses around the holidays which also falls under this category). This is from a Supreme Court ruling (2012다89399); more succinct information can be found here. These bonuses are considered when filing taxes, however.

For NETs specifically, hourly =

(monthly pay + allowances) ÷ ((40 work hours + 8 hours of paid leave) × (365 days ÷ 12 months ÷ 7 days))
(monthly pay + allowances) ÷ (48 hours × 4.345)
(monthly pay + allowances) ÷ 209 hours

209 hours, however, is not the true number that should be used while calculating ordinary wage. NETs technically have 16 hours of paid leave a week (Saturday and Sunday) and the contracts are not a full 365 days, meaning that the equation is:

(monthly pay + allowances) ÷ ((40 work hours + 16 hours of paid leave) × (364 days ÷ 12 months ÷ 7 days))
(monthly pay + allowances) ÷ (56 hours × 4.333)
(monthly pay + allowances) ÷ 242.6666666648 hours, rounded up to 243 hours

However, if 243 hours are used instead of 209, NETs who make less than ₩2,338,000 a month are being paid under minimum wage. Before January 1, 2022, foreign workers did not have to be paid the same as Koreans; this changed due to the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s Notice No. 68. Foreigners now must be paid the same minimum wage as Koreans. Businesses that violate this can be fined up to 30 million KRW or spend 3 years in prison. The Minimum Wage Act does not apply to those employed to assist households (housekeepers, gardeners, etc.). You can view condensed information concerning foreign workers here.

If 243 hours were used instead of 209, the base salary for NETs would be ₩2,337,660 as of 2023, where the minimum hourly wage rate is set to ₩9,620 (₩9,620 × 243 hours).

Back to the example: You receive 2,100,000 KRW pay before deductions and 400,000 KRW Housing Allowance paid to your school for your accommodation every month. How much do you make an hour?

Calculating the hourly rate including housing (₩400,000), rounding up:

(₩2,100,000 monthly pay + ₩400,000 Housing Allowance) ÷ ((40 work hours + 8 hours of paid leave) × (365 days ÷ 12 months ÷ 7 days))
(₩2,500,000 monthly pay/allowance ÷ (48 hours × 4.345)
₩2,500,000 monthly pay/allowance ÷ 209 hours
₩11,962 per hour

This is ₩2,342 over minimum wage in Korea (9,620 KRW in 2023); however, it is ridiculous to include the ₩400,000 Housing Allowance when talking about hourly wage. If you live in an apartment provided for by your school, you don’t receive that ₩400,000 in your pocket. You are not taxed on it and it is not included when calculating your severance pay. Your apartment is not worth 400,000 KRW a month, either, so it’s unfair to count that total amount. An employer purposefully hiring overseas employees should provide housing anyway. But free housing is free housing, so it’s still something to consider. Housing will be discussed more in Article 12 (Housing).

Calculating the hourly rate excluding housing (₩400,000), rounding up:

₩2,100,000 monthly pay ÷ ((40 work hours + 8 hours of paid leave) × (365 days ÷ 12 months ÷ 7 days))
₩2,100,000 monthly pay ÷ (48 hours × 4.345)
₩2,100,000 monthly pay ÷ 209 hours
₩10,048 per hour

This is ₩428 over the minimum wage for 2023. Depending on the exchange rate, ₩10,048 is about $7 to $8 USD. That is around the federal minimum wage in America. If you were making ₩3,000,000 a month, your hourly wage would be ₩14,354, which is around $10 to $12 USD.

Here is the hourly ordinary pay calculated for most possible monthly salaries:

₩2,200,000 = ₩10,526 per hour
₩2,300,000 = ₩11,005 per hour
₩2,400,000 = ₩11,483 per hour
₩2,500,000 = ₩11,962 per hour
₩2,600,000 = ₩12,440 per hour
₩2,700,000 = ₩12,919 per hour
₩2,800,000 = ₩13,397 per hour
₩2,900,000 = ₩13,876 per hour
₩3,000,000 = ₩14,354 per hour
₩3,100,000 = ₩14,832 per hour
₩3,200,000 = ₩15,311 per hour
₩3,300,000 = ₩15,789 per hour
₩3,400,000 = ₩16,268 per hour
₩3,500,000 = ₩16,746 per hour
₩3,600,000 = ₩17,225 per hour
₩3,700,000 = ₩17,703 per hour
₩3,800,000 = ₩18,182 per hour

Getting ₩3,800,000 a month is possible only if you live on Ulleung-do and receive a housing allowance. Monthly salaries above ₩3,100,000 are rare.

Back to your first paycheck and what it will actually look like, as you do not receive the entirety of whatever your stated monthly wage is because of taxes and other deductions:

The deductions:

There are deductions in your pay, usually between 200,000~300,000 KRW:

Taxes are the devil in every country, Korea is not excluded. The numbers below are coming from the wage calculator (월급계산기) on Naver. It’s fairly accurate, so use this tool to your advantage.

On a ₩2,100,000 a month salary:

General deductions:

Income Tax (소득세/근로소득세) — .98% (₩22,740)
Residence/Local Income Tax (주민세/지방소득세) — 10% of your Income Tax (₩2,270)
Medical Insurance Premium (건강보험) — approximately 3.495% (₩73,390)
Elderly Care Insurance (노인장기요양보험) — 12.27% of your total medical insurance premium (₩9,000)
National Pension Contribution (국민연금) — approximately 4.5% (₩94,500); expect your contribution to either increase or decrease within your July paycheck; this is in relation to if your monthly pay increases or decreases

₩2,100,000 base salary − ₩22,740 income tax − ₩2,270 local income tax − ₩73,390 health insurance − ₩9,000 elderly insurance − ₩94,500 pension = ₩1,898,100 after general deductions

Some schools will not take income and local taxes out of your paycheck. They should but don’t. If your school does not, save around ₩50,000 to ₩80,000 every month so you can afford to pay taxes come February (when taxes are calculated). Even if your school does take out money for taxes, save a little bit (~₩20,000) each month just in case you have to pay. How much you pay in taxes is reflected by how much you don’t spend. In theory, spending more equals less you have to pay in taxes or more you get refunded; however, there are horror stories out there of people having to pay upwards of ₩500,000, some close to ₩1,000,000, even if their school deducted taxes from their paycheck and they didn’t hoard money. If you end up being one of those individuals who have to pay a large sum, check with your admin office if they calculated it correctly. They absolutely can make mistakes. If they did calculate it right, you can split it into 3 payments by asking the accountant in your school’s administration office. Some accountants may be too lazy and say it can’t be done, but it can. If you have to pay, taxes are deducted automatically from your next paycheck.

If you are from a qualifying country and fill out the required paperwork, you do not have to pay taxes in Korea for the first two years you work here. These countries include America, the UK, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. You should be able to find the information you need if you search “Korea E2 tax exemption [your country].” More about this in Article 13 (Benefits).

School-specific deductions:

School Lunch Fee (식비) — Fees can range from ₩3,500 to ₩5,800 per meal depending on your school; elementary schools are on the lower end while middle and high schools are on the higher end. This is roughly ₩60,000 to ₩116,000 a month. You do not have a fee deducted if school is not in session due to vacation or a holiday. If you work at multiple schools, you will have to pay for lunch at each school, but only for the number of days you eat there. You can choose to eat school lunch at one school and not another. In order to opt out of school lunch, you need to let the cafeteria know at the beginning of the year, semester, or month. When and if you are able to opt out of lunch will depend on your school. You need to ask your co-teacher.
Membership Fee (친목회비, may be listed under “기타” (other)) — This is a fee paid to your school and is “optional” (not really optional if you don’t want to be an asshole); it includes money sent to your coworkers if a family member dies, someone gets married, meals out, etc. It is roughly ₩10,000 to ₩20,000 every month. You can sometimes get this money back if it isn’t used. If you work at multiple schools, you typically don’t have to pay this fee to each school. Some schools may ask you to, however. If you do not pay, you will not receive any benefits from the membership fee.
Office Snack Fund and/or Water Fund — An informal fund for snacks/water for your office. It can be anywhere from ₩10,000 to ₩20,000 a month or ₩50,000 every three months. It depends on your office if you even have one or not. This is not deducted automatically from your paycheck and is instead given in cash to the office head.

With low deductions: ₩1,898,100 after general deductions − ₩60,000 school lunch fee − ₩10,000 membership fee − ₩10,000 office snack fund = ₩1,818,100 after school-specific deductions
With high deductions: ₩1,898,100 after general deductions − ₩116,000 school lunch fee − ₩20,000 membership fee − ₩20,000 office snack fund = ₩1,742,100 after school-specific deductions

Personal deductions. These are rough estimates for a one-room apartment but might differ as everyone has different living situations. You may have to pay for other utilities, like WiFi, water, etc., but many do not. Besides gas and electricity, most utilities are included in the monthly rent. Here are the deductions:

Gas bill — ₩10,000~₩30,000
Electric bill — ₩10,000~₩30,000
Phone bill — ₩20,000~₩90,000

With low deductions: ₩1,818,100 after school-specific deductions − ₩10,000 gas bill − ₩10,000 electric bill − ₩20,000 phone bill = ₩1,778,100 after personal deductions
With high deductions: ₩1,742,100 after school-specific deductions − ₩30,000 gas bill − ₩30,000 electric bill − ₩90,000 phone bill = ₩1,592,100 after personal deductions

Living expenses (hopeful limits and not reality):

Groceries — ₩100,000
Eating Out — ₩100,000
Health and Beauty — ₩50,000
Home Necessities — ₩50,000
Transportation — ₩70,000; this includes 28 rides on a regular bus and/or subway; if you walk every day to and from work, this will be lower

With low deductions: ₩1,778,100 after personal deductions − ₩100,000 groceries − ₩100,000 eating out − ₩50,000 health/beauty − ₩50,000 home necessities − ₩70,000 transportation = ₩1,408,100 after living expenses
With high deductions: ₩1,592,100 after personal deductions − ₩100,000 groceries − ₩100,000 eating out − ₩50,000 health/beauty − ₩50,000 home necessities − ₩70,000 transportation = ₩1,222,100 after living expenses

This is after everything settles out throughout the year.

For the first 3-ish months in Korea, you will spend a LOT more money than anticipated from excited café hopping, trying new foods, and getting things for your apartment and work desk. You may have another ₩200,000~₩500,000 deducted (MOE/POE depending) as a security deposit from your first few checks, which you will get back as long as you aren’t fired or quit. Because of this, it is better to think realistically with some special deductions for your first few months in Korea.

Special deductions for your first month in Korea:

Safety/Security Deposit — ₩500,000 (a one-time fee) or ₩600,000 (over 2 or 3 months) or ₩900,000 (over 2 or 3 months) or ₩1,000,000 (over 3 months; ₩500,000 the first month)
Home Necessities — ₩200,000 (bedding, cookware, tableware, small things to make you feel at home; this amount is in addition to the Settlement Allowance. If you want to buy an air purifier, expect this amount to double. If you are coming in winter and have any lung/heart issues, make this a priority. Machines worth buying are ₩200,000+.)
Work Necessities — ₩50,000 (slippers, USB, planner)
New Friends — ₩200,000 (going to events and cafés to make new friends)

With low deductions: ₩1,408,100 after living expenses − ₩200,000 security deposit − ₩200,000 home necessities − ₩50,000 work necessities − ₩200,000 new friends = ₩758,100 after first month expenses
With high deductions: ₩1,222,100 after living expenses − ₩500,000 security deposit − ₩200,000 home necessities − ₩50,000 work necessities − ₩400,000 new friends = ₩72,100 after first month expenses

You will receive a Settlement Allowance (₩300,000) and may receive the Entrance Allowance (₩1,300,000) within your first month. The Entrance Allowance is only paid to 13 MOEs/POEs in the first paycheck; 6 MOEs/POEs are paid after six months. This is discussed more in Article 10 (Initial Contract).

Some may receive the Settlement Allowance on the day of arrival in cash. This will help a lot, but regardless, the first few months can be a struggle financially, especially if you have to send money home to pay bills. Don’t be discouraged — you’ll be ok after the first 2 to 3 months. If you budget yourself and are responsible with your money, you should be fine.

On a separate note, NETs often talk about how Korean teachers are paid way more than them. This is not always correct. Korean teachers start their careers with a monthly salary of around ₩2,100,000. That is the same as most NETs. Korean teachers gain a “level” every year, which adds about another ₩80,000 to ₩100,000. There is no cap, unlike NET salaries. When KTs have been teaching for 6 years, they make around ₩2,500,000. If they’ve been teaching for 30 years, they make about ₩5,300,000. In some cases, you could easily be making more money than your co-teacher, especially with allowances. Here is a blog about Korean teachers’ salaries, but it is outdated due to the new minimum wage. Most Korean teachers start at about level 8 or 9.

Korean teachers do get other allowances for being a homeroom teacher, other work-related responsibilities, and if they have a spouse or child, to name a few. But NETs get paid more money in less time with generally less experience and requirements. This is something to keep in mind when comparing Korean teachers’ salaries and NET salaries.

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Article 1 (Purpose)

Gangwon, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Daegu, Daejeon, Busan, Sejong, Incheon, Jeju, Chungnam, Chungbuk:

This Contract sets forth the terms and conditions of employment for the Employee’s participation in the English Program in Korea as a Guest English Teacher (hereinafter referred to as GET).

— Gwangju, Daegu, Daejeon, Busan, Sejong, Incheon only —
Gwangju, Daegu: The terms of this Contract shall take precedence over School Employment Regulations and Policies.
Daejeon, Busan: The terms of this Contract shall take precedence over Employment Regulations and Policies.
Sejong: The terms of this Contract shall take precedence over the Employment Regulations and Policies of the Sejong City Office of Education.
Incheon: The terms of this Contract shall take precedence over IMOE Employment Regulations and Policies.

Gyeonggi:

This Contract sets forth the terms and conditions of employment for the Employee's participation in the English Program in Korea as a Native English Teacher (hereinafter referred to as NET).
The terms of this employment of this Contract shall take precedence over School Employment Regulations and Policies.

Gyeongnam:

This Contract sets forth the terms and conditions of employment for the Employee’s participation in the Gyeongsangnam Provincial Office of Educations English Program as a Guest English Teacher (hereinafter referred to as GET).

Seoul:

This Contract is made for the purpose of setting forth the terms and conditions of employment for Native Speaking English Teachers who participate in the English Teachers In Seoul program administered by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education.

Jeonnam:

This contract sets forth the terms and conditions of employment for the Employee's participation in the Jeollanamdo Language Program as a Native English Assistant Teacher(hereinafter referred to as NEAT).

Jeonbuk:

This Contract sets forth the terms and conditions of employment for the Employee’s participation in the English Program in Korea as a Guest Language Teacher (hereinafter referred to as GLT).

Article 1 Notes

Article 1 is straightforward: this contract lays out almost everything you need to know. Korean labor laws still apply to you regardless if they are mentioned in this contract or not. The laws in Korea outweigh whatever your contract says.

Clause 2 states that this contract takes priority (우선으로) over other employment policies and regulations (취업규칙), which are specific to the MOE/POE. Even if your contract does not mention this, it still applies to you. Most MOE/POE employment policies have an article clarifying that employment policies and regulations do not apply to the type of teachers NETs are.

The easiest way to find the employment rules is by searching the MOE/POE name with 취업규칙 on either Google or Naver. If you live in Jeju, you can search “Jeju Office of Education Employment Rules” in Korean (제주특별자치도교육청 취업규칙) and find a law website like law.go.kr.

The general format, for those who need to copy and paste, is "[MOE/POE]교육청 취업규칙”. You’ll have to translate the page.

You can find other MOE/POE-specific information on their websites:

Many MOEs/POEs also have an English site, but there is very little information on there for you. Some have sites dedicated just to their NETs. Those sites house crucial information. The ones that could easily be found online are linked below:

Gangwon (link to the 2016 NET Guidebook)
Gyeonggi (n/a)
Gyeongnam (n/a)
Gyeongbuk (n/a)
Gwangju (site just for NETs)
Daegu (site just for NETs)
Daejeon (n/a)
Busan (n/a)
Seoul (message board)
Sejong (n/a)
Incheon (n/a)
Jeonnam (n/a)
Jeonbuk (n/a)
Jeju (n/a)
Chungnam (n/a)
Chungbuk (n/a)

If you are a prospective teacher or a new hire and are curious about certain processes, reviewing the sites listed above could be a great way to get more information even if you’re not in that MOE/POE. If you know of any other public MOE/POE sites for NETs, please leave them in the comments.

Misc. Notes:

Although various MOEs/POEs have different names for NETs, the Korean clause is always the same: 원어민 영어 보조교사 (Native English Assistant Teacher). Jeonnam is the only MOE/POE that translates it directly.
Seoul and Jeonnam use “초청” (invitation) instead of “선발” (selection) when referencing those that were selected to be part of the EPIK program. This stylistic choice does not affect the legal meaning. It’s just an interesting difference.

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Article 2 (Pay Level)

Gyeonggi: Pay Category, Seoul: Status of Employment

Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Daegu, Daejeon, Busan, Sejong, Incheon, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, Jeju, Chungnam, Chungbuk:

The Employee shall be hired pursuant to this Contract with the Pay Level set forth at the beginning of this Contract.
The Pay Level set forth at the beginning of this Contract will be contingent upon provision of all the necessary documentational proof of qualifications and experience required by the Employer to be eligible for said Pay Level.
Any new qualifications obtained after the beginning of the Term of Employment will not subsequently change the Pay Level during the Term of Employment; the Pay Level will remain the same as was agreed to at the beginning of the Term of Employment. ＊Gwangju: However, if the typical duration of the contract is changed during the term of employment (i.e. six month renewal contract, etc.), the pay level will change during the course of the contract in accordance to the predetermined EPIK Pay Scale.

— Gyeonggi only —
In the event that a renewal contract of less than one year is signed to match the school’s fiscal year, if the Term of Employment of said contract is at least 350 days, upon completion, one year of teaching experience shall be acknowledged and shall be entitled to a raise in pay category accordingly.

Seoul:

Employee shall be hired pursuant to this Contract with the Pay Level set forth at the beginning of this contract.

Article 2 Notes

Whatever pay level is listed at the top of your contract cannot change during your contracted period. The only exception is if it is the lowest level because you haven’t submitted proof of your credentials yet.

Gwangju mentions that the pay level can change if you sign a contract for a 6-month extension. Gwangju is not the only MOE/POE that does contract extensions. If there are not enough teachers for the next semester, the MOE/POE will reach out to those leaving the position and ask if they want to extend their contract for 6 months (until the next batch of EPIK applicants comes in). A contract extension is not something you can randomly ask for and expect to get. You could try, but don’t go into it with high expectations. These extensions happened quite often when COVID-19 was rampant throughout Korea. Now that the world has opened back up, there haven’t been many.

If you agree to a 6-month contract extension, you may be able to move up in pay level regardless if it is specified in the contract or not. Contract extensions are under special circumstances, and therefore the contract may also have some unique amendments. This can include moving up in pay level, but expect to have half the amount of sick leave and vacation time, since you’re only working for half the time.

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Article 3 (Duties)

Seoul: Duties and Responsibilities

Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Daegu, Daejeon, Busan, Seoul, Sejong, Incheon, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, Jeju, Chungnam, Chungbuk:

The Employee shall perform the following duties in the educational institutions of the undersigned Office of Education for the period indicated above:
＊Gyeonggi: The Employee shall perform the following duties in the educational institutions of the undersigned Office of Education for the period indicated at the beginning of the Term of Employment.
＊Seoul: Employee shall be expected to perform and fulfill the following duties:
＊Sejong, Incheon: The Employee shall perform the following duties for the period indicated above:
＊Jeonnam: The Employee shall perform the following duties in the educational institutions of Jeollanamdo Office of Education for the period indicated above:
＊Jeju: The Employee shall perform the following duties in the educational institutions of Jeju POE for the period indicated above:

Assist Korean teachers with their English class(es) and/or jointly conduct English class(es) with Korean teachers, and/or lead extracurricular activities or English camps;
＊Gyeonggi: Assist Korean teachers with their English class(es) and/or jointly conduct English class(es) with Korean teachers, and/or lead after school English activities or English camps;
＊Daegu: Assist Korean teachers with the English class(es) and/or jointly conduct English class(es) with Korean teachers, and/or lead extracurricular activities or English camps;
＊Incheon: Assist Korean teachers with their English class(es) and/or jointly conduct English class(es) with Korean teachers, and/or lead extracurricular activities or English camps:
＊Jeonbuk: Assist Korean teachers with their English(foreign language) class(es) and/or jointly conduct English(foreign language) class(es) with Korean teachers, and/or lead extracurricular activities or English(foreign language) camps;
＊Chungbuk: Assist Korean teachers with their regular English class(es) and/or jointly conduct English class(es) with Korean teachers, and/or lead extracurricular activities or English camps;
Prepare teaching materials and lesson plans for English class(es);
＊Seoul: Prepare teaching materials and activities for English language education.
＊Jeonbuk: Prepare teaching materials and lesson plans including videos, voice recordings, ppts for online classes for English(foreign language) class(es);
Assist with and/or lead the development and creation of teaching materials related to English language education;
＊Jeonbuk: Assist with and/or lead the development and creation of teaching materials related to English language(foreign language) education;
Assist with and/or lead activities related to English language education and other extracurricular activities such as but not limited to editing or creating English documents, judging contests, conducting teacher training, working at English camps, etc.;
＊Gyeonggi: Assist with and/or lead activities related to English education and other extracurricular activities such as but not limited to editing or creating English documents, judging contests, conducting teacher training, working at English camps, etc.;
＊Gwangju: Assist with and/or lead activities related to English language education and other extracurricular activities such as but not limited to editing or creating English documents, judging contests, conducting teacher training, working at English camps, assisting with administering assessments, etc.;
≡ Seoul: Conduct English conversational classes during English Camp in summer and winter breaks.
＊Incheon: Assist with and/or lead in activities related to English language education and other extracurricular activities such as but not limited to editing or creating English documents, judging contests, conducting teacher training, working at English camps, etc.; with sincerity.
＊Jeonbuk: Assist with and/or lead activities related to English(foreign language) language education and other extracurricular activities such as but not limited to editing or creating English(foreign language) documents, judging contests, conducting teacher training, working at English(foreign language) camps, etc.;
Conduct English conversational class(es)/course(s) for Korean teachers and students; and
＊Gyeonggi: Conduct English conversational class(es) for Korean teachers, students, parents, etc
＊Jeju: Conduct English conversational class(es)/course(s) for Korean teachers and students;
＊Chungbuk: Conduct English conversational class(es)/course(s) for Korean teachers and students except for the regular English class(es); and
＊Jeonbuk: Conduct English(foreign language) conversational class(es)/course(s) for Korean teachers and students; and
≡ Incheon, Chungnam, Gyeongbuk, Daegu, Busan: Perform other duties as designated by the Employer including various English programs during the school vacation period.
≡ Seoul: Assist with and/or lead activities related to English language education and other extracurricular activities within the school, the District Office of Education and/or the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (judging English speaking competition, voice recording for listening tests, English camp etc.).

— All MOEs/POEs except Chungnam —
Perform other duties as designated by the Employer including various English programs during the school vacation period.
＊Gyeonggi: Perform other duties relating to English education as designated by the Employer.
≢ Incheon: Be available for class observation by the principal, IMOE staff, or visitors. etc., at least once during the Term of Employment set forth under Article 5 hereof.
≡ Seoul: Conduct English conversational class(es)/course(s) for Korean teachers and/or students.
＊Jeonbuk: Perform other duties as designated by the Employer including various English(foreign language)programs during the school vacation period.
— Busan, Incheon, Jeju only —
≡ Busan: The employee placed at an affiliated institution is to follow work environment set by the Supervisor of the Work Place.
≡ Incheon: The employee placed in either special-purpose high school or the Incheon Metropolitan City Office of Education East Asia Global Education Institute is to follow work environment set by the Supervisor of the Work Place.
≢ Jeju: Be required to complete the Transfer of Duties document in its entirety and submit it to their school by the date determined by the POE. The document must be informational and of relevance to the succeeding GET.

Article 3 Notes

“Korean teacher” doesn’t only mean the designated English teacher at your school, it means any teacher as long as they have a teaching license/certificate obtained in Korea. If your co-teacher is sick or if the schedule doesn’t permit you both to work together, you may have to teach with a homeroom teacher or someone else. These teachers may not always be fluent in English, but they will still know at least a little bit of the language.

Because you do not have a teaching license obtained in Korea, it is against policy for you to be in a room alone with students. This is why the contract clearly says “assist,” “jointly conduct” (협력), and “lead” (주도적으로) classes and programs. None of those words (in Korean or English) infer that you can be alone in a room with students and without a Korean teacher, even for after-school classes. There are multiple news articles that mention that it is even illegal (불법/불법적인) for you to teach alone (Chosun, Nate, Hani). However, no law on the Korean Law Translation Center’s website specifically states “NETs cannot be in a room alone with students.” It, or something similar, probably exists on the Ministry of Education’s website.

You should not be teaching alone because you do not have the proper training nor the language ability to accurately handle emergencies. Students at all levels play around and can get seriously injured, bully other students, and sexually harass and/or assault others. These are all situations that can and do happen often. If you cannot understand what a student is saying, you do not know if they are harassing a classmate or just joking between friends. There is also the possibility of miscommunication between you and the students resulting in accusations of assault. These are all very serious situations that require a native Korean speaker with the proper training. Even if you, as an EPIK teacher, were to receive the proper training, you do not have the Korean language ability to handle whatever is going on.

A lot of co-teachers will either step out of the room for half the class or just not show up, especially in middle and high school. If you are in a situation where a Korean teacher is frequently not in the room (for class, after-school class, or for other English programs), it is strongly recommended that you have a conversation with them before a problem occurs. Make sure you document the date each time you bring it up to the KT. If there is no Korean teacher in the room who can handle emergency situations, help you accurately communicate with students, or vouch for your innocence if something does come up, then it can get very bad for you very fast. It will also end up coming down on your co-teacher since they know they need to be in the room with you.

If something does happen and the school tries to blame you for their negligence, remind them that Article 3 Clause 1 states “assist Korean teachers” and “jointly conduct English class(es) with Korean teachers” (한국인교사와 협력수업을 실시[한다]) not “NET teaches alone without a Korean teacher in the room.” If you’ve had conversations with your co-teacher telling them that they need to stay in the room with you, mention that, too. If your school still tries to pin it all on you, tell your MOE/POE coordinator and give them evidence of you talking to your co-teacher about it.

It’s even more common that you may be expected to teach the entire class by yourself with your co-teacher in the room, but not co-teaching. This can happen at any level but is most common in middle and high school. Although it technically goes against the contract, it is so commonplace that, for most people, it’s not worth fighting over. If this happens with elementary 3rd and 4th grade, you should bring it up with a co-teacher. The younger kids are just starting to learn English; they do not know the alphabet, let alone basic commands. Some are still learning how to hold a pencil right. 5th and 6th grade are easier to teach, but they still won’t know what you’re saying most of the time.

If you find yourself in that situation, it is incredibly important to use imagery and body language. Don’t use words in a PowerPoint to describe a game, use pictures and play an example/practice game; don’t ask them to pay attention in English, create an attention grabber (a short phrase or clapping pattern). If you need ideas, try browsing the r/teachinginkorea subreddit for suggestions. There are thousands of others who have been in a similar situation as you; getting advice from those with experience is the best way to find something that works for you, your students, and your classroom.

The best way to control your class is by using a language your students understand. This means you should learn Korean. Regardless of what other sources say, you should use Korean if you need to. Even learning basic commands or phrases like “숙제 검사” (sook-jae gum-sa, “homework check”) or “따라 하세요” (dda-ra ha-sae-yo, “follow me/repeat after me”) can make your classroom run smoother.

Besides Clause 1, the rest is straightforward. The bulk of your job consists of creating PPTs, designing lessons, playing EFL games, grading papers, conducting speaking tests, and prepping for English programs like English Camp. Clause 6’s “perform other duties” can mean completing administrative tasks, like replying to the MOE/POE’s email, doing a “COVID-19 symptom check” in the mornings, attending meetings, doing online or in-person seminars (mostly in Korean), signing documents, holding open classes for new EPIK teachers, being a mentor for new EPIK teachers (relevant to Daejeon), completing mandatory medical exams, and the like. It can also mean being on your school’s broadcast (TV or intercom) to do a short English exercise in the morning, doing a phone call or email camp with students, and creating testing materials. Some NETs are asked to make YouTube videos or voice recordings for their co-teacher’s solo classes. You may also be asked to create materials for anything relating to English at your school or within your MOE/POE. Some NETs may be approached by teachers at their schools to proofread their personal English essays. This is not your job.

If you think what is being asked of you is a bit too much, first confide in a seasoned NET friend and get their opinion. If they agree it’s ridiculous, then bring up your concern to your co-teacher, and, if nothing is solved or explained, go up the chain of command from there. There are stories of NETs who were asked to create an entire year’s worth of lesson plans the last month of their contract for classes they were not going to teach. That is something you should refuse to do and absolutely bring it up to the MOE/POE coordinator. Although it fits into “perform other duties,” it is excessive.

There are stipulations for what NETs can and cannot do on the the E-2 visa, but more specifically the E-2-2; the E-2 visa is for conversational English (회화). Anything outside of English and “conversational” can lead to fines and possibly deportation. You can only ever teach English; you cannot teach any other subject, even if that subject is being taught in English. According to KOTESOL, what the Korean government means by “conversation” is not well-defined. To some immigration officers, a debate class would be considered out of bounds for an E-2 visa. For others, teaching linguistics or literature would be grounds for fines or deportation. Like with most other issues, immigration has no standard.

Some MOEs/POEs might tell the Korean teachers that having NETs do teacher training or conversation classes without students goes against the E-2 visa. If you are asked to teach non-conversation classes, you should be firm that it is not allowed with immigration and let your MOE/POE coordinator know. Sometimes MOEs/POEs will do programs that promote learning about various topics through English (like science, food, art, etc.); as long as it is still focused on conversation and producing dialogue, it does not go against your visa (… probably).

Incheon’s Clause 6 states that you should be available for observation. This does not only happen in Incheon. This happens everywhere. Your principal, vice-principal, head teacher, MOE/POE staff, and parents may come in on occasion to observe you and your co-teacher. Each group will come in for an open class separately. It is usually for only one class either once a semester or once a year, but some schools may have anywhere from 1 to 4 open classes a semester. Your principal, vice-principal, head teacher, and MOE/POE staff will usually only stay a few minutes and then move to another teacher’s class. If the MOE/POE staff came for you specifically, they will stay longer. Parents tend to stay for the whole class, but some will float in and out. Principals, vice-principals, and head teachers tend to walk around the school and sporadically observe classes (no more than 10 to 30 seconds through the windows).

In your first year of teaching, the MOE/POE NET coordinators will observe your teaching either through a recording or they will come in person; they do not usually observe renewing teachers (sans Jeju). All other non-coordinator MOE/POE are rarely there for you; they primarily come to watch your co-teacher. Some schools will be great about notifying you when these open classes/observations will occur. At some schools, you will learn the day of.

Misc. Notes:

Gyeonggi, Daegu, and Jeonbuk are different than the rest for Clause 1. Gyeonggi includes “프로그램” (program) during vacation alongside English Camp. Daegu includes “교육활동” (educational activities) during vacation with English Camp. Jeonbuk specifies that online class is included in the list of what classes you must teach (온라인 수업을 포함).
Clause 2, Jeonbuk includes a list of what to create. In English, they make “ppt” lowercase, but in Korean “PPT” is capitalized.
Clause 5 is the same (for those that are actually similar), with Gyeonggi and Chungbuk differing. Gyeonggi includes parents (학부모) while the other MOEs/POEs do not; Chungbuk is the only MOE/POE that includes “except for the regular English class(es)” (정규 수업 외).
Jeju’s Clause 7: a lot of retiring NETs do this anyway (informally), but making it mandatory would create a smooth transition for all parties involved.
If you would like some advice on how to go about doing an English Camp, you can find a guide here.

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Article 4 (Supervision)

Gangwon, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Daejeon, Busan, Sejong, Incheon, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, Jeju, Chungnam, Chungbuk:

The Employee shall carry out the duties set forth in the foregoing Article 3 pursuant to and under specific instruction and supervision of the Supervisor of the Work Place designated by the Employer.

＊Gyeonggi:

The Employee shall carry out the duties set forth in the foregoing Article 3 pursuant to and under specific instruction and supervision of the Employer.

＊Daegu:

The Employee shall abide to specific instruction and supervision of the Head of the Workplace designated by the Employer for matters related to his/her work conditions within the Work Place.

＊Seoul:

The Employee shall carry out the duties set forth in the foregoing Article 3 pursuant to and under specific instruction and supervision of the head person of the designated work place.

Article 4 Notes

While your employer is the MOE/POE, the “Head/Supervisor of the Work Place” is your school’s principal. This means whatever your principal asks you to do in relation to what is stipulated in Article 3, you should do as long as it falls in line with the rest of your contract. If it is ridiculous, get a second opinion from a seasoned NET friend through a private message. If they agree it is a bit too much, go to your MOE/POE coordinator.

It can be uncomfortable to confront your school and the MOE/POE coordinators. In Korea, your visa is not held by you, but by your employer. This means that the MOE/POE has the power to cancel your visa and essentially force you to leave the country. Your principal and vice-principal also approve your paid leave, sick leave, special leave, unpaid leave, overtime, and any programs you may do, like English Camp. For that reason, most would suggest being on their good side and doing whatever is asked of you. But do not let them, or anyone else, walk all over you. If you feel something is wrong, fight for your rights.

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Article 5 (Term of Employment)

Seoul: Terms of Employment

Gangwon, Gyeongnam, Gyeonbuk, Gwangju, Daegu, Daejeon, Busan, Sejong, Incheon, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, Jeju, Chungnam, Chungbuk:

The Term of Employment shall be the period set forth at the beginning of this Contract. ＊Gwangju, Busan, Incheon: Unless separately agreed otherwise by the Employer and the Employee, this Contract shall automatically terminate at the end of the contract period set forth herein.
If the Employee, for whatever reason, is unable to begin work on the date specified herein, the Contract shall be rewritten to indicate the new one year Term of Employment. The Contract will only take effect on the day the Employee actually begins work and the Term of Employment shall be a one-year period beginning from that day forth.
＊Gyeongnam: Unless otherwise stated by the GOE, if the Employee, for whatever reason, is unable to begin work on the date specified herein, the Contract shall be rewritten to indicate the new one-year Term of Employment. The Contract will only take effect on the day the Employee actually begins work and the Term of Employment shall be a one-year period beginning from that day forth unless otherwise directed by the GOE.
＊Gwangju: If the Employee, for whatever reason, is unable to begin work on the date specified herein, the Contract shall be rewritten to indicate the new Term of Employment. The Contract will only take effect on the day the Employee actually begins work and the Term of Employment shall be a up to a one-year period beginning from that day forth.
＊Daegu: If the employee is unable to begin work on the date specified herein and the actual date when he/she can start work is fifteen (15) days or later than the specified date, the Contract shall be rewritten to indicate the new one (1) year Term of Employment. The Contract will only take effect on the day the Employee actually begins work.
This Term of Employment is not and shall not be considered a continuation of any previous Term of Employment with a different Provincial Office of Education.
＊Gangwon, Gwangju, Daejeon, Jeonnam, Jeju, Chungbuk: This Term of Employment is not and shall not be considered a continuation of any previous Term of Employment with a different Provincial Office of Education. ＊Gwangju: Hence, the Employer shall hire the Guest English Teacher as a new employee.

Gyeonggi:

In the event that the contract signed is either the Employee’s first contract or a renewal contract where the end date the last day of February, the term of employment shall be the period set forth at the beginning of this contract. Unless separately agreed otherwise by the Employer and the Employee, this Contract shall automatically terminate at the end of the contract period set forth herein.
1. In the event that the contract end date is not the last day of February, the renewing Employee shall be given a Renewal Contract, that is less than one calendar year, in accordance to the school fiscal year (March to February).
If the Employee, for whatever reason, is unable to begin work on the date specified herein, the Contract shall be rewritten to indicate the new Term of Employment foregoing Clause 1. The Contract will only take effect on the day the Employee actually begins work.
This Term of Employment is not and shall not be considered a continuation of any previous Term of Employment with a different Provincial Office of Education.
In the scenario where the employee decides to leave the country before the designated end date of the contract, it shall be considered as a early termination of the contract from the employee’s side and shall be handled according to Article 12 of this contract.

Seoul:

The Term of Employment shall be the period set forth at the beginning of this contract. Unless separately agreed otherwise by Employee and Employee, this Contract shall automatically terminate at the end of the contract period set forth herein.

Article 5 Notes

The Term of Employment starts in February for spring intake and August for fall intake. The dates can differ depending on the MOE/POE (mostly the 26th to the 25th of the same month the following year) and the length of the contract. This includes 6-month extensions and late-intake individuals who either come in March/April or September/October. You will sign a form signaling your intent to renew 4 to 5 months before your contract expires; information about renewal comes up in Article 11 (Renewal).

Clause 3 means that if you work for 6 years in Jeonnam and want to move to Busan to teach at a public school, you have to reapply through EPIK. This means that you will start, again, from the bottom of the pay scale depending on your qualifications. You do not keep the same monthly salary rate from your old MOE/POE, nor can you move up based on your time teaching in Korea. You cannot negotiate this pay like you can at a hagwon (학원).

Gyeonggi’s Clause 4: Say your contract ends February 25th, but spring vacation starts mid-February. You have the time to leave Korea early because you saved your vacation days, but according to this clause, it’s as if you quit: your wage will be prorated and you will have to pay back the Entrance Allowance and Settlement Allowance (Article 12 (Housing), Clause 2 and 3). You won’t be able to get your Contract Completion Bonus, either. You will legally be able to get your pension and severance pay.

This doesn’t only happen in Gyeonggi. Other MOEs/POEs may also strictly adhere to the contract dates. Some schools will work with you so this doesn’t happen, but because it is in the contract, they don’t have to. Plenty of people “leave” their contracts early by using this method and nothing bad happened to them or their money. It is best to talk to your co-teacher/school if you think this is something you’d like to do.

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Article 6 (Work Place)

Gyeonggi, Gyeongbuk, Daegu, Busan, Chungnam, Chungbuk: Workplace

Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Daegu, Daejeon, Busan, Seoul, Sejong, Incheon, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, Jeju, Chungnam, Chungbuk:

The Employee shall work at any location(s) operated by the Employer, including schools, Office of Education, training centers, or any other educational institutes located in the jurisdiction of the undersigned Office of Education.
＊Gyeonggi: The Employee shall work at any location(s) operated by the Employer, including schools, Office of Education, training centers, or any other educational institutes, located within the jurisdiction of the undersigned Office of Education.
＊Gyeongnam: The Employee shall work at any location(s) operated by the Employer, including schools, Office of Education, training centers, or any other educational institutes located in the jurisdiction of the Gyeongsangnam-do Office of Education.
＊Seoul: Employee shall work at schools, teacher training center, district office of education or other educational facilities under the jurisdiction of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education.
＊Incheon: The Employee shall work at any location(s) operated by the Employer, including schools, Office of Education, training centers, or any other educational institutes located in the jurisdiction of the Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education.
＊Jeonnam: The Employee shall work at any locations operated by the Employer, including schools, Provincial or Local Office of Education, training centers, or any other educational institutes located in the jurisdiction of Jeollanam-do Office of Education.
＊Jeonbuk: The Employee shall work at any location(s) operated by the Employer, including schools, Office of Education, training centers, English Experience Centers or any other educational institutes located in the jurisdiction of the undersigned Jeollabuk-do Office of Education.
The Employer may designate multiple locations for the Employee to work.
＊Gyeonggi: The Employee may be asked to teach at more than one school under the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education.
＊Seoul: Employer may designate multiple work places for Employee.
＊Jeonbuk: The Employer may designate multiple locations for the Employee to work and transfer. In case of transfer, the Employer may transfer the Employee during the contract as needs arise.
Gangwon, Daejeon, Jeju, Chungbuk: The Employer may designate the Employee to work at the Office of Education, training centers or other educational institutes during the school vacation period. In this case, the Employee shall not claim for any additional pay if the hours of work fall under the regular Work Hours stated in Article 7.
＊Gyeonggi: The Employer may designate the Employee to work at the Office of Education, training centers or other educational institutes affiliated with GPOE during the school vacation period. In this case, the Employee shall not claim for any additional pay if the hours of work fall under the regular Work Hours stated in Article 7.
＊Gyeongnam, Sejong: The Employer may designate the Employee to work at the Office of Education, training centers or other educational institutes during the school vacation period. In this case, the Employee shall not claim any additional pay if the hours of work fall under the regular Work Hours stated in Article 7.
＊Gwangju, Incheon, Chungnam, Gyeongbuk: The Employer may designate the Employee to work at the Office of Education, training centers or other educational institutes during the school vacation period.
＊Jeonnam: The Employer may designate the Employee to work at a Provincial or Local Office of Education, training centers or other educational institutes while school is in session or recess.
≡ Daegu: The designated Workplace shall not be changed during the Term of Employment. However, in the case where a change is necessary due to the adjustments occurring in the GET Program of the DMOE, the Employee may be required to change Work Place during his/her Term of Employment.
＊Busan: The Employer may designate the Employee to work at the Office of Education, training centers or other educational institutes during the school vacation period. In this case, the Employee shall not claim for any additional pay.
＊Seoul: Employer may designate Employee to work part time as needed at other educational facilities under the jurisdiction of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education. In this case, Employee shall not claim any additional pay.
＊Jeonbuk: The Employermay designate the Employee to work at schools, the Office of Education, training centers, English Experience Centers or other educational institutes during the school vacation period. In this case, the Employee shall not claim for any additional pay if the hours of work fall under the regular Work Hours stated in Article 7.

— Gangwon, Daegu, Jeonbuk only —
≡ Gangwon: The Employee may not work at the same school for more than 4 consecutive years and must transfer to another school within the province in order to renew, unless specifically requested otherwise by the school.
≡ Daegu: The Employer may designate the Employee to work at the Office of Education, training centers or other educational institutes during the school vacation period.
≢ Jeonbuk: The Employee(except for second foreign language) may not work at the same school(s), English Experience Center or Iksan Foreign Language Center for more than two consecutive years. But the Employee working at the English Experience Center, Iksan Foreign Language Center and Jeonbuk Foreign Language High School may extend another two years with the request by the center/school.

— Gangwon, Jeonbuk only —
≢ Gangwon: Employees supported by municipal offices and Employees supported by the Gangwon Provincial Office of Education may transfer freely in either direction.
≡ Jeonbuk: The Employer may designate the Employee(except for second foreign language) to work at the same area for four years, however after four years, the Employer may transfer the Employee to another area.

Article 6 Notes

As per Clause 1, you can teach at more places than just public schools. This includes language centers and at the MOE/POE office. If you teach exclusively at a language center, your contract may look different than what’s listed here and you will have other responsibilities. These extra responsibilities can be creating more English Camps (more than 2 a year), making YouTube videos, doing specialized classes, traveling to public schools to teach a special class, etc. It is usually more work than a public school position. You will more than likely have to work at home or on the weekends, which would count as unofficial overtime work. You do not get paid for unofficial overtime.

You can also be put at more than one location, which refers to schools, not language centers. Although, Clause 1 does use “기관” (institutions) when talking about the workplace. This vagueness can mean they have the ability to place you in a school and a language center. Very few (if anyone at all) has had to do this, but it would not be surprising if it has been done before.

Most people are placed at 1 to 2 schools, but if you are in a rural location, you may teach at more. You will receive a “Multiple Schools Allowance” for teaching at more than one school to offset the cost in travel. This is discussed more in Article 13 (Benefits). Some MOEs/POEs may cap the number of schools you will have at 4. MOEs/POEs typically try to place you at only elementary schools, only middle schools, or only high schools — it’ll be easier for you to use and reuse your material that way. Your MOE/POE will try not to mix levels, but they may need to if it makes sense. For example, if you are the only one living in that area and schools of different levels are close to one another, you could teach at both of those schools.

According to Clause 3, if during winter and summer vacation the MOE/POE or school asks for you to teach, you do not get extra pay. You will only get paid extra if it goes over the regular 22 teaching hours per week. There are no regular classes during winter and summer vacation, but you still have to come to work and “deskwarm.” Some schools may find it necessary to make you “teach” the 22 hours listed in the contract even during the school’s vacation; this may look like having phone call camps, sending emails with prompts, or creating some online instruction. More about vacation, deskwarming, paid leave, and overtime comes later in Article 7 (Work Hours) and Article 14 (Annual Paid Leave).

Jeonbuk’s Clause 2/Daegu’s Clause 3 mentions that you may be forced to switch schools/locations randomly without your input. This does not mean switching schools between contracts while renewing, which is expected, this is during the current contract. This is rare — don’t expect this to happen to you. But, if it does, keep in mind that switching schools also means switching housing if you are in an apartment provided by the school. It is unclear how much in advance they will let you know of this change.

Gangwon mentions in Clause 4 that you cannot work consecutively at the same school for more than 4 years. This is true for all MOEs/POEs. All Korean teachers, besides contract workers, must move schools every 3 to 4 years; they can only stay for 5 years if they have a strong reason to, like the coach of an accomplished sports team. Even though you are a contract employee, you must move schools as well. There can be exceptions, mostly only if your principal, vice-principal, and co-teacher fight tooth-and-nail for you to stay a 5th year; however, staying for 5 years is quite rare and does not happen frequently.

An assumption on Gangwon’s Clause 5: if you didn’t get your job through EPIK and are a direct hire of a school, you may transfer from the regional office to the main office without restarting your pay level.

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Article 7 (Work Hours)

Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Daegu, Daejeon, Busan, Seoul, Sejong, Incheon, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, Jeju, Chungnam, Chungbuk:

Gangwon, Gyeongbuk, Chungnam, Incheon, Jeonnam: The Employee shall work eight (8) hours per day for five (5) workdays per week from Monday to Friday for a total of 40 hours and shall not work on Saturdays, Sundays, Labor Day (May 1st) or any other national holidays of the Republic of Korea. However, temporary English programs run by the Employer (e.g., English camp) may occur outside the Work Hours specified in this clause and on weekends. In these cases, the Employer shall provide pay according to Article 7, clause ④.
＊Gyeonggi: The Employee shall work eight (8) hours per day including lunch hour for five (5) calendar days per week from Monday to Friday for a total of 40 hours and shall not work on Saturdays, Sundays, Labor Day (May 1st) and any other national holidays of the Republic of Korea.
＊Gyeongnam: The Employee shall work eight (8) hours per for five (5) calendar days per week from Monday to Friday for a total of 40 hours and shall not work on Saturdays, Sundays, Labor Day (May 1st) and any national holidays of the Republic of Korea. The employee shall be given recess in accordance with the Labor Standards Act. However, temporary English programs run by the Employer (e.g., English camp) may occur outside the Work Hours specified in this clause and on weekends. In this case, the Employer shall pay according to Article 7, clause ③ and ④.
＊Gwangju: The Employee shall work eight (8) hours per day from Monday to Friday and shall not work on Saturdays, Sundays, Labor Day (May 1st) and any national holidays of the Republic of Korea. However, temporary English programs run by the Employer (e.g., English camp) may occur outside the Work Hours specified in this clause and on weekends. In this case, the Employer shall pay according to Article 7, clause ③ and ④.
＊Daegu: The Employee shall work eight (8) hours per day for five (5) calendar days per week from Monday to Friday for a total of forty (40) hours and shall not work on Saturdays, Sundays, Labor Day (May 1st) and any national holidays of the Republic of Korea. However, temporary English programs run by the Employer (e.g., English camp) may occur outside the Work Hours specified in this clause and on weekends. In this case, the Employee shall be entitled to a payment according to Article 7.
＊Daejeon: The Employee shall work eight (8) hours per day for five (5) calendar days per week from Monday to Friday and shall not work on Saturdays, Sundays, Labor Day (May 1st) and any national holidays of the Republic of Korea. However, temporary English programs run by the Employer (e.g., English camp) may occur outside the Work Hours specified in this clause and on weekends. In this case, the Employer shall pay according to Article 7, clause ③ and ④.
＊Busan: The Employee shall work eight (8) hours per day for five (5) days per week from Monday to Friday and shall not work on Saturdays, Sundays, Labor Day (May 1st) and any national holidays of the Republic of Korea. However, temporary English programs run by the Employer (e.g., English camp) may occur outside the Work Hours specified in this clause and on weekends. In these cases, the Employer shall provide pay according to Article 7, Clause ④.
＊Seoul: The Employee shall work eight (8) hours per day for five (5) calendar days per week and shall not work on Saturdays, Sundays, Labor Day and any national holidays of the Republic of Korea as required under the Korean law.
＊Sejong: The Employee shall work for five (5) days per week from Monday to Friday and shall not work on Saturdays, Sundays, Labor day (May 1st) and any national holidays of the Republic of Korea. However, temporary English programs run by the Employer (e.g., English camp) may occur outside the Work Hours specified in this clause and on weekends. In this case, the Employer shall pay according to Article 7, clause ④.
＊Jeonbuk: The Employee shall work eight (8) hours per day for five (5) calendar days per week from Monday to Friday for a total of forty (40) hours and shall not work on Saturdays, Sundays, Labor Day (May 1st) and any national holidays of the Republic of Korea. However, temporary English/foreign language programs run by the Employer (e.g., English/foreign language camp) may occur outside the Work Hours specified in this clause and on weekends. In this case, the Employee shall be entitled to a payment according to Article 7, clause ④.
＊Jeju: The Employee shall work eight (8) hours per day including recess set in accordance to the Labor Standards Act for five (5) calendar days per week from Monday to Friday and shall not work on Saturdays, Sundays, Labor Day (May 1st) and any national holidays of the Republic of Korea. However, temporary English programs run by the Employer (e.g., English camp) may occur outside the Work Hours specified in this clause and on weekends. In this case, the Employer shall pay according to Article 7, clause ③ and ④.
＊Chungbuk: The Employee shall work eight (8) hours per day for five (5) calendar days per week from Monday to Friday and shall not work on Saturdays, Sundays, Labor Day (May 1) and any national holidays of the Republic of Korea. However, temporary English programs run by the Employer (e.g., English camp) may occur outside the Work Hours specified in this clause and on weekends. In this case, the Employer shall pay according to Article 7, clause ③ and ④.
Gyeongnam, Gwangju, Daejeon, Jeonbuk, Jeju, Chungbuk: The Work Hours of the Employee may follow the normal work schedule of Korean teachers; however, such Work Hours may be adjusted by the Employer as he/she deems appropriate within the bounds set forth in Article 7, Clause ①.
＊Gangwon: The Work Hours for this contract will run from 9:00AM to 6:00/PM; however, these Work Hours may be adjusted by the Employer as he/she deems appropriate within the bounds set forth in Article 7, Clause ①.
＊Gyeonggi: The Work Hours of the Employee shall follow the normal work schedule of Korean teachers; however, such work hours may be adjusted by the Employer as he/she deems appropriate within the bounds set forth in Article 7, Clause 1.
＊Gyeongbuk: The Work Hours for this contract will run from 08:30 to 17:30 (Rest Period: from 12 PM to 13 PM), however, these Work Hours may be adjusted by the Employer as he/she deems appropriate within the bounds set forth in Article 7, Clause ①.
＊Daegu: The Work Hours for this contract will run from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM (recess: 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM). However, these Work Hours may be adjusted by the Head of the Workplace as it is deemed appropriate for the operation of the programs within the bounds set forth in Article 7, clause ① with the agreement of the Employee.
＊Busan: The Work Hours for this contract will run from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM (Recess time: from 12:00 PM to 12:30 PM); however, these Work Hours may be adjusted by the Employer as he/she deems appropriate within the bounds set forth in Article 7, Clause ①.
＊Seoul: The work hours of Employee may follow the normal work schedule of civil servants of the Korean Government; however, such work hours may be adjusted by head of work place as he/she deems appropriate.
＊Sejong, Jeonnam: The Work Hours for this contract will run from ____:____AM/PM to ____:____AM/PM; however, these Work Hours may be adjusted by the Employer as he/she deems appropriate within the bounds set forth in Article 7, Clause ①.
＊Incheon: The Work Hours for this contract will run from 8:30AM to 4:30PM (recess time: from 12:30PM to 1PM); however, these Work Hours may be adjusted by the Employer as he/she deems appropriate within the bounds set forth in Article 7, Clause ①.
＊Chungnam: The Work Hours for this contract will run from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM; however, these Work Hours may be adjusted by the Employer as he/she deems appropriate within the bounds set forth in Article 7, Clause ①.
Gangwon, Gwangju, Sejong, Jeonnam: Employee's class instruction hours per week shall not exceed twenty-two (22) class instruction hours for a total of 40 work hours. If, however, the Employee's actual weekly class instruction hours exceed twenty-two (22) hours due to supplementary class instruction, the Employee shall be entitled to supplementary class instruction pay of 20,000 won per class.
≢ Gyeonggi: Actual class instruction hours of the Employee shall not exceed twenty-two (22) hours per week.
1. The Employee may be asked to teach an extra six (6) hours per two (2) weeks within and/or out of the regular working hours without the Employee’s consent. Extra class instruction hours shall not exceed six (6) hours per two (2) weeks without the Employee’s consent.
2. In the event where the Employee’s actual bi-weekly class instruction hours exceeding forty-four (44) hours, each hour shall be paid 20,000 KRW, or each hour can be used as contribution holidays in which eight (8_ hours of teaching will be considered as one (1) day of contribution holiday.
3. The Employee’s teaching hours are twenty-two (22) hours per week. If the Employee does not fulfill his/her class instruction quota of twenty-two (22) hours per week, the Employer may ask the Employee to teach classes in other subject areas, outside of English, for the remaining hours.
＊Gyeongnam, Daejeon, Jeju, Chungbuk: Employee's class instruction hours per week shall not exceed twenty-two (22) hours. If, however, the Employee's actual weekly class instruction hours exceed twenty-two (22) hours due to supplementary class instruction, the Employee shall be entitled to supplementary class instruction pay of 20,000 won per hour.
＊Gyeongbuk: Employee's class instruction hours per week shall not exceed twenty-two (22) class instruction hours for a total of 40 work hours. If, however, the Employee's actual weekly class instruction hours exceed twenty-two (22) hours due to supplementary class instruction, the Employee shall be entitled to supplementary class instruction pay of 25,000 won per class.
＊Daegu: Employee's class instruction hours per week shall not exceed twenty-two (22) class instruction hours for a total of forty (40) work hours. However, if the Employee's actual weekly class instruction hours exceed twenty-two (22) hours due to supplementary class instruction, and if the additional instruction hours occurs within the regular work hours of the Employee, the Employee shall be entitled to supplementary class instruction pay of 20,000 Korean Won (KRW) per hour.
＊Busan: Employee's class instruction hours per week shall not exceed twenty-two (22) class instruction hours. If, however, the Employee's actual weekly class instruction hours exceed twenty-two (22) hours due to supplementary class instruction, the Employee shall be entitled to supplementary class instruction pay of 20,000 won per class.
＊Seoul: Actual class instruction hours of the Employee shall not exceed twenty-two (22) hours per week. If Employee’s actual weekly class instruction hours exceed twenty-two (22) hours, Employee shall be entitled to overtime instruction pay of 20,000 won per hour. However, overtime instruction pay shall not be received for make-up classes for up to 25 class hours a week. (26 hours or more shall be entitled to overtime instruction pay.)
＊Incheon: Employee's class instruction hours per week shall not exceed twenty-two (22) hours. If, however, the Employee's actual weekly class instruction hours exceed twenty-two (22) hours due to supplementary class instruction, the Employee shall be entitled to a supplementary class instruction pay of 20,000 won per hour.
＊Jeonbuk: Employee's class instruction hours per week shall not exceed twenty-two (22) hours for a total of 40 work hours. If, however, the Employee's actual weekly class instruction hours exceed twenty-two (22) hours due to supplementary class instruction, the Employee shall be entitled to supplementary class instruction pay of 20,000 won per hour.
＊Chungnam: Employee's class instruction hours per week shall be twenty-two (22) class instruction hours for a total of 40 work hours. If, however, the Employee's actual weekly class instruction hours exceed twenty-two (22) hours due to supplementary class instruction, the Employee shall be entitled to supplementary class instruction pay of 20,000 won per class.
Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Sejong, Busan, Jeonbuk: With the consent of the Employee, the Employer may require the Employee to work overtime hours in addition to normal Work Hours/or Work Days. In this case, the Employee shall be entitled to supplementary overtime pay in accordance to the Labor Standards Act.
＊Gangwon, Jeonnam, Chungnam: The Employer may require the Employee to work non-instructional overtime hours in addition to normal Work Hours. In this case, the Employee shall be entitled to supplementary overtime pay in accordance to the Labor Standards Act.
＊Gyeongnam, Daejeon, Jeju, Chungbuk: If the Employee agrees to teach instructional hours that occur outside the Work Hours specified in Article 7, clause ①, the Employee shall be entitled to either instruction pay determined by the school or supplementary overtime pay in accordance to the Labor Standards Act, of which the employer must choose the option that is more favorable to the Employee.
≢ Gyeonggi: In the case the Employee shall use annual paid/unpaid leave or sick leave during the Employee’s teaching hours, the Employer may require the Employee to make up his/her teaching quota without overtime pay.
＊Daegu: The Employer may require the Employee to teach instructional hours that occur outside of the Work Hours specified in Article 7, clause ① with the Employee’s agreement. The Employee shall be entitled to supplementary overtime pay in accordance to the Labor Standards Act if the Employee’s actual weekly class instruction hours do not exceed twenty-two (22) hours. However, if the Employee’s actual weekly class instruction hours exceeds twenty-two (22) hours, the Employee shall be entitled to either instruction pay determined by the school or supplementary overtime pay in accordance to the Labor Standards Act, of which the Employer must choose the option that is more favorable to the Employee.
＊Seoul: If Employee agrees to teach instructional hours that occur outside the Work Hours, Employee shall be entitled to either instruction pay determined by the school or supplementary overtime pay in accordance to the Labor Standards Act, of which Employer must choose the option that is more favorable to Employee.
＊Incheon: With the consent of the Employee, the Employer may require the Employee to work overtime hours in addition to normal Work Hours/or Work days. In this case, the Employee shall be entitled to supplementary overtime pay in accordance to the Labor Standards Act.

— Gyeonggi, Gyeongnam, Gwangju, Daegu, Daejeon, Busan, Seoul, Incheon, Jeju, Chungbuk only —
Daejeon, Jeju: The Employer may require the Employee to work non-instructional overtime hours in addition to normal Work Hours. In this case, the Employee shall be entitled to supplementary overtime pay in accordance to the Labor Standards Act.
＊Gyeonggi: The Employer may require the Employee to work non-instructional over-time hours in addition to normal Work Hours. In this case, the Employee shall be entitled to supplementary overtime pay in accordance to the Labor Standards Act.
＊Gyeongnam: With the consent of the Employee, the Employer may require the Employee to work non-instructional overtime hours in addition to normal Work Hours. In this case, the Employee shall be entitled to supplementary overtime pay in accordance to the Labor Standards Act.
≢ Gwangju: GETs placed at the Gwangju Institute of Creative Convergence Education will work from 09:00 to 18:00 on weekdays.
＊Daegu: The Employer may require the Employee to work non-instructional overtime hours in addition to normal Work Hours with the Employee’s agreement. In this case, the Employee shall be entitled to supplementary overtime pay in accordance to the Labor Standards Act.
≢ Busan: The employee placed at an affiliated institution is to follow the work hours and recess time specified by the supervisor of the Workplace.
＊Seoul: Employer may require Employee to work non-instructional overtime hours in addition to normal Work Hours. In this case, Employee shall be entitled to supplementary overtime pay in accordance to the Labor Standards Act.
≢ Incheon: The employee placed in either the special-purpose high school or the Incheon Metropolitan City Office of Education East Asia Global Education Institute are to follow work hours specified by the supervisor of the Work Place.
＊Chungbuk: With the consent of the Employee, the Employer may require the Employee to work overtime hours in addition o normal Work Hours/or Work Days. In this case, the Employee shall be entitled to supplementary overtime pay in accordance to the Labor Standards Act.

Article 7 Notes

You will work Monday to Friday for 8 hours a day; in the odd chance you are asked to work on the weekend or after your work hours, it is required that you are paid for overtime as it is laid out in the Labor Standards Act. Overtime pay is only if the employer wants you there, not if you willingly stay to finish lesson plans. You do not get overtime pay just for staying past a certain time.

According to the Labor Standards Act, 50% of your hourly rate + regular hourly rate = overtime pay. If you have a 2,100,000 KRW salary, that would be:

(₩10,048 hourly rate × .5) + ₩10,048
₩5,024 + ₩10,048
₩15,072 per hour for overtime pay

Here are the overtime pay rates for other pay levels:

₩2,200,000 = ₩15,789 for overtime pay
₩2,300,000 = ₩16,507 for overtime pay
₩2,400,000 = ₩17,225 for overtime pay
₩2,500,000 = ₩17,943 for overtime pay
₩2,600,000 = ₩18,660 for overtime pay
₩2,700,000 = ₩19,378 for overtime pay
₩2,800,000 = ₩20,096 for overtime pay
₩2,900,000 = ₩20,813 for overtime pay
₩3,000,000 = ₩21,531 for overtime pay
₩3,100,000 = ₩22,249 for overtime pay
₩3,200,000 = ₩22,967 for overtime pay
₩3,300,000 = ₩23,684 for overtime pay
₩3,400,000 = ₩24,402 for overtime pay
₩3,500,000 = ₩25,119 for overtime pay
₩3,600,000 = ₩25,838 for overtime pay
₩3,700,000 = ₩26,555 for overtime pay
₩3,800,000 = ₩27,273 for overtime pay

Excluding Gyeongbuk, if you make less than ₩2,800,000 a month, the listed rate in Clause 3 is more favorable to you. If you make ₩2,800,000 a month and over, the rate in the Labor Standards Act is more favorable to you.

If you receive allowances for multiple schools and rural placements, since those are factored in when calculating your hourly wage, they should also be included when calculating overtime. This can be found in Article 4 of the “Overtime Allowance Payment Rules” (연장근로수당지급 규정) (nodong.kr).

The work hours are all over the place in Clause 2 because of Article 54 Clause 1 of the Labor Standards Act:

Article 54 (Recess)

An employer shall allow employees a recess of not less than thirty minutes in cases of working for four hours, or a recess of not less than one hour in cases of working for eight hours, during work hours.
Recess hours may be freely used by employees.

All contract workers must have a 30-minute break for every 4 hours of work and a 1-hour break for every 8 hours of work. Because NETs work for 8 hours, they need a 1-hour break (your lunch hour doesn’t count). However, all other regularly-employed teachers at your school only work from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM (minutes depending on the school); there is no break enforced. To accommodate the law, your school may make you stay until 5:20/5:30 PM with a 1-hour lunch break in the middle of the day. This, however, will more than likely not be the case.

If all other employees leave at 4:30 PM, why would someone wait for one employee to leave to lock the school or have that one employee (you, a foreigner) lock the school? Realistically, no one will trust you with that much responsibility. Your mandated 1-hour break will more than likely happen at the end of the day (4:20/4:30 PM to 5:20/5:30 PM) so you can leave at the same time as your coworkers.

There are schools where the security guard leaves late, so it may be possible to stay until 5:30 PM if you wish. If you want to use the recess time during the day and leave late, you would be able to leave the school grounds to do whatever you want for an hour and then come back. This would be useful for doing banking or mailing chores. If you can pick when you use your break depends on the school. Although Article 54, Clause 2 of the Labor Standard Act says that employees may use the recess hours freely, your school may expect you to stay on the school grounds during work hours. They may not allow you to take a break in the middle of the day if it interferes with the class schedule.

For typical work hours, expect to be at work between 8:20 AM to 4:20 PM (middle and high school) or 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM (elementary school); the times may differ depending on your school (8 AM to 4 PM, 8:10 AM to 4:10 PM, etc.). If anyone asks for you to come in early or stay late repeatedly, like if they tell you the start time is 8:20 AM but the end time is 4:30 PM, you should be paid overtime.

8:20 AM to 4:30 PM is not 8 hours, it is 8 hours and 10 minutes. It might seem petty to bring up, but it’s your time and you are not getting paid for those 10 minutes. If they try to argue with you, let them know about Article 50 Clause 3 of the Labor Standards Act: “Upon calculating the work hours under paragraphs (1) and (2), any waiting time, etc. spent by employees under the direction and supervision of their employers that is necessary for the relevant work shall be deemed work hours.” If your co-teacher tells you to come in early, that is “under the direction… of [your] employers” and thus would qualify as work hours, meaning you’d have to be paid.

Clause 3 is simple: you should only teach 22 class instruction hours a week (not 60-minute hours, “hours” that you teach: 40 minutes for elementary school, 45 minutes for middle school, 50 minutes for high school). If you teach over, you will get extra pay (20,000 KRW to 25,000 KRW, depending on your contract). If the Labor Standards Act rate is more favorable to you, you should receive that.

There may be times when your school makes a deal with you where you teach 21 hours one week and 23 hours the next week. You still technically teach the same amount of time a month, just not the same every week. They’ll ask that you don’t get extra pay for the weeks with 23 hours in exchange that you don’t have to do an extra class during the weeks with only 21 teaching hours. Although technically this is going against the contract, it happens all the time and you will not get in trouble for doing this (it does not go against the Labor Standards Act (Article 51 Clause 1)). It’s not a bad deal, but you are losing some money:

Extra Classes: ₩20,000 to ₩25,000 per extra class × 2 extra classes a month = ₩40,000 to ₩50,000 extra every month
Regular Wage: ₩10,048 (₩2,100,000 monthly salary) to ₩14,354 KRW (₩3,000,000 monthly salary) per regular hour

You would be paid ₩9,952 to ₩14,952 less per class on a ₩2,100,000 monthly salary and ₩5,646 to ₩10,646 less per class on a ₩3,000,000 monthly salary. If you teach 2 extra classes a month, that’s losing anywhere from ₩11,292 to ₩29,904 a month depending. That’s at least a few Mom’s Touch burgers. You should decide for yourself if it is worth losing money and not having to teach an extra class, or getting some extra money and needing to prepare for and teach an extra class.

If you receive overtime pay because you have more than 22 teaching hours, it is typically not paid out every month but every 3 months: March, April, and May are paid in June; June, July, and August are paid in September; September, October, and November are paid in December; and December, January, and February are paid in March. When that money actually gets to you depends on your co-teacher, as they must fill out an overtime record card and submit it to the administration office. Make sure to track your teaching hours with dates, times, how many classes per week, and reasons why there were or weren’t extra classes. Your main co-teacher will usually only need the number of classes over 22 hours a week and the date range of that week, but it’s good to have as many details as possible written down. This is so if they forget or try to argue that something did or didn’t happen, you have a detailed account of that week. Make notes like “4-3 no class on 5.6.22 because of a field trip.”

Non-instructional overtime hours, as mentioned in Clause 4 or Clause 5 (MOE/POE depending), are rare. On the odd chance you are asked to be at work, you’ll receive pay according to the Labor Standards Act which is listed at the beginning of this article’s notes.

Also, it seems as if Gyeonggi’s Clause 3.3 could get you deported. The E-2 visa was talked about in Article 3’s notes. If you are not teaching conversational English (listening and speaking), then it goes against what NETs are allowed to teach. If immigration officers consider an English debate class “not conversation” and fine you, they would absolutely fine or deport you for teaching math, science, or anything “outside of English” as stated in Gyeonggi’s contract. If a school asks you to teach anything that is not English, refuse. Gyeonggi’s Clause 4 is also suspicious. Nowhere in the Labor Standards Act, or any other law, states that it is possible to “make up” your “teaching quota” without overtime pay. If it was a normal part of Korean labor law, it would be in all MOE/POE contracts.

Misc. Notes:

For overtime hours, “학교에서 정한 강사수당” is “allowance set by the school” and “근로기준법에 따른 연장근로수당” is “overtime allowance under the Labor Standards Act.” Your school should already be aware of this; if not, and you’re having trouble explaining, please use those phrases so your co-teacher can search their documents easier.

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Article 8 (Salary)

Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Daegu, Daejeon, Busan, Seoul, Sejong, Incheon, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, Jeju, Chungnam, Chungbuk:

The Employee shall be paid the amount set forth at the beginning of this Contract. However, the Korean income tax, residence tax, medical insurance premium, the national pension contribution, and any other tax or withholding mandated by the various levels of government shall be withheld each month from the Employee's salary.
＊Gyeonggi: The Employee shall be paid the amount set forth at the beginning of this Contract. However, the Korean income tax, residence tax, medical insurance premium, the national pension contribution, and any other tax or withholding mandated by the various levels of government (and/or applicable to the Employee) shall be withheld each month from the Employee's salary.
＊Daegu: The Employee shall be paid the amount set forth at the beginning of this Contract. However, the Korean income tax, residence tax, medical insurance premium, national pension contribution, and any other tax or withholding mandated by the various levels of government shall be withheld each month from the Employee's salary.
＊Seoul: Employee shall be paid the total amount set forth at the beginning of this contract. However, the Korean income tax, residence tax, the national pension contribution and medical insurance premium, as required under the Korean law shall be deducted each month from Employee’s salary.
＊Jeonnam: The Employee shall be paid the same amount of money set forth at the beginning of this Contract. However, the Korean income tax, local income tax, medical insurance premium including long-term care insurance and the national pension contribution, and any other tax or withholding mandated by the various levels of government, shall be withheld each month from the Employee's salary.
＊Chungbuk: The Employee shall be paid the amount set forth at the beginning of this Contract. However, the Korean income tax, residence tax, medical insurance premium, the national pension contribution, and any other tax or withholding mandated by the various levels of government will be withheld each month from the Employee's salary.
The Employee's salary shall be deposited directly into the employee’s bank account on the 25th of the month. If the 25th of the month falls on a Saturday, Sunday or a national holiday, the salary shall be paid on the immediately preceding business day.
≡ Gyeonggi: The Employee’s salary shall be liable for Korean Income Tax which will be finalized through the year-end tax settlement. If the Employee retires in the middle of the taxable year, the Employee’s income tax due is finalized for the salary received until the month of retirement based on the report of exception and deduction from income submitted by the Employee. However, the Employee, in accordance to Article 14 Clause 5, shall be tax except for the first 2 years of the Employee’s employment in South Korea.
＊Daegu: The Employee's salary shall be deposited directly into the Employee’s bank account on the 25th of the month. If the 25th of the month falls on a Saturday, Sunday or a national holiday, the salary shall be paid on the immediately preceding business day.
＊Daejeon, Jeju: The Employee's salary shall be paid on the 25th of the month. If the 25th of the month falls on a Saturday, Sunday or a national holiday, the salary shall be paid on the immediately preceding business day.
＊Seoul: Employee's salary shall be paid on the 24th day of each month. If this day falls on a national holiday, Saturday or Sunday, the salary will be paid on the immediately preceding business day.
＊Incheon: The Employee's salary shall be depostied directly into the employees bank account on the 25th of the month. If the 25th of the month falls on a Saturday, Sunday or a national holiday, the salary shall be paid on the immediately preceding business day.
＊Chungbuk: The Employee's salary shall be paid directly into the employee’s bank account on the 25th of the month. If the 25th of the month falls on a Saturday, Sunday or a national holiday, the salary shall be paid on the immediate preceding business day.
If the Employee has not worked all of the normal working days in a month for whatever reason, the Employee's salary for that month shall be prorated for the corresponding number of days worked.
＊Gangwon: If the Employee has been absent from work without receiving prior approval, the Employee's salary for that month shall be prorated for the corresponding number of days worked.
≢ Gyeonggi: The Employee’s salary shall be deposited directly into the Employee’s bank account on the seventeenth (17th) of each month. If the seventeenth (17th) of them on the falls on a Saturday, Sunday or national holiday the salary shall be paid on the immediate preceding business day.
＊Daejeon, Jeonnam: If the Employee has not worked all of the normal working days in a month, for whatever reason (such as sick leave, unpaid leave, etc.), the Employee's salary for that month shall be prorated for the corresponding number of days worked.
＊Busan, Sejong, Incheon: If the Employee has not worked all of the normal working days in a month, for whatever reason, the Employee's salary for that month shall be prorated for the corresponding number of days worked.
＊Seoul: When Employee has not worked a full month, salary for that month shall be paid on a prorated basis either from the first day or until the last day of work.
If the Employee should be absent from work, for whatever reason, without having obtained prior approval from the Employer, the Employee's salary for that month shall be prorated according to the corresponding number of unauthorized absent days.
＊Gyeonggi: If the Employee has not worked all of the normal working days in a month, the Employee’s salary for that month shall be prorated for the corresponding number of days worked.
＊Daegu: If the Employee should be absent from work, for whatever reason, without having obtained prior approval from the Employer, the Employee's salary for that month shall be prorated according to the corresponding number of unauthorized absent days. Eight (8) accumulated hours of unauthorized tardiness, early leave, other absences during the work day shall be counted as one (1) day of unauthorized absence.
＊Seoul: If Employee should be absent from work without having obtained prior approval, Employee's salary for that month shall be deducted by the amount calculated on a prorated basis for the number of unauthorized absent days.
The Employee shall not claim against the Employer any compensation and/or payment other than those provided for in this Contract.
≡ Gyeonggi: Should the Employee be absent from work, for whatever reason, without having obtained prior approval from the Employer, the Employee's salary for that month shall be prorated according to the corresponding number of unauthorized absent days.
≡ Daejeon: Regardless of the number of days over which the Paid Leave falls, eight (8) accumulated hours of Paid Leave shall be counted as one day and prorated accordingly. This includes tardiness, early leave, other absences for personal reasons during the work day and/or half-days of Paid Leave. In the last month of the contract, the total accumulated unpaid days will be deducted from the last payroll.
＊Seoul: Employee shall not claim against Employer any compensation and/or payment other than those provided for in this Contract.

— All MOEs/POEs except Seoul —
The Employee's income is taxed according to the Korean Tax Law (including the Income Tax Law). The tax liabilities of the Employee's salary for the year are finalized through the year-end tax settlement. In case where the Employee retires during the year, his/her income tax is finalized for the salary received until the month of retirement.
≡ Gyeonggi, Daejeon: The Employee shall not claim against the Employer any compensation and/or payment other than those provided for in this Contract.
＊Jeonnam: The Employee's income is taxed according to the Korean Tax Law (including the Income Tax Law). The tax liabilities of the Employee's salary for the year are finalized through the year-end tax settlement. In cases where the Employee stops the contract during the year, his/her income tax is finalized for the salary received until the final date of retirement.

— Gyeongnam, Gwangju, Daejoen only —
≡ Gyeongnam: The employee shall pay a one-time security deposit of 500,000 Korean Won, which shall be withdrawn from the employee’s first paycheck. The 500,000 won security deposit will be returned after contract completion, minus any fees owed by the employee (utilities, taxes, insurance, etc.).
≢ Gwangju: The employees at the Gwangju English Experience Center shall get an extra 200,000 Korean Won per month.
≡ Daejeon: The Employee's income is taxed according to the Korean Tax Law (including the Income Tax Law). The tax liabilities of the Employee's salary for the year are finalized through the year-end tax settlement. In case where the Employee retires during the year, his/her income tax is finalized for the salary received until the month of retirement.

— Gwangju only —
≡ The coordinator shall get an extra 400,000 Korean Won per month.

Article 8 Notes

Although you have a base salary of X amount, you don’t get that amount every month. There are deductions. A more detailed explanation is listed in the notes of the “Header, Pay Level, and Salary” section of this guide. The numbers below are from the wage calculator (월급계산기) on Naver. To reiterate:

Income Tax* (소득세/근로소득세) — .98%
Residence/Local Income Tax* (주민세/지방소득세) — 10% of your Income Tax
Medical Insurance Premium (국민연금) — approximately 3.495%
Elderly Care Insurance (요양보험) — 12.27% of your total medical insurance premium
National Pension Contribution (국민연금) — approximately 4.5%
School Lunch (식비) — ₩70,000 to ₩116,000 a month
Membership Fee (친목회비) — roughly ₩10,000 to ₩20,000 every month
Office Snack Fund and/or Water Fund — ₩10,000 to ₩20,000 a month (given in cash, not deducted from your paycheck)

* Some schools do not take out taxes (income and residence/local). They should, but don’t. You need to be proactive and save accordingly just in case you need to pay an extreme amount.

Clause 2 makes it clear that your salary should be paid to you on the same day every month; depending on where you are, it can be the 17th (Gyeonggi), 24th (Seoul), or 25th (everywhere else). If that day falls on the weekend or holiday, you will get paid the preceding business day. So if the 25th is a Saturday, you will get paid on Friday the 24th; if the 25th is a Sunday, you will get paid Friday the 23rd; if the 25th is a Wednesday, but it and the 24th are a public holiday, you’ll get paid before the holiday on the 23rd.

Your money does not get sent to you by the MOE/POE, your money gets sent to you by your school. It is your school’s accountant’s job to dish out everyone’s pay. When you are paid (time-wise) depends on your school. Some people receive their money in the morning, sometimes before 9 AM. Some receive it closer to the end of the day, around 4 PM. Your school’s accountant could even set up an automatic transfer, meaning your money could get sent to you at 00:01 AM or at 23:59 PM. It really just depends.

Korean teachers get paid on a different day than NETs. This means that your school may make mistakes a few times in the beginning, especially if they haven’t had a NET in a while or have a new accountant. They may not pay you on the correct day because they either don’t know or have forgotten. It is not rude to remind the accountant or to ask your co-teacher to remind them. Make sure to check your bank account before you leave school. If it is not in your account ~20 minutes before you leave, ask about it. If this happens more than 2 to 3 times, have a serious conversation with the accountant, and if that doesn’t work, talk to your MOE/POE coordinator. Money isn’t something to make a mistake with.

In Korea, some money is considered a “wage” (meaning you receive this money as compensation from working), while some money isn’t considered a “wage.” If your employer pays you compensation for expenses you incur in order to do your job, it is not considered a wage (ex. you are reimbursed the transportation fees of a business trip). The money you receive in exchange for labor is a wage.

The money you receive from an employer is siphoned into three different categories: ordinary wage (통상임금), average wage (평균임금), and other money (기타금품).

An “ordinary wage” includes your base pay and various allowances; overtime, night, holiday, annual/monthly (limited to 40-hour work weeks), severance, and maternity leave should be considered when calculating your ordinary wage. The “ordinary wage” is just your regular wage. More information here.
An “average” wage is a concept used as a standard when calculating severance pay or work-related accident compensation; this is expanded upon when discussing severance pay in Article 13 (Benefits). More information here.
“Other money” is not subject to legal judgment because it is not given to you in exchange for work, and instead just a perk of the job.

A wage can be both “ordinary” and “average,” but can only be considered “other” if it is labeled as such. If a specific allowance is given to all workers, it is usually considered an average wage; if it is only given to certain employees for specific circumstances, it is other money.

Article 43 Clause 2 of the Labor Standards Act says, “Wages shall be paid at least once per month on a fixed day: Provided, That this shall not apply to extraordinary wages, allowances, or other similar payments, or those wages prescribed by Presidential Decree.”

The wages prescribed by the Enforcement/Presidential Decree (Article 23) are as follows:

Allowance for good attendance payable on the basis of the attendance record for a period exceeding 1 month;
Seniority allowance payable for consecutive service for a fixed period exceeding 1 month;
Incentive, proficiency allowance, or bonus calculated on a ground sustaining for a period exceeding 1 month;
Other various allowances paid on an irregular basis.

This does not apply to monthly EPIK allowances (Rural Allowance and Multiple Schools Allowance) as they are fixed allowances paid on a regular basis and are included in the monthly salary. A rural area is considered a “special area” and is deemed an ordinary/average wage. Working at multiple schools is an extra “duty” and is an ordinary/average wage. This means that you should always be paid your set allowances at the same time every month and will be taxed on them. This does not apply to the Settlement Allowance, Entrance Allowance, Contract Completion Bonus, or Exit Allowance.

The Housing Allowance may or may not be taxed or included depending on how your MOE/POE categorizes it: as a regular, uniform payment to all employees (average wage) or as a payment made to some workers (other money). This will be talked about in-depth in Article 12 (Housing).

A prorated salary (in relation to over 11 sick days, unauthorized absences, etc.) is when your hourly rate is multiplied by the number of days worked in a specific pay period. If you break your contract or are terminated, your pay will also reflect that. The consequences of early termination are listed in Article 18 (Termination of the Contract).

Clause 5 makes it clear that you cannot claim any compensation for what is not listed in the contract; this would include if you want overtime for working at home or staying late without direct instruction from your supervisor (co-teacher, etc.). You may be put at a school where it is necessary to work at home or stay late in order to complete all you need to do. You do not get overtime for that. Your co-teacher may inform you of a project that’s due Monday on Friday at 4:25 PM. It doesn’t hurt to ask how to input overtime into NEIS after that type of request.

Clause 6 starts talking about taxes. Your school will do your taxes; however, they don’t always do it for you in the most advantageous way. The administration office has to do the entire school, so quality gets brushed over. You can read a quick guide on how to print/fill out the documents here (created by Smiadpades on Reddit). If you want to read about taxes yourself, use the following links:

Because your school does your taxes (co-teacher and accountant), they will see some sensitive information regarding your bank and spending activities. They don’t see too much and usually are doing it so fast that they won’t notice specifics, but there is a page that lists out what medical institutions you’ve visited. The specific names and types of doctors you’ve seen are included, so if you are going to hide a medical condition (although against EPIK’s policy and can be grounds for termination depending on the illness), you need to visit those doctors off of your insurance and use cash. This is specifically for psychiatric or psychological help, as it is incredibly stigmatized in Korea. Many Korean individuals go to these places off of insurance so they can hide their care from their work and/or prospective university, so asking to go off of insurance is not out of the norm.

Gyeongnam’s Clause 7 mentions the security deposit will be deducted from your first month’s paycheck. More MOEs/POEs deduct a security deposit besides Gyeongnam. Gangwon, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Sejong, Incheon, Jeonbuk, Jeju, Chungnam, and Chungbuk do not have a security deposit listed in the contract. Gyeonggi, Gyeongnam, Daegu, Daejeon, Busan, Seoul, and Jeonnam all have security/safety deposits.

Gyeonggi: ₩300,000 per month until the amount reaches ₩900,000; it is returned after the completion of your final contract (within 2 months). Even if you have your own housing, you have to pay the security deposit.
Gyeongnam: a one-time fee of ₩500,000; it is returned after you finish your contract (it is unclear if this means your initial or final contract).
Daegu: ₩300,000 per month until the amount reaches ₩600,000; it is returned after the initial contract (within 1 month).
Daejeon: a one-time fee of ₩500,000; it is returned after you finish your contract (it is unclear if this means your initial or final contract).
Busan: ₩250,000 per month until the amount reaches ₩500,000; it is returned after you finish your contract (it is unclear if this means your initial or final contract).
Seoul: ₩500,000 the first month, ₩250,000 in the second and third months for a total of ₩1,000,000 KRW; it is returned 2 months after you complete the contract (it is unclear if this means your initial or final contract).
Jeonnam: ₩200,000 per month until the amount reaches ₩600,000; it is returned on the final day of when you terminate the contract (possibly your last contract, not your initial contract).

If you have an emergency and need more money, you are able to request an “emergency payment” from your employer. This only applies to wages corresponding to the work already completed. This is not an advance. If you were paid on the 25th of May but your next paycheck is the 25th of June and you need extra money on June 1st, you can receive whatever money you accumulated from working between May 26th to May 31st.

The “emergencies” are defined as if you or a dependent:

Gave birth
Became ill
Was in a disaster (earthquake, typhoon, flood, tsunami, drought, large fires)
Had an accident
Got married
Died
Are homebound for 1 or more weeks

This is in accordance with Article 45 (Emergency Payment) of the Labor Standards Act and Article 25 (Payment of Wages before Payday) Enforcement Decree Of The Labor Standards Act.

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Article 9 (Resignation)

Gyeonggi: Article 10 (Resignation)

Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Daegu, Daejeon, Busan, Seoul, Sejong, Incheon, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, Jeju, Chungnam, Chungbuk:

The Employee shall perform the duties set forth under Article 3 hereof during the Term of Employment set forth under Article 5 hereof.
＊Seoul: Employee shall perform the duties set forth under Article 5 hereof during the Term of Employment.
This Contract is binding unless the Employee gives sixty (60) days written notice of termination (stating a planned date of resignation and reason(s) therefore) to the principal of the Employee's main school as well as the Superintendent of the Office of Education.
＊Gyeonggi: In the event that the Employee chooses to resign from the position, a sixty(60) day written notice detailing the reason and the date of resignation must be given to the Employer.
＊Daegu: This Contract is binding unless the Employee gives sixty (60) days written notice of termination (stating a planned date of resignation and reason(s) therefore) to the Head of the Work Place as well as the Governor of Education of the DMOE.
＊Busan: This Contract is binding unless the Employee gives sixty (60) days written notice of termination (stating a planned date of resignation and reason(s) therefore) to the principal of the Employee's main school as well as the Busan Governor of Education.
＊Seoul: However, if Employee should desire to resign from Employee program and thereby terminate this Contract, he/she must give Employer a thirty (30) day prior written notice of resignation stating the date of and a reason for resignation.
＊Sejong: This Contract is binding unless the Employee gives sixty (60) days written notice of termination (stating a planned date of resignation and reason(s) therefore) to the principal of the Employee's main school as well as the Governor of the Sejong City Office of Education.
＊Incheon: This Contract is binding unless the Employee gives sixty (60) days written notice of termination (stating a planned date of resignation and reason(s) therefore) to the principal of the Employee's main school as well as the Incheon Governor of Education.
＊Jeonnam: This Contract is binding unless the Employee gives sixty (60) days written notice of termination (stating a planned date of resignation and reason(s) therefore) to the principal of the Employee's main school as well as the Superintendent of Jeollanamdo Office of Education.
＊Jeonbuk: This Contract is binding unless the Employee gives sixty (60) days written notice of termination (stating a planned date of resignation and reason(s) therefore) to the principal of the Employee's main school as well as the Governor of the Office of Education.
＊Jeju: This Contract is binding unless the Employee gives sixty (60) days written notice of termination (stating a planned date of resignation and reason(s) therefore) to the principal of the Employee's main school as well as the Education Governor of the Office of Education.
Failure of the Employee to give sixty (60) days written notice of termination to the main school Principal and the Superintendent of the Office of Education shall be reported to the Korean Immigration Service and shall affect the Employee's ability to freely enter the Republic of Korea in the future.
＊Gyeonggi: In the event the Employee fails to give a sixty(60) days written notice of resignation to the Employer, the incident shall be reported to the Korean Immigration Service and shall affect the Employee’s ability to freely enter the Republic of Korea in the future.
＊Daegu: Failure of the Employee to give sixty (60) days written notice of termination to the Employer shall be reported to the Korean Immigration Service and shall affect the Employee's ability to freely enter the Republic of Korea in the future.
＊Busan: Failure of the Employee to give sixty (60) day written notice of termination to the main school Principal and the Busan Governor of Education shall be reported to the Korean Immigration Service and shall affect the Employee's ability to freely enter the Republic of Korea in the future.
≡ Seoul: In the case of Employee’s resignation, the exit allowance will not be paid, and his/her visa shall be cancelled. (Employee resigning within the first 6 months of the current Contract is responsible for paying back the entrance allowance given under Article 11 paragraph 1.)
＊Sejong: Failure of the Employee to give sixty (60) days written notice of termination to the Employer shall be reported to the Korean Immigration Service and shall affect the Employee's ability to freely enter the Republic of Korea in the future.
＊Incheon: Failure of the Employee to give sixty (60) days written notice of termination to the main school Principal and the Incheon Governor of Education shall be reported to the Korean Immigration Service and shall affect the Employee's ability to freely enter the Republic of Korea in the future.
＊Jeonnam: Failure of the Employee to give sixty (60) days written notice of termination to the main school Principal and the Superintendent of Jeollanamdo Office of Education shall be reported to the Korean Immigration Service and shall affect the Employee's ability to freely enter the Republic of Korea in the future.
＊Jeonbuk: Failure of the Employee to give sixty (60) days written notice of termination to the main school Principal and the Governor of the Office of Education shall be reported to the Korean Immigration Service and shall affect the Employee's ability to freely enter the Republic of Korea in the future.
＊Jeju: Failure of the Employee to give sixty (60) days written notice of termination to the main school Principal and the Education Governor of the Office of Education shall be reported to the Korean Immigration Service and shall affect the Employee's ability to freely enter the Republic of Korea in the future.

— All MOEs/POEs except Seoul —
In the case of the Employee's resignation his/her visa shall be cancelled.
＊Gyeonggi, Daegu, Busan, Sejong, Jeonnam: In the case of the Employee's resignation, his/her visa shall be cancelled.
＊Chungnam: In the case of an Employee’s resignation his/her visa shall be cancelled.

— Gyeonggi only —
In the case of the Employee’s resignation of the first contract without fulfilling the full year term, the Entrance Allowance and Settlement Allowance shall be paid back to the Employer, and the Exit Allowance shall be forfeited.

Article 9 Notes

You don’t need to give any notice if you’re going to quit. Nowhere in the Labor Standards Act (or anywhere else, for that matter) says that you must give notice or mentions any specific timeframe employees have to give while leaving a job. According to Civil Act Article 661, “Even where a fixed period for the employment has been set by the parties, either party may, if any unavoidable cause arises, rescind the contract for the future: Provided, That if such cause arises out of the negligence of one of the parties, such party is liable for damages to the other party.”

You could quit your job at any time for any reason; the only caveat is that you may have to pay for damages and won’t get back or receive some money (Entrance Allowance, Settlement Allowance, Exit Allowance, Security Deposit). In accordance with the Labor Standards Act Article 26, your MOE/POE has to inform you of your dismissal at least 30 days beforehand. If they don’t, they must pay you another month’s salary. This, however, is only relevant if you’ve worked for more than three months. If you’ve worked less than three months, employers in Korea are able to fire you for any reason (Clause 1, Article 26 of the Labor Standards Act).

There is a term “midnight run” which you might have heard of if you’ve done any research on teaching abroad. This is when someone leaves the country without notice in the middle of the night or after work hours. It’s not illegal to do a midnight run and you’re not going to get into any legal trouble. Airport security is not going to stop you, immigration is still going to let you come back into the country (after your current visa expires), and there will not be a warrant for your arrest. Your face will not be plastered on a “WANTED” poster. No one is going to call Interpol.

Try and work things out before leaving unannounced (you worked so hard to come to Korea, after all), but doing a midnight run can be in your favor; according to Article 10 (Initial Contract) and Article 18 (Termination of the Contract), if you leave early, the MOE/POE will make you pay back the Entrance Allowance, possibly the Settlement Allowance, as well as prorate your sick and paid leave. If you’ve already gone over your paid/sick leave, they’ll prorate your salary. If you’ve already received the Entrance Allowance, your “final” paycheck, and you want to leave, by all means, do it. You will still receive your severance pay and pension payout in your Korean account if you made one, or in your American account if you applied for your pension correctly. By law, they have to give it to you. Nowhere in the Act on the Guarantee of Employees’ Retirement Benefits nor Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Guarantee of Employees’ Retirement Benefits does it say your severance and pension can be forfeited if you do not complete a contract.

If you do a midnight run, your school will try to contact you. Once they cannot get a hold of you by phone or in person, they will contact the MOE/POE and the MOE/POE will absolutely be calling immigration to cancel your visa, but that’s about it. It will likely not “affect the Employee’s ability to freely enter the Republic of Korea in the future.” The MOE/POE could sue you for damages, like the “loan” they give to you for coming to Korea, but that would require them to prove that the school was severely damaged by your leaving. 22 teaching hours in a class that should be taught cooperatively in the first place is not going to create that much damage. If anything, your leaving would put pressure on the NETs in your area. Some MOEs/POEs will relocate or give nearby NETs your school(s) so those students do not go without a native English teacher; the extra allowances those NETs would receive for getting an extra school could be considered as “damages” you’d have to pay.

If you want to quit being an EPIK teacher mid-contract and work at a private academy (hagwon, 학원) instead, you’re SOL. In order to work at a new location, you will need a “Letter of Release.” MOEs/POEs never give those out, regardless if you gave them the full 60-day warning they ask for or not. A Letter of Release (LoR) is not a legal document in the sense that it is defined by any laws, but a piece of paper required by immigration if you want to switch your place of work during your visa. Since your visa is tied to your place of work and not to you, you will need to apply for a new E-2 visa after forfeiting your old one. If you would like to work at a hagwon (학원), you’d have to leave the country and come back on a new visa.

Gyeonggi’s Clause 5 and Seoul’s Clause 3 mention having to pay back the Entrance Allowance, which is true for most other MOEs/POEs as well. That will come up next in the contract, in Article 10 (Initial Contract).

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Article 10 (Initial Contract)

Gyeonggi: Article 9 (Entrance Allowance/Exit Allowance)
Seoul, Jeju: Article 11 (Entrance Allowance/Exit Allowance)

Gangwon, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Daegu, Daejeon, Busan, Seoul, Sejong, Incheon, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, Jeju, Chungnam, Chungbuk:

Gangwon, Gyeongnam, Jeonnam, Sejong, Chungnam: Within one month of the start of the Initial Contract Term of Employment, the Employee shall receive a 1,300,000 Korean Won (KRW) Entrance Allowance. For the first six (6) months of the Term of Employment, the Entrance Allowance of 1,300,000 Korean Won (KRW) shall be considered a loan to support the Employee's entrance into Korea. However, the Entrance Allowance will not be paid to an Employee who is already living in Korea and is merely changing places of employment or is transferring from one Office of Education to another. In that case, the new Employee will be entitled to a Settlement Allowance of 300,000 Korean Won (KRW). Neither the Entrance Allowance nor the Settlement Allowance are offered to Employees who are renewing their contracts.
＊Gyeongbuk: Within one month of the start of the Initial Contract Term of Employment, the Employee shall receive a 1,300,000 Korean Won (KRW) Entrance Allowance. However, the Entrance Allowance will not be paid to an Employee who is already living in Korea and is merely changing places of employment or is transferring from one Office of Education to another. In that case, the new Employee will be entitled to a Settlement Allowance of 300,000 Korean Won (KRW). Neither the Entrance Allowance nor the Settlement Allowance are offered to Employees who are renewing their contracts.
＊Gwangju, Jeonbuk: Within one month of the start of the Initial Contract Term of Employment, the Employee shall receive a 1,300,000 Korean Won (KRW) Entrance Allowance. For the first six (6) months of the Term of Employment, the Entrance Allowance of 1,300,000 Korean Won (KRW) shall be considered a loan to support the Employee's entrance into Korea. However, the Entrance Allowance will not be paid to an Employee who is already living in Korea and is merely changing places of employment or is transferring from one Department of Education to another. In that case, the new Employee will be entitled to a Settlement Allowance of 300,000 Korean Won (KRW). Neither the Entrance Allowance nor the Settlement Allowance are offered to Employees who are renewing their contracts.
＊Daegu: The Employee shall receive a 1,300,000 Korean Won (KRW) Entrance Allowance upon completing six (6) months of the Initial Contract Term of Employment. However, the Entrance Allowance will not be paid to an Employee who is already living in Korea and is merely changing places of employment or is transferring from one Office of Education to another. In that case, the new Employee shall be entitled to a Settlement Allowance of 300,000 Korean Won (KRW) according to Article 13, clause ①.
＊Daejeon: Within one month of the start of the Initial Contract Term of Employment, the Employee shall receive a 1,300,000 Korean Won (KRW) Entrance Allowance. For the first six (6) months of the Term of Employment, the Entrance Allowance of 1,300,000 Korean Won (KRW) shall be considered a loan to support the Employee's entrance into Korea.
＊Busan, Incheon: After the first six(6) months from the beginning of the Term of Employment, the Employee shall receive a 1,300,000 Korean Won (KRW) Entrance Allowance.
＊Seoul: Within 1 (one) month of beginning the Term of Employment, Employee shall receive a 1,300,000 Korean Won (KRW) Entrance Allowance. For the first six (6) months of the Term of Employment, the Entrance Allowance of 1,300,000 Korean Won (KRW) shall be considered a loan to support the Employee's (new Employee) entrance into Korea. In case of the termination of this Contract within the first six (6) months, regardless of course or ground therefore, Employee shall immediately pay back to Employer the aforementioned loan. If Employee successfully completes more than six (6) months of the Term of Employment from the date of commencement, the obligation of Employee to pay back the entrance Allowance loan shall be waived by Employer.
＊Jeju: After SIX(6) months of Employment, the Employee shall receive a 1,300,000 Korean Won (KRW) Entrance Allowance. The Entrance Allowance is not offered to Employees who are renewing their Contract.
＊Chungbuk: Six months after the starting date of the Initial Contract Term of Employment, the Employee shall receive a 1,300,000 Korean Won (KRW) Entrance Allowance. However, the Entrance Allowance will not be paid to an Employee who is already living in Korea and is merely changing places of employment or is transferring from one Department of Education to another. In that case, the new Employee will be entitled to a Settlement Allowance of 300,000 Korean Won (KRW). Neither the Entrance Allowance nor the Settlement Allowance are offered to Employees who are renewing their contracts.
Gangwon, Gyeongnam, Jeonnam, Chungnam: In case of the termination of this Contract within the first six (6) months, regardless of cause or ground therefore (except in the event of the death of the GET), the Employee shall immediately pay back to the Employer the aforementioned loan. Failure of the Employee to pay back the aforementioned loan shall be reported to the Korean Immigration Service and shall affect the Employee's ability to freely enter the Republic of Korea in the future. If the Employee successfully completes more than six (6) months of the Term of Employment from the date of commencement, the obligation of the Employee to pay back the Entrance Allowance loan shall be waived by the Employer.
＊Gyeongbuk: In case of the termination of this Contract at any time, regardless of cause or ground therefore (except in the event of the death of the GET), the Employee shall immediately pay back to the Employer the aforementioned loan. Failure of the Employee to pay back the aforementioned loan shall be reported to the Korean Immigration Service and shall affect the Employee's ability to freely enter the Republic of Korea in the future. If the Employee successfully completes the Term of Employment from the date of commencement, the obligation of the Employee to pay back the Entrance Allowance loan shall be waived by the Employer.
＊Gwangju: In case of the termination of this Contract within the first six (6) months, regardless of cause or ground therefore (except in the event of the GET's decease), the Employee shall immediately pay back to the Employer the aforementioned loan. Failure of the Employee to pay back the aforementioned loan shall be reported to the Korean Immigration Service and shall affect the Employee's ability to freely enter the Republic of Korea in the future. If the Employee successfully completes more than six (6) months of the Term of Employment from the date of commencement, the obligation of the Employee to pay back the Entrance Allowance loan shall be waived by the Employer.
≡ Daegu: Within one (1) month after the successful completion of his/her duties set forth in this Contract for the full Term of Employment specified herein, the Employee shall be entitled to a Contract Completion Bonus of 1,300,000 Korean Won (KRW).
＊Daejeon: In case of the termination of this Contract within the first six (6) months, regardless of course or ground therefore (except in the event of the death of the GET), the Employee shall immediately pay back to the Employer the aforementioned loan. Failure of the Employee to pay back the aforementioned loan shall be reported to the Korean Immigration Service and shall affect the Employee's ability to freely enter the Republic of Korea in the future. If the Employee successfully completes more than six (6) months of the Term of Employment from the date of commencement, the obligation of the Employee to pay back the Entrance Allowance loan shall be waived by the Employer.
≡ Busan: Within one month after the successful completion of his/her duties set forth in this Contract for the full Term of Employment specified herein, the Employee shall be entitled to a Contract Completion Bonus of 1,300,000 Korean Won (KRW). Not completing successfully the duties set forth in this contract means incompletion of duties for more than 1 month (calendar days) due to reasons beyond the rights listed in this contract. In this case, the employee shall not receive a Contract Completion Bonus.
≡ Seoul: Failure of Employee to pay back the aforementioned loan shall be reported to the Korean Immigration Service and shall affect Employee's ability to freely enter the Republic of Korea in the future.
＊Sejong: In case of the termination of this Contract within the first six (6) months, regardless of cause or ground therefore (except in the event of the Employee's decease), the Employee shall immediately pay back to the Employer the aforementioned loan. Failure of the Employee to pay back the aforementioned loan shall be reported to the Korea Immigration Service and shall affect the Employee's ability to freely enter the Republic of Korea in the future. If the Employee successfully completes more than six (6) months of the Term of Employment from the date of commencement, the obligation of the Employee to pay back the Entrance Allowance loan shall be waived by the Employer.
≡ Incheon: Within a month after the successful completion of his/her duties set forth in this Contract for the full Term of Employment specified herein, the Employee shall be entitled to a Contract Completion Bonus of 1,300,000 Korean Won (KRW).
＊Jeonbuk: In case of the termination of this Contract within the first six (6) months, regardless of cause or ground therefore (except in the event of the GLT's decease), the Employee shall immediately pay back to the Employer the aforementioned loan. Failure of the Employee to pay back the aforementioned loan shall be reported to the Korea Immigration Service and shall affect the Employee's ability to freely enter the Republic of Korea in the future. If the Employee successfully completes more than six (6) months of the Term of Employment from the date of commencement, the obligation of the Employee to pay back the Entrance Allowance loan shall be waived by the Employer.
≡ Jeju: If the Employee successfully completes his/her duties set forth in this Contract for the full Term of Employment specified herein, the Employee shall be entitled to an Contract completion bonus of 1,300,000 Korean Won (KRW). The Employer shall provide the Contract completion bonus within 30 days.
≡ Chungbuk: Within a month of the successful completion of his/her duties set forth in this Contract for the full Term of Employment specified herein, the Employee shall be entitled to a Contract Completion Bonus of 1,300,000 Korean Won (KRW).
Gangwon, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Sejong, Jeonnam, Chungnam: Within a month after the successful completion of his/her duties set forth in this Contract for the full Term of Employment specified herein, the Employee shall be entitled to a Contract Completion Bonus of 1,300,000 Korean Won (KRW).
＊Gwangju: Within 30 days after the successful completion of his/her duties set forth in the initial Contract for the full Term of Employment specified, the Employee shall be entitled to a Contract Completion Bonus of 1,300,000 Korean Won (KRW).
≡ Daegu: GETs, TaLK scholars, private institute instructors, etc. may apply to work for another Office of Education or other institutions upon completing the Term of Employment with the current Employer by receiving copies of documentation required for application (criminal record check, Bachelor's degree, etc.) from the current Employer or the Immigration Office. However, if the place of employment on his/her visa is changed within Korea, the new Employee shall not receive an Entrance Allowance for the commencement of the new Term of Employment with the new Office of Education or institution.
＊Daejeon: Within a month after the successful completion of his/her duties set forth in this Contract for the full Term of Employment specified herein, the Employee shall be entitled to a Contract Completion Bonus of 1,300,000 Korean Won.
≡ Busan: GETs, TaLK scholars, private institute instructors, etc. may reapply to work with/for another Office of Education or other institutions upon completing the Term of Employment with the current Employer by receiving copies of documentation required for application (criminal record check, Bachelor's degree, etc.) from the current Employer or the Immigration Office. However, if they change their place of employment on their visa within Korea, GETs, TaLK scholars, private institute instructors, etc. shall not receive an Entrance Allowance for the commencement of the new Term of Employment with the new Office of Education or school.
＊Seoul: If Employee successfully completes his/her duties set forth in this Contract for the full Term of Employment specified herein, Employee shall be entitled to an Exit allowance of 1,300,000 KRW with Employee leaves employment with SMOE.
≡ Incheon, Jeonbuk: GETs, TaLK scholars, private institute instructors, etc. may reapply to work with/for another Provincial Office of Education or other institutions upon completing the Term of Employment with the current Employer by receiving copies of documentation required for application (criminal record check, Bachelor's degree, etc.) from the current Employer or the Immigration Office. However, if they change their place of employment on their visa within Korea, GETs, TaLK scholars, private institute instructors, etc. shall not receive an Entrance Allowance for the commencement of the new Term of Employment with the new Provincial Office of Education or school.
≢ Jeju: If the Employee has completed more than one (1) year (365 days) of their current employment contract, he/she shall be entitled to receive the Contract completion bonus despite their resignation before end of the contract.
≡ Chungbuk: GETs, TaLK scholars, private institute instructors, etc. may reapply to work with/for another Provincial Office of Education or other institutions upon completing the Term of Employment with the current Employer by receiving certified copies of documentation required for application (criminal record check, Bachelor's degree, etc.) from the current Employer or the Immigration Office. However, if they change their place of employment on their visa within Korea, GETs, TaLK scholars, private institute instructors, etc. shall not receive an Entrance Allowance for the commencement of the new Term of Employment with the new Provincial Office of Education or school.

— All MOEs/POEs except Jeju —
Gangwon, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Daejeon, Sejong, Chungnam: GETs, TaLK scholars, private institute instructors, etc. may reapply to work with/for another Office of Education or other institutions upon completing the Term of Employment with the current Employer by receiving copies of documentation required for application (criminal record check, Bachelor's degree, etc.) from the current Employer or the Immigration Office. However, if they change their place of employment on their visa within Korea, GETs, TaLK scholars, private institute instructors, etc. shall not receive an Entrance Allowance for the commencement of the new Term of Employment with the new Office of Education or school.
＊Gwangju, Jeonnam: GETs, TaLK scholars, private institute instructors, etc. may reapply to work with/for another Provincial Office of Education or other institutions upon completing the Term of Employment with the current Employer by receiving copies of documentation required for application (criminal record check, Bachelor's degree, etc.) from the current Employer or the Immigration Office. However, if they change their place of employment on their visa within Korea, GETs, TaLK scholars, private institute instructors, etc. shall not receive an Entrance Allowance for the commencement of the new Term of Employment with the new Provincial Office of Education or school.
≡ Daegu: If the Employee has an F-class visa or a Korean passport and is residing in Korea, the Employee shall not receive an Entrance Allowance for the commencement of the new Term of Employment.
≡ Busan: If the Employee has an F-type visa or a Korean passport and is residing in Korea, the Employee shall not receive an Entrance Allowance for the commencement of the new Term of Employment. The Employee shall be paid a Settlement Allowance of 300,000 Korean Won (KRW), when he/she begins the contract.
≡ Seoul: If Employee applies within Korea, Employee will not receive the Entrance Allowance.
≡ Incheon: If the Employee has an F-class visa or a Korean passport and is residing in Korea, the Employee shall not receive an Entrance Allowance for the commencement of the new Term of Employment. The Employee shall be paid a Settlement Allowance of 300,000 Korean Won (KRW), when he/she begins the contract.
＊Jeonbuk: GLTs, TaLK scholars, private institute instructors, etc. may reapply to work with/for another Provincial Office of Education or other institutions upon completing the Term of Employment with the current Employer by receiving copies of documentation required for application (criminal record check, Bachelor's degree, etc.) from the current Employer or the Immigration Office. However, if they change their place of employment on their visa within Korea, GLTs, TaLK scholars, private institute instructors, etc. shall not receive an Entrance Allowance for the commencement of the new Term of Employment with the new Provincial Office of Education or school.
≡ Chungbuk: If the Employee has an F-class visa or a Korean passport and is residing in Korea over a period of 3 months before this initial contract begins, the Employee shall not receive an Entrance Allowance for the commencement of the new Term of Employment. The Employee shall be paid a Settlement Allowance of 300,000 Korean Won (KRW), when he/she begins the contract.

— All MOEs/POEs except Daegu, Busan, Seoul, Incheon, Jeju, Chungbuk —
If the Employee has an F-class visa or a Korean passport and is residing in Korea, the Employee shall not receive an Entrance Allowance for the commencement of the new Term of Employment. The Employee shall be paid a Settlement Allowance of 300,000 Korean Won (KRW), when he/she begins the contract.

Gyeonggi:

The Entrance Allowance shall be provided as a support for the Employee's entrance into Korea for the purpose of fulfilling the employment contract with GEPIK. Upon beginning the Term of Employment, the Employee shall receive a 1,300,000 KRW Entrance Allowance within one month (30days) upon providing all of the following documents to prove his/her flight from home country into the Republic of Korea. The date of entry into the Republic of Korea should not exceed fifteen (15) days prior to the Contract start date. Documents should include: 1) flight ticket or ticket receipts (all of which should state the name and dates) and, 2) boarding pass(es) or a verified copy of passports stamp(s) by the Employer. The arrival date shall be discussed and decided between the Employee and the Employer. The Entrance Allowance is not offered to the Employee who is renewing his/her contract or are hired within Korea.
If the Employee successfully completes his/her duties set forth in this Contract for the full Term of Employment specified herein and leaves Korea within ten (10) days from the contract end date, the Employee shall be entitled to an Exit Allowance of 1,300,000 KRW within one month (30 days) upon providing the necessary documents to prove his/her departure from the Republic of Korea. To qualify for the Exit Allowance, the Employee must provide a one-way flight ticket to his/her home country or itinerary and ticket receipt (all of which should state the name and date) accompanied by a boarding pass(es) or a passport stamp(s).

Article 10 Notes

The Entrance Allowance (₩1,300,000), although technically for your flight, is not paid to you before you enter Korea. Some MOEs/POEs pay it after 1 month and some pay it after 6 months. Some pay it after 6 months because they don’t want you taking the money and then doing a midnight run. This money is also considered a “loan” by the MOEs/POEs, meaning if you leave before the end of your contract for any reason, you will be asked to pay it back.

These MOEs/POEs pay it within the 1st month (usually with your first paycheck): Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Daejeon, Seoul, Sejong, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, and Chungnam.
These MOEs/POEs pay it at 6 months (usually with your August (for spring intake) or February (for fall intake) paycheck): Daegu, Busan, Incheon, Jeju, and Chungbuk.

With all MOEs/POEs, you should receive your Contract Completion Bonus in your final paycheck or in the first paycheck of your new contract (February or March for spring intake, August or September for fall intake).

If you are already living in Korea for any reason, work or study, before the start of your contract, you will not receive the Entrance Allowance. This is because you do not need to buy a plane ticket to get to Korea. You should still receive the Settlement Allowance (₩300,000), however.

Some schools may get confused about when to pay you these allowances; do not be shy to remind them or ask when you will receive them. Some NETs have had to fight their schools to give them the Entrance Allowance because the school assumed they should receive it at a different time. If your school gives you any trouble and the contract is not helping, contact your MOE/POE coordinator.

A note on the Settlement Allowance: while the majority of people will receive their ₩300,000 the day they meet their Korean co-teacher, some will receive it within their first paycheck. If the former applies to you, you need to be a bit careful. On your first day in your city, after meeting your co-teacher, you will (probably) drop off your luggage at your one-room apartment and then your co-teacher might bring you to some shops to buy things you need (most of the time they have a car and you need a lot, so it just makes sense). Some co-teachers use your Settlement Allowance to buy you things they think you need (towels, bedding, food, etc.). It is a nice gesture, but that is not their money. Your school should also not use that money to furnish your apartment with items listed in the contract (this is talked about more in Article 13 (Benefits)).

Although doing it with good intentions, some may bring you to a supermarket like Homeplus, Emart, or Lotte Mart and pick out expensive bedding, dishes, and electronics, making that ₩300,000 disappear in no time. Do not let them sway you into buying things you don’t want, need, or think you can get cheaper elsewhere (chances are you can). It can be a weird power dynamic because you just met, have to work with them, and you don’t want to offend them, but that money can be quite vital to you within your first month here. Don’t let them waste it.

You shouldn’t waste it, either. You can live with almost nothing in your apartment for at least a few months. It’s ok to take your time getting quality items you need that fit your aesthetic, especially if you plan to be in Korea for more than one year.

This money is yours. You can do whatever you want with it. To spend that ₩300,000 Settlement Allowance wisely:

Make a list of anything and everything you may need for your apartment before you get to Korea (ranging from practical to decorative; from toothpaste and toilet paper to bookshelves and posters)
Section off the necessities you will need ASAP
When checking out your apartment, cross off anything on your list that is already there and you can live with
1. ex. enough toilet paper for a week; at least 1 bowl, 1 plate, 1 cup, 1 set of chopsticks, 1 spoon, 1 fork (if you can’t use chopsticks), 1 pot, 1 pan, 1 knife, 1 cutting board; a WASHED blanket, a WASHED fitted sheet (no pillows, for the love of god; pillows harbor a bunch of bacteria and you don’t want someone else’s dried-up drool touching your face)

What you should buy will depend on what store your co-teacher takes you to. Here are some lists of absolute musts divided by the type of store. These are items that are good to have during your first few days and nights. There is a price range listed next to the item; if you’re trying to budget, do not spend more on that item than what is listed. You can find better options for cheaper when you can shop online after getting your ARC. It is absolutely worth it to wait.

Absolute musts from a large mart/supermarket (like Homeplus, Emart, or Lotte Mart):

pillow insert (베개솜) — ₩8,000 ~ ₩20,000
pillowcase (베개 커버) — ₩5,000 ~ ₩25,000 (you can find pillowcases at Daiso, but if you care about texture… don’t)
blanket (이불) — ₩10,000 ~ ₩30,000 (consider one of those fleece throws to separate you and the bedding that is probably already in your apartment; a duvet and duvet covers can be quite expensive and ugly, especially at a supermarket)
WiFi router (유무선공유기) — ₩20,000 ~ ₩60,000 (most people have a router in their apartment, but if not, ipTIME is a popular brand)
trash bag* (쓰레기봉투) — ₩500 (a big pack of trash bags can cost around ₩20,000, buy a few to last you a week or so)
food waste bag* OR food waste sticker* (음식물 쓰레기 봉투 / 음식물 쓰레기 스티커) — ~₩1,000 worth (around 5 stickers)
toilet paper (화장지) — ₩15,000 ~ ₩30,000 (you can buy some at Daiso, but the quality will be inferior)
wet tissue (물티슈) — ₩1,000 (the generic brand is not bad)
laundry detergent (세탁세제) — ₩10,000 ~ ₩20,000 (Daiso has this, name brands are better for your clothes)
shower filter (샤워필터기) — ₩10,000 ~ ₩30,000 (some people lose a lot of hair when moving to Korea because of the water)
bottled water (the best brand is SamDaSoo, 삼다수) — ₩5,000 ~ ₩10,000
food — ₩20,000 worth (fresh fruit, some veggies, and ramen)
medicine — ₩10,000 worth (Tylenol, cough medicine, etc.; large marts usually have a pharmacy in or around it and because Korea is a new environment for your immune system, you will probably get a cold within your first month here. It’s better to be prepared)

TOTAL: ₩115,500 low-end, ₩257,500 high-end

* Here is a guide on how to deal with your trash in Korea.

Don’t buy much else at a large mart/supermarket, as you can get it cheaper at Daiso (a dollar store that has everything) or have way more options at Olive Young (a beauty supply store).

Absolute musts from Daiso:

bathroom shoes (욕실화) — ₩5,000
body towel (수건/바스타월) — ₩5,000 (make sure to bring one from home if you like big towels)
washcloth (샤워타월) — ₩2,000 (the small, square fabric version does not exist here. The Korean version looks like this)
cutlery (수저/포크) — ₩5,000 total
plate, bowl, cup, mug (접시/그릇/컵/머그) — ₩10,000 total
pots and pans (냄비/프라이팬) — ₩5,000 each, ₩10,000 total
kitchen knife (칼) — ₩3,000
wood cutting board (도마) — ₩5,000 (plastic options are cheaper)
dish soap (주방세제) — ₩2,000
sponges for dishes (스펀지) — ₩2,000
hand soap (핸드워시) — ₩2,000
bleach (락스) — ₩3,000
sponges for cleaning (스펀지) — ₩1,000

TOTAL: ₩55,000

Absolute musts from Olive Young:

shampoo (샴푸) — ₩10,000 ~ ₩25,000
conditioner (린스) — ₩10,000 ~ ₩25,000
body wash (바디워시) — ₩10,000 ~ ₩25,000
body lotion (바디로션) — ₩10,000 ~ ₩25,000
face wash (클렌징폼/젤) — ₩10,000 ~ ₩25,000
face lotion (로션) — ₩10,000 ~ ₩30,000
toothpaste (치약) — ₩10,000

TOTAL: ₩70,000 low-end, ₩165,000 high-end

If you were to stick to this list, out of your ₩300,000 Settlement Allowance, you would spend:

₩220,500 on the low-end
₩417,500 on the high-end

This, again, is a suggested list. If your school-provided housing had a NET in it before, there may be stuff left over. This usually includes things like cleaning supplies, soaps, bedding, and dishes. There are some horror stories out there of people being left with more personal belongings too, like underwear.

It doesn’t hurt to use up leftover products for the first month or two until you get your paycheck, but it’s recommended to not use any hand-me-down underwear from a stranger.

For a shopping list of essential items for teachers in Korea, click here.

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Article 11 (Renewal)

Gyeonggi: Renewal of the Contract
Seoul, Jeju: Article 10 (Renewal)

Gangwon, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Daegu, Daejeon, Busan, Seoul, Sejong, Incheon, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, Jeju, Chungnam, Chungbuk:

The Term of Employment stated in Article 5 hereof may be renewed based on the performance evaluation of the Employee in addition to the mutual agreement between the Employer and the Employee.
＊Gwangju: The Term of Employment stated in Article 5 hereof may be renewed based on the performance evaluation of the Employee in addition to the mutual agreement between the Employer and the Employee provided that the renewal Term of Employment shall not exceed one (1) year.
＊Busan: The Term of Employment stated in Article 5 hereof may be renewed based on the performance evaluation of the Employee in addition to the mutual written agreement between the Employer and the Employee provided that the renewal Term of Employment shall not exceed one(1) year.
＊Seoul: The Term of Employment stated in Article 5 hereof may be renewed by a mutual written agreement between the Employer and the Employee for a period of 1 (one) year.
＊Incheon: The Term of Employment stated in Article 5 hereof may be renewed based on the performance evaluation of the Employee in addition to the mutual written agreement between the Employer and the Employee provided that the renewal Term of Employment shall not exceed one (1) year.
Gyeongnam, Jeonbuk: Within a month after the successful completion of the renewed contract term, the Employee shall receive a Contract Renewal Allowance of 700,000 Korean Won(KRW) as well as the Contract Completion Bonus of 1,300,000 Korean Won(KRW). In the case of Contract Renewal, the Employee shall not receive an Entrance Allowance.
＊Gangwon: The Employer shall provide the Employee with Contract Completion Bonus of 1,300,000 Korean Won which shall be paid in advance, within one month of the beginning of the new Term of Employment. An additional 700,000 Korean Won will be given as a Contract Renewal Allowance after the successful completion of the renewed contract. In the case of Contract Renewal, the Employee shall not receive an Entrance Allowance for the renewal Term of Employment.
＊Gyeongbuk, Chungnam: Within a month after the successful completion of the renewed contract term, the Employee shall receive a Contract Renewal Allowance of 700,000 Korean Won (KRW) as well as the Contract Completion Bonus of 1,300,000 Korean Won (KRW). In the case of Contract Renewal, the Employee shall not receive an Entrance Allowance. (mentioned in Article 10, Clause ③)
＊Gwangju: Within 30 days after the successful completion of the renewed contract, the Employee shall receive a Contract Renewal Allowance of 700,000 Korean Won (KRW) as well as a Contract Completion Bonus of 1,300,000 Korean Won (KRW). In the case of Contract Renewal, the Employee shall not receive an Entrance Allowance.
＊Daegu: Within one (1) month after the successful completion of the Term of Employment of the renewed contract, the Employee shall receive a Contract Renewal Allowance of 700,000 Korean Won (KRW) as well as a Contract Completion Bonus of 1,300,000 Korean Won (KRW). In the case of contract renewal, the Employee shall not receive an Entrance Allowance nor a Settlement Allowance.
≢ Daejeon: To be eligible for renewal, Employee must earn a 6 or higher (on a scale of 1-10) in each of the following categories: comprehensible spoken and written English, demeanor on duty and attitude, teaching performance, material development, abiding by the contract and regulations, work status (absences, tardiness sick days, early leaves), health and etc. Cumulative score must be at least 80.
＊Busan: Within one month after the successful completion of the renewed contract term, the Employee shall receive a Contract Renewal Allowance of 700,000 Korean Won (KRW) as well as a Contract Completion Bonus of 1,300,000 Korean Won (KRW). In the case of Contract Renewal, the Employee shall not receive an Entrance Allowance.
≢ Seoul: In the case of renewal of this Contract pursuant to the foregoing Section 1, Employee shall be given a one week paid leave which shall take place 1 (one) calendar week prior to the last day of the Contract specified in Article 5 hereof until the day immediately preceding the commencement of the renewed term (the head of the work place, due to the work schedule, may change the dates of this paid leave, upon agreement with Employee).
＊Sejong: Within 30 days after the successful completion of the renewed contract term, the Employee shall receive a Contract Renewal Allowance of 700,000 Korean Won (KRW) as well as a Contract Completion Bonus of 1,300,000 Korean Won (KRW). In the case of Contract Renewal, the Employee shall not receive an Entrance Allowance. (mentioned in Article 10, Clause ③)
＊Incheon: Within a month after the successful completion of the renewed contract term, the Employee shall receive a Contract Renewal Allowance of 700,000 Korean Won(KRW) as well as a Contract Completion Bonus of 1,300,000 Korean Won(KRW). In the case of Contract Renewal, the Employee shall not receive an Entrance Allowance.
＊Jeonnam: Within 30 days after the successful completion of the renewed contract term, the Employee shall receive a Contract Renewal Allowance of 700,000 Korean Won(KRW) as well as the Contract Completion Bonus of 1,300,000 Korean Won (KRW). In the case of Contract Renewal, the Employee shall not receive an Entrance Allowance.
＊Jeju: In the case of renewal of this Contract pursuant to the foregoing clause ①, the Employee shall be given the Renewal Bonus(1,300,000KRW) within a month from the date of renewal. Employee with renewal Contract is not entitled to receive either Entrance Allowance or Contract completion bonus.
＊Chungbuk: Within 30 days after the successful completion of the renewed contract term, the Employee shall receive a Contract Renewal Allowance of 700,000 Korean Won(KRW) as well as a Contract Completion Bonus of 1,300,000 Korean Won(KRW). In the case of Contract Renewal, the Employee shall not receive an Entrance Allowance.

— Gangwon, Gwangju, Daejeon, Busan, Jeju only —
≢ Gangwon: Visa renewals and medical examinations that must be completed during the Term of Employment for the purpose of renewing this Contract shall be registered as miscellaneous business trips, without a business trip stipend.
≡ Gwangju: In case of the termination of the Renewal Contract at any time during the Term of Employment, regardless of cause or ground, 700,000 Korean Won (KRW) of the Contract Renewal Allowance and 1,300,000 Korean Won (KRW) of a Contract Completion Bonus will be forfeited.
≡ Daejeon: Within a month after the successful completion of the renewed contract term, the Employee shall receive a Contract Renewal Allowance of 700,000 Korean Won(KRW) as well as the Contract Completion Bonus of 1,300,000 Korean Won(KRW). In the case of Contract Renewal, the Employee shall not receive an Entrance Allowance.
≢ Busan: All renewal documents submitted will be evaluated by the BMCOE before the employee’s renewal is finalized.
≢ Jeju: The Employer shall choose excellent employees for renewal after the evaluation. There will be two stages for renewal evaluation. The first is based on a summary of Principal/supervisor's evaluations of your classes as well as your attendance (absences, tardies, sick days, early leaves) and attitude. The second stage of the evaluation involves a classroom observation. A minimum score of 80% is required for renewal. Every renewal evaluation result from all schools/institutes during the assessed period shall be reported to POE for the final evaluation.

Gyeonggi:

The Term of Employment stated in Article 5 hereof may be renewed based on the performance evaluation of the Employee in addition to the mutual agreement between the Employer and the Employee.
A written notification of renewal or completion of employment shall be provided two (2) months, or sixty (60) days, prior to the expiration of the Contract.
In the event that the Employee transfers to another school within the Gyeonggi Province or to a school in a different region, if the name of the Employer changes, the subsequent contract shall not be considered as a renewal contract, and therefore the Renewal Bonus shall not be awarded.
The Employee shall receive the 1st part Contract Renewal Bonus of 1,300,000 KRW within one month of the beginning of the renewed contract. Upon completion of said contract, the Employee shall receive 2nd part contract renewal bonus of 700,000 KRW. In such case, the Employee shall not receive an Exit Allowance for the completion of the current Term of Employment nor shall the Employee receive an Entrance Allowance for the renewal Term of Employment.
In the case of Renewal that is less than one calendar year, all benefits foregoing Clause 4 and Clause 5, in addition to Article 15 Clause 1 and Article 16 Clause 3, shall be given on a prorated basis.
1. The Employee shall be given Annual Paid Leave and Sick Leave on a pro-rata monthly basis.
2. The Contract Renewal Bonus shall be given on the number of days of the Renewal term.
3. The upgrade of the pay category is only applicable after the completion of one full year contract. In case of Renewal that is less than one calendar year, the upgrade of the pay category shall not apply.
In the case of the renewal contract ending prematurely, regardless of course or ground thereof, the Employee shall immediately pay back to the Employer the already paid Renewal bonus. The terms for Annual Paid Leave and paid Sick Leave shall be in accordance to Articles 15 and 16 and the Exit Allowance shall be in accordance to Article 9 Clause 2 of this Contract.

Article 11 Notes

Do not be stressed out about renewal. As long as you actually do your job, there is no reason why you would not be rehired. The only instance where you wouldn’t be is if the MOE/POE decided to cut the NET program (which happened for a bit in Ulsan), but this is quite rare. The most stressful part about renewal is if you will transfer schools and the extra evaluation for the MOEs/POEs that have them.

Here is the basic renewal process:

MOE/POE sends an email announcing renewal season is coming
MOE/POE sends your school documents: typically a performance evaluation, intent to renew, intent to not renew, NDA, and a transfer request
Your school fills out the performance evaluation
You fill out the paperwork that corresponds to your decision
If you decide to renew, you may have an in-person open class as another evaluation
You and your school submit the documents

For renewing individuals only:
You wait
You hear from the MOE/POE if you have a job next year
You get a notice on the contract signing meeting/renewal meeting
You receive your contract and sign it at the meeting

The performance evaluation mentioned in Clause 1 is the “Evaluation of Teaching Performance and Conduct” (교원능력개발평가). Your school will have to evaluate you at least once a year, but most MOEs/POEs have a mid-year assessment as well. Your co-teachers, vice-principal, and principal at each school you teach at will have a meeting without you to discuss your performance and conduct; they will then fill out this evaluation and submit it to the MOE/POE. You will not know the results. This assessment will be used when going over your intent to renew and can be sent off to other MOEs/POEs if you are applying through EPIK to work elsewhere in Korea. This assessment is graded and can cover topics relating to teaching and your life in Korea. The more points, the better; you typically need 80 points and over to be considered for renewal.

On Teaching:

Teaching Strategies: Do you utilize effective strategies?
Teaching Materials: Do you create and utilize materials that work for the objectives of the lesson?
Teaching Activities: Do you have a variety of activities? (individual, pair, small group, whole class)
Teacher/Student Relationship: Do you build rapport with students?
Classroom English: Do you communicate with your students in English they can understand?
General English: Are you comprehendible in spoken and written English?
Blended Learning: Do you utilize online and offline resources?
Lesson Planning: Do you develop your lessons with the students’ needs in mind?
Assessment of Teaching: Do you asses your lessons and update your teaching to accommodate the students?
Co-teaching: Do you work well with your co-teacher?
Student Evaluation: Do you help evaluate the students’ work?
School Programs: Do you participate in English programs and other school events?
Professional Development: Do you make an effort to improve your teaching abilities?

On Work Life:

Adapting to Korea: Are you considerate and respectful of cultural differences?
School Relationships: Do you work hard to maintain and foster good relationships with students, teachers, and other school staff?
Attitude: While teaching, how do you behave?
Attendance: Do you have any unauthorized absences (tardiness and early leaves)?
Following Your Contract: Do you stick to what is in the contract and do what is expected of you?
Health: Are you in good health?
Sick Leave: How many sick days did you use? No sick days can be 5 points, less than 1 day can be 4 points, 1~2 days can be 3 points, 3~4 days can be 2 points, and 5 or more days can be equal to 1 point. This should not include official government-mandated quarantine after being diagnosed with COVID-19.

Grading someone on how many sick days they use as well as their general health is questionable at best, so it is important to know that this is not out of the norm for Korea. Korea has a horrible standard of not using any sick leave unless you are incredibly ill and have gone to the hospital. Most people still come to work, “prove” to everyone around them that they are actually sick, and then leave when someone tells them they should go home. This happens everywhere, all the time. That being said, your school will usually not hold your sick days against you. You need at least 80 points to renew your contract, so as long as you do your job and keep good relationships with your school, there is little to no reason why they would not recommend you to work as a NET again.

The renewal process begins 3 to 5 months before the end of your contract; when this process begins is different for every MOE/POE. For spring intake, expect to receive renewal information anywhere from September to November. For fall intake, expect an email around March through May. You should receive information on the upcoming year, the renewal process, the expected due date for your decision, and the paperwork that will be sent to your school.

The turnaround time for deciding if you want to be a NET for the upcoming year is quite short, sometimes a few days to a few weeks. You should start thinking if you’d like to continue working in Korea at around the 6-month mark of your contract. This way your decision won’t feel rushed and you can start planning to leave or continue your stay. Once you’ve told your school if you want to renew or not, your answer is considered final. Some MOEs/POEs will allow retiring teachers to change their minds within a reasonable amount of time. When you renew your contract, you will only be able to renew for one year at a time.

You will not get the new contract before making your decision. Some MOEs/POEs may send out an email with important changes that will show up in the new contract, but you will not know the details of the contract until you have it in your hands and are expected to sign. You have to trust the MOE/POE blindly.

There will be a renewal meeting held by the MOE/POE to talk about the changes in the new term’s contract, sign your contract, and receive the name of your school(s) for the upcoming year if you did not hear already from your co-teacher. Your school should receive a document with your placement around early December (for spring intake) or in May (for fall intake). Ask about it.

If you want to change schools but stay in the same MOE/POE, it is possible but not a given. The two exceptions are if you’ve stayed at the same school for 3 to 4 years or if you and your school do not get along. Transfer requests are submitted during the renewal process.

You will receive extra money during renewal. If it is your first time completing a contract for that MOE/POE, you will receive the Contract Completion Bonus of ₩1,300,000 and any housing deposit if it was not already returned to you or if your MOE/POE does not keep it until your final contract with them. If you’ve already renewed once, you will receive the Contract Completion Bonus and a Contract Renewal Allowance of ₩700,000 (₩2,000,000 total). When this money gets to you depends on the MOE/POE and your school but is always after the completion of the contract. Expect it to come in your February or March paycheck for spring intake or your August or September paycheck for fall intake.

If you do not want to renew your contract, you will fill out the corresponding paperwork and be done with it. Leaving Korea is a whole other process with extra steps to get everything you are owed. This process will not be discussed in length within this guide.

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Article 12 (Housing)

Gyeonggi: Article 13 (Housing)

Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Daegu, Daejeon, Busan, Seoul, Sejong, Incheon, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, Jeju, Chungnam, Chungbuk:

Gangwon, Gyeongnam, Busan, Sejong, Incheon, Chungbuk: The Employer shall provide the Employee with a single housing chosen by the Employer. Housing selected by the Employer may be a leased house, a studio-type room, an apartment, or other form of lodging deemed sufficient by the Employer. Any and all fees, charges, costs, taxes, expenses, etc. incurred in using the housing shall be borne by the Employee. Such fees may include but are not limited to electric, gas and water utilities, internet, phone service, and maintenance fee from the landlord.
＊Gyeonggi: The Employer shall provide the Employee with a single housing unit chosen by the Employer. Housing selected by the Employer may be a leased house, a studio-type room, an apartment, or dormitory. Any and all fees, charges, costs, taxes, expenses, etc. incurred in using the housing shall be borne by the Employee. Such fees may include, but are not limited to, electric, gas, water, internet, cable, home phone service, and building maintenance fees from the landlord.
＊Gyeongbuk, Chungnam: The Employer shall provide the Employee with a single housing chosen by the Employer. Housing selected by the Employer may be a leased house, a studio-type room, an apartment or other form of lodging deemed sufficient by the Employer. Any and all fees, charges, costs, taxes, expenses, etc. incurred in using the housing shall be borne by the Employee. Such fees may include but are not limited to electric, gas and water utilities, internet, phone service, and maintenance fee from the landlord.
＊Gwangju: The Employer shall provide the Employee with a single housing chosen by the Employer. Housing selected by the Employer may be a leased house, a studio-type room, an apartment, or another form of lodging deemed sufficient by the Employer. Any and all fees, charges, costs, taxes, expenses, etc. incurred in using the housing shall be borne by the Employee. Such fees may include but are not limited to electric, gas and water utilities, internet, phone service, and maintenance fee from the landlord.
＊Daegu: The Employer shall provide the Employee with a single housing chosen by the Employer. Housing selected by the Employer may be a leased house, a studio-type room, an apartment, or other form of lodging deemed sufficient by the Employer. Any and all fees, charges, costs, taxes, expenses, etc. incurred in using the housing shall be borne by the Employee. Such fees may include but are not limited to electric, gas and water utilities, internet, phone service, and maintenance fee charged by the landlord.
＊Daejeon: The Employer shall provide the Employee with a single housing chosen by the Employer. Housing selected by the Employer may be a leased house, a studio-type room, an apartment, or other form of lodging deemed sufficient by the Employer. Any and all fees, charges, costs, taxes, expenses, etc. incurred in using the housing shall be borne by the Employee. Such fees may include but are not limited to hydro, gas and water utilities as well as internet and phone service as well as a maintenance fee from the landlord.
＊Seoul: Employer shall provide Employee with housing selected by Employer. Housing selected by Employer may be, including but not limited to, an apartment of faculty residence in Seoul Education Training Institute, a studio-type room, or an apartment. Any and all fees, charges, costs, taxes, expenses, etc. incurred in using the housing shall be borne by Employee. Employer shall provide Employee with single housing.
＊Jeonnam: The Employer shall provide the Employee with a single housing selected by the Employer. Housing selected by the Employer may be a leased house, a studio-type room, an apartment, or other form of lodging deemed sufficient by the Employer. Any and all fees, charges, costs, taxes, expenses, etc. incurred in using the housing shall be borne by the Employee. Such fees may include but are not limited to electric, gas, water utilities, internet, phone service as well as a maintenance fee from the landlord.
＊Jeonbuk: The Employer shall provide the Employee with a single housing chosen by the Employer, but the Employee needs to complete the lease agreement. (In case of the Employee himself/herself cannot complete the lease agreement due to certain circumstances, the Superintedent of the Regional Office of Education or the principal may complete the lease agreement on behalf of the Employee.) Housing selected by the Employer may be a leased house, a studio-type room, an apartment, or other form of lodging deemed sufficient by the Employer. Any and all fees, charges, costs, taxes, expenses, etc. incurred in using the housing shall be borne by the Employee. Such fees may include but are not limited to electric, gas and water utilities, internet, phone service, and maintenance fee from the landlord.
＊Jeju: The Employee shall be provided single housing owned by the Employer. Housing selected by the Employer may be a leased house, a studio-type room, an apartment, or other form of lodging deemed sufficient by the Employer. Any and all fees, charges, costs, taxes, expenses, etc. incurred in using the housing shall be borne by the Employee. Such fees may include but are not limited to electric, gas and water utilities, internet, phone service, and maintenance fee from the landlord.
The Employer may choose to provide temporary housing for the Employee until appropriate permanent housing can be obtained for the Employee.
≢ Gyeonggi: The Employer shall provide the Employee with housing until the one (1) day after the Employee’s successful completion of the contract.
＊Seoul: Employer may choose to provide temporary housing until appropriate housing for Employee becomes available.
＊Jeonnam: The Employer may provide temporary housing until the appropriate housing for the Employee becomes available.
Gyeongbuk, Daejeon, Busan, Incheon, Jeonbuk, Chungnam, Chungbuk: If the Employee wants housing allowance in lieu of the single housing set forth in the foregoing ①, the Employer shall provide the Employee with 400,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month as a rent subsidy upon the mutual agreement between the Employer and the Employee. In this case, the Employee shall notify the Employer of his/her decision to request housing allowance during the application stage.
＊Gangwon: If the Employee wants housing allowance in lieu of the single housing set forth in the foregoing ①, the Employer shall provide the Employee with up to 400,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month as a rent subsidy (actual expense) upon the mutual agreement between the Employer and the Employee. In this case, the Employee shall notify the Employer of his/her decision to request housing allowance during the application stage.
≡ Gyeonggi: The Employer may choose to provide temporary housing for the Employee until appropriate permanent housing can be obtained for the Employee.
＊Gyeongnam: If the Employee would like housing allowance in lieu of the single housing set forth in the foregoing ①, the Employer shall provide the Employee with 400,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month as a rent subsidy upon the mutual agreement between the Employer and the Employee. In this case, the Employee shall notify the Employer of his/her decision to request housing allowance during the application stage.
＊Gwangju: If the Employee wants housing allowance in lieu of the single housing set forth in the foregoing ①, the Employer shall provide the Employee with 450,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month as a rent subsidy upon the mutual agreement between the Employer and the Employee. In this case, the Employee shall notify the Employer of his/her decision to request housing allowance during the application stage.
＊Daegu, Sejong: If the Employee wants housing allowance in lieu of the single housing set forth in the foregoing ①, the Employer shall provide the Employee with a housing allowance of 400,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month as a rent subsidy upon the mutual agreement between the Employer and the Employee. In this case, the Employee shall notify the Employer of his/her decision to request housing allowance during the application stage.
≡ Seoul: Employer may provide basic home appliances and furniture such as a bed, table and chairs, a refrigerator, a washing machine and a microwave. Employee shall not request or demand any other appliances or furniture than those provided by Employer.
≢ Jeonnam: If the employee opts for their own housing instead of the housing provided by the employer, the employer shall not give the housing allowance directly to the employee. The employee is required to provide the housing contract in their name to the school and the housing allowance will be provided to the landlord as specified in the contract.(The maximum amount provided by the employer will be 400,000 Korean Won.)
＊Jeju: If the Employee wants housing allowance in lieu of the single housing set forth in the foregoing ①, the Employer shall provide the Employee with 400,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month and calculated on a daily basis as a rent subsidy upon the mutual agreement between the Employer and the Employee. In this case, the Employee shall notify the Employer to request housing allowance during the application stage providing a family registration document issued by his/her governmental/registration office which proves that single housing owned by POE does not suit to his/her family. This also affects to those who take special leave during his/her Contract period.
Gyeongnam, Gwangju, Daegu, Sejong, Incheon, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, Chungnam: Once housing is decided, it shall not be subsequently changed during the Term of Employment. Any and all costs incurred by the Employee as a result of changing housing during the Term of Employment shall be borne by the Employee.
＊Gangwon: Once housing is decided, it shall not be subsequently changed during the Term of Employment. Any and all costs incurred as a result of the Employee changing Housing during the Term of Employment for personal reasons shall be borne by the Employee.
≡ Gyeonggi: If the Employee requests for the housing allowance in lieu of the single housing set forth in the foregoing Clause 1, the Employer shall provide the Employee with 400,000 KRW per month as a rent subsidy upon the mutual agreement between the Employer and the Employee. In this case, the Employee shall notify the Employer of his/her decision to request housing allowance during the application stage.
＊Gyeongbuk: Once housing is decided, it shall not be subsequently changed during the Term of Employment. Any and all costs incurred by the Employee as a result of changing housing during the Term of Employment shall be borne by the Employee.
＊Daejeon, Busan: Once housing is decided, it shall not be subsequently changed during the Term of Employment. Any and all costs incurred by the Employee as a result of changing Housing during the Term of Employment shall be borne by the Employee.
≡ Seoul: If Employer is not able to provide housing for Employee or Employee prepares his/her own housing, Employer shall provide Employee with 500,000 Korean Won per month, as a rent subsidy. Employer “WILL NOT” provide furniture nor key money to Employee requesting housing allowance.
＊Jeju: In the case of no vacancy of POE’s premises, Employee shall receive housing allowance. Once housing is decided, it shall not be subsequently changed during the Term of Employment unless otherwise provided legal documents that explains the inevitable case. Any and all costs incurred by the Employee as a result of changing housing during the Term of Employment shall be borne by the Employee.
＊Chungbuk: Once housing is decided, it shall not be subsequently changed during the Term of Employment any and all costs incurred by the Employee as a result of changing housing during the Term of Employment shall be borne by the Employee.
Gangwon, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Busan, Incheon, Chungnam: If the Employer provides housing to the Employee, the Employer shall provide the following appliances and furniture: a bed, table and chair, a closet, a gas or electric range, a refrigerator, a washing machine, and a TV set. The Employee shall not request or demand any other appliances or furniture than those stipulated herein.
≡ Gyeonggi: Once housing is decided, it shall not be subsequently changed during the Term of Employment. Any and all costs incurred by the Employee’s decision to change Housing during the Term of Employment shall be borne by the Employee.
＊Daegu: If the Employer provides housing to the Employee, the Employer shall provide the following appliances and furniture: a bed, table and chair, a closet, a gas or electric range, a refrigerator, a washing machine, a TV set and an air conditioner. The Employee shall not request or demand any other appliances or furniture than those stipulated herein.
＊Daejeon: If the Employer provides housing to the Employee, the Employer shall provide the following appliances and furniture: a bed, beddings, microwave oven, table and chair, a closet, a gas or electric range, a refrigerator, a washing machine, and a TV set. The Employee shall not request or demand any other appliances or furniture than those stipulated herein.
≡ Seoul: Once housing is decided, it cannot be changed at Employee’s discretion during the Term of Employment. Any and all costs incurred by Employee as a result of changing housing during the Term of Employment shall be borne by Employee.
＊Sejong: If the Employer provides housing to the Employee, the Employer shall provide the following appliances and furniture: a bed, table and chair, a closet, a gas or electric range, a refrigerator, and a washing machine. The Employee shall not request or demand any other appliances or furniture than those stipulated herein.
＊Jeonnam: If the Employer provides housing to the Employee, the Employer shall provide the following appliances and furniture: a bed, table and chair, a closet, a gas or electric range, a refrigerator, a washing machine, a microwave, and a TV set. The Employee shall not request or demand any other appliances or furniture than those stipulated herein.
＊Jeonbuk: If the Employer provides housing to the Employee, the Employer shall provide the following appliances and furniture: a gas or electric range or a microwave oven, a refrigerator, a washing machine, and a bed. The Employee shall not request or demand any other appliances or furniture than those stipulated herein.
＊Jeju: If the Employer provides housing to the Employee, the Employer shall provide the home appliances and furniture. The Employee shall not request or demand any other appliances or furniture than those stipulated herein.
＊Chungbuk: If the Employer provides housing to the Employee, the Employer shall provide the following appliances and furniture: a bed, a table and a chair, a closet, a gas or electric stove, a microwave oven, a refrigerator, a washing machine, and a TV set. The Employee shall not request or demand any other appliances or furniture than those stipulated herein.
If the Employee uses the housing provided by the Employer, the Employee shall leave the housing by the last day of the Contract.
＊Gangwon: If the Employee uses the housing provided by the Employer, the Employee shall leave the housing on the final day of the Contract.
≡ Gyeonggi: If the Employer provides housing to the Employee, the Employer may provide appliances and furniture (refer to Appendix 1). The Employee shall not request or demand any other appliances or furniture beyond those outlined in Appendix 1. The Employee shall take the responsibility for the maintenance and repair of the appliances and furniture provided by the Employer.
≡ Daejeon: If the Employer provides housing to the Employee, 500,000 KRW will be deposited from the Employee' first paycheck to recover any expenses caused by the Employee in regard to the housing, and to recover a portion of Employer's lost revenue caused by Employee's early resignation. With no expenses caused, the deposit will be returned to the Employee upon completion of the contract.
≡ Busan: If the employer provides housing to the Employee, Employee shall provide 250,000 KRW per month to the administration office of his/her work place every month for the first 2 months of employmen until it amounts to a total of 500,000 KRW as a security deposit.
1. 1. The Employer shall check the leased facilities and financial matters arising from the Employee’s usage before the Term of Employment is completed. If any liability or damages are found, these shall be confirmed in written form by the Employee, who will indemnify the Employer. In the case of housing damages or fees exceeding the security deposit, Employer is entitled to additional compensation up to the due amount owed and the Employee will be refunded their security deposit within 1 month after the termination of the contract.
＊Seoul: If Employee uses the housing provided by Employer, Employee shall leave the housing by the last day of the contract.
＊Jeonnam: If the Employee uses the housing provided by the Employer, the Employee shall leave the housing on the day after the final day of the Contract.
＊Chungbuk: If the Employee uses the housing provided by the Employer, the Employee shall leave the housing no later than the last day of the Contract.
If the Employee uses the housing provided by the Employer, the Employee shall leave the housing in the same condition as when it was first occupied and the Employee shall be liable for any damage to the building and appliances occurring during the period occupied by the Employee.
＊Gyeonggi: If the Employee uses the Housing provided by the Employer, the Employee shall leave the housing unit in the same condition as when it was first occupied by the Employee and the Employee shall be liable for any damage to the building and appliances occurring during the period of occupied by the Employee.
＊Daegu: If the Employee uses the housing provided by the Employer, the Employee shall leave the housing in good condition as when it was first occupied and the Employee shall be liable for any damage to the building and appliances occurring during the period occupied by the Employee.
≡ Daejeon: If the Employee uses the housing provided by the Employer, the Employee shall leave the housing on the final day of the Contract.
≡ Busan: If the Employee uses the housing provided by the Employer, the Employee shall leave the housing by the last day of the Contract.
＊Seoul: If Employee uses the housing provided by Employer, Employee shall leave the housing in the same condition as when it was first occupied and Employee shall be liable for any damage to the building and appliances occurring during the period occupied by Employee.
＊Jeonnam: If the Employee uses the housing provided by the Employer, the Employee shall leave the housing in the same condition as when it was first occupied and the Employee shall be liable for any damage or loss to the building and appliances occurring due to his/her carelessness during the period occupied by the Employee.
The Employer shall provide couples housing only to married couples jointly employed by the Employer. If the couple holds different last names, they must prove their marital status with a marriage certificate or other relevant documentation.
＊Daegu: The Employer shall provide couples housing only to married couples jointly employed by the Employer. In this case, the couple must prove their marital status with a marriage certificate or other relevant documentation.
≡ Daejeon, Busan: If the Employee uses the housing provided by the Employer, the Employee shall leave the housing in the same condition as when it was first occupied and the Employee shall be liable for any damage to the building and appliances occurring during the period occupied by the Employee.
≡ Seoul: Employee shall pay a refundable security deposit to their administration office in the following amounts by the 25th of each month: 500,000 KRW in their first month, 250,000 KRW in their second and third month for a total of 1,000,000 KRW. The security deposit shall be returned to Employee less any outstanding amount of social insurance, utilities, taxes, etc. after completion of contract or within 2 months of termination of contract.
≢ Jeju: In the case of Employee who receives housing allowance up on his/her renewal Contract before 25th February 2020 shall get a grace period of until 25th February 2021, then comply with Article 12(Clause ① to ⑦) there after.

– Gangwon, Gwangju, Daejeon, Jeonbuk, Jeju only –
≡ Gangwon: The Employee must receive a house inspection 3 days before he/she checks out. If the housing situation is unacceptable the school may charge the Employee up to 100,000 won a day to hire cleaning services.
≢ Gwangju: If the employee wants to receive housing allowance instead of the housing provided by the Employer after renewing their contract, the Employee shall notify the Employer of his/her decision to choose to receive a housing allowance two months prior to the end date of their contract.
≡ Daejeon: The Employer shall provide couples housing only to married couples jointly employed by the Employer. If the couple holds different last names, they must prove their marital status with a marriage certificate or other relevant documentation.
≡ Jeonbuk: The Employee shall receive a house inspection three days before he/she checks out. If the housing situation is unacceptable, the Employer may charge the Employe up to 100,000 Won a day to hire cleaning services.
≢ Jeju: If the Employee who is staying in POE House has been removed due to the Employee's failure to abide by the Responsibilities of the Resident, he/she shall not receive housing or housing allowance during the current contract period.

Article 12 Notes

Housing is one of the most anticipated aspects of moving to Korea. Here are the very basics:

The MOE/POE gives your school a monthly Housing Allowance (₩400,000 to ₩500,000) for your accommodation.
Your school (not the MOE/POE) will pick out your accommodation within their budget before you arrive, usually a one-room (원룸) in a villa.
Your school may deduct a security deposit from your first few paychecks.
You pay the bills (electric, gas, water, internet, etc.), and your school talks to your landlord for you.
You move out of the housing once your time at that school ends.

There is a great chance that you will live in a one-room apartment that is not worth the full Housing Allowance amount. Unless you live in Seoul or some parts of Gyeonggi-do, there is no way a typical NET one-room will cost ₩400,000. Your school is not pocketing the extra as some people claim online. In Korea, there is something called “key money;” this amount can be anywhere from ₩0 to upwards of ₩10,000,000. It depends on the housing, the landlord, and any deals you make with them.

Your school rarely has the amount needed for key money and the government does not have that amount for every NET in Korea. Instead, your school will strike a deal with the landlord to forego key money in exchange for a higher monthly rent, usually the entire Housing Allowance. Landlords feel comfortable making a deal with a public school because public schools that obtain housing for NETs are seen as “reliable tenants” — there will be a steady stream of income for at least a year. This deal will only happen if the apartment is worth less than ₩400,000 to offset the exclusion of key money. That means that the place you will live is typically not worth the full Housing Allowance.

Depending on the area, most NET housing is in the ₩150,000~₩300,000 a month range. If you want to have some examples, download apps like Zigbang, Dabang, or Naver Real Estate (find all the links here) and then search in your desired city for one-room apartments in the price range of ₩150,000~₩300,000. Most schools will try to find one-rooms with many “options” (furniture) included so they don’t have to pay for it.

The task of finding NET housing is usually given to one teacher who may not be your co-teacher, an English teacher, or even a teacher returning to the school. The type of housing the school will find depends on what is available in the area. Most pick locations near the school, but some will choose a place near a popular area. Clause 1 lists that the housing type could be a leased house (임대주택), a studio (원룸, one-room), an apartment (아파트, do not expect this), or any other form of lodging “deemed sufficient by the Employer.” Gyeonggi’s English version mentions a dormitory, but the Korean version has no note of that. Just a leased house, studio, or apartment. No matter what, you should not have a roommate.

If your school already has housing for their NET and there is no issue with the accommodation, you will get the place where the previous NET resided.

You will be responsible for a variety of bills, including (but not limited to): electric, gas, water, internet, phone, cable, and a maintenance fee. However, because of the deal your school strikes up with the landlord, you will likely not have to pay a maintenance fee.

If for some reason the housing you are set to live in is not ready, your school may provide you with temporary housing. The Korean clause says “~제공할 수 있다” meaning “it can be provided.” If they had to provide temporary housing, the contract would instead say something like “~제공해야 한다.” This wording makes it so that your school doesn’t have to provide you with any type of temporary accommodation, although they should. There are a few very rare cases of some who have had to spend their own money on a motel for a week or so. If you find yourself in that situation and your school has not given you an exact timeline on when you will be in your permanent housing, you need to contact your MOE/POE coordinator ASAP.

Clause 5 beings listing what your school should provide you. This list usually consists of:

a bed
a table and a chair
a closet
a gas or electric range
a refrigerator
a washing machine
a TV set

Jeonbuk does not have a closet, table, or chair listed. Only Daegu is contractually required to make sure an air conditioner is in your apartment; however, most places throughout Korea have them anyway. Gyeonggi exclusively includes a vacuum cleaner in their list (located in Appendix 1).

Some schools will not have everything needed when you arrive; there are many people who sleep without beds or mattresses for the first few weeks. Some people may have absolutely nothing in their apartment when they arrive — if this applies to you, continuously ask about when you will be receiving the required appliances and furniture. Try to also have a hand in picking out what will go inside your place. Some schools are incredibly cheap and will pick out the item with the lowest cost, so it’s best to make sure you’re not getting a futon mattress instead of a real mattress. This could get annoying to deal with, but don’t get lazy or give up.

There are also those who have schools that use the ₩300,000 Settlement Allowance to purchase the required items. DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN. It is your money, not the schools. If you find your school has used that money, contact your MOE/POE coordinator.

Some schools will give you the bare minimum. Do not let them take advantage of you. The most common offense is, instead of an actual table (식탁) and chair, they’ll give you a floor cushion and a folding floor table. A 식탁 is not a desk and not a floor table. A 식탁 is a dining table. If you search “식탁” on Google or Naver, you’ll find dining tables for 99% of the search results. There is nothing wrong with floor tables, but that is not what is specified in your contract. Fight for what is listed in your contract.

If you end up destroying any of the furniture in the apartment (either owned by the school or by the landlord) intentionally or unintentionally, you will have to pay for it. This cost will come out of the security deposit that was taken out of your first paycheck for the MOEs/POEs who keep it the entire contract length. If your MOE/POE gives you the security deposit after or during the initial contract, you’ll have to pay upfront for any repairs while leaving the school-provided housing. Unless there is an exceptional amount of damage, this should not include flooring or wallpaper, as landlords need to replace those either every X amount of years or between tenants. Appliances breaking down due to old age typically do not qualify as something you’d have to dish out money for, but some landlords/schools may ask that you pay for the repairs.

According to Clause 6, if you live in school-provided housing, you must leave by the last day of your contract. If you are changing from one school-provided housing to another school-provided housing, you typically have only a few hours to physically move your things. You’ll have to coordinate with the NET leaving the housing you are supposed to move into and with the NET coming into the housing you are leaving. You can only coordinate this move if they are a renewing NET and not part of the new intake, as the new intake does not have a choice when they arrive at the accommodation.

If you want to find your own housing instead of living in the place your school has found for you, you can. Keep in mind that you will be responsible for key money. You will have to make it clear that you want the Housing Allowance either during the application stage or while renewing your contract. Most MOEs/POEs will give the Housing Allowance to you in your paycheck each month; some will pay the landlord directly.

Gyeonggi, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Daegu, Daejeon, Busan, Sejong, Incheon, Jeonbuk, Chungnam, Chungbuk: will pay you the ₩400,000 Housing Allowance to you directly in your paycheck.
Gangwon: pays you up to ₩400,000 or the actual expense/what is required (실소요액). If you find a place for ₩350,000, they’ll give you ₩350,000 a month. If you find a place for ₩450,000 a month, they’ll only give you ₩400,000.
Gwangju: will pay you the ₩450,000 Housing Allowance to you directly in your paycheck.
Seoul: will pay you the ₩500,000 Housing Allowance to you directly in your paycheck.
Jeonnam: will not pay the Housing Allowance to you, they will only pay your landlord.
Jeju: you cannot receive the Housing Allowance, only under specific circumstances. Only those who have a family (spouse and/or children) can ask for the Housing Allowance. In order to “prove” that the housing provided by the POE does not suit your needs, you must show a family certificate (가족증명서) or your marriage certificate (결혼증명서). Jeju also mentions the ₩400,000 Housing Allowance is paid “calculated on a daily basis.” What this means is unclear. Perhaps it means if you start your contract in the middle of the month, you will not receive the full Housing Allowance and instead receive it on a prorated basis. This is not specified in the Korean version of the contract.

Clause 3 of the contract says “upon the mutual agreement between the Employer and the Employee” (in Korean: 상호협, “mutual cooperation”) in relation to if you can receive the Housing Allowance or not. This means that your school has to agree to give you this allowance. Your principal could easily say no, which means you would be forced to stay in the school-provided housing. This could happen if you plan to or have to move schools within a year, as the school would not want to find new housing for the next NET.

If you do move from school-provided housing, your school could push back on any aspect of the housing you choose: location, type, rent, etc. The most common disagreement can stem from if you want to live too far away from the school. Your school has to approve of the type and location of the housing you choose, even if your name is on the rental agreement. Yes, this is annoying.

There is nothing in the contract that states you cannot receive the Housing Allowance during your first contract. It may be incredibly difficult and you’ll have to adequately prepare, but it is possible. If you want to find your own apartment, you’ll need to find it, talk to the realtor, fill out all the paperwork, and move all on your own. Your co-teacher and/or school may offer to help you, but do not expect it. It is not required that they do anything if you ask for the Housing Allowance.

Before setting your heart on finding your own place on your first contract, here are some things to consider:

You don’t know where you will live until the end of orientation (unless the NET you are replacing contacts you first). However, apartment hunting is a quick process in Korea, so it is possible to find a place and move in within a matter of days. You could start to look at places on apps while on the bus to your city from orientation, but you don’t have time to be picky.
You’ll need money for temporary accommodation, which you’d have to reserve after you know where you’ll be working.
You need a copy of your housing contract in order to apply for an ARC; it would be impossible to apply if you don’t have a housing contract. It would be alright to delay applying for your ARC by a few days to a week, but that means you would have to find an apartment in a very short amount of time after arriving in your city. Again, because of the time constraint, you cannot afford to be too picky.
You need to prepare key money. This is anywhere from ₩3,000,000 for a smaller place to upwards of ₩10,000,000 in large cities for a decent apartment. You’ll also need money to pay the realtor and at least 2 months’ worth of rent.
You need a way to pay rent every month, which typically cannot be done in cash unless your landlord lives close by and is ok with receiving cash. Perhaps you can ask to pay them upfront with cash for the first few months when you meet to sign the housing contract. You won’t have a bank account until you have your ARC so you cannot transfer money to them. There are some banks that allow you to make an account with just a passport and then update your information later, though.
You need to put your bank account information and ARC number down while filling out the documents necessary for renting. Some people are able to get a rental with their passports, but some landlords may say it is not possible.

Moving is stressful. Moving to a new country is stressful. Having to find housing and move into it within days of learning where you will even be living in Korea would be next-level stress. It is theoretically possible if you have everything organized and have a lot of money, but do not put yourself through that. Live in your school-provided housing for a year and then move after you’ve learned more about the area.

If you receive the Housing Allowance, your school may or may not tax you on it and it may or may not be included when calculating severance pay — it depends on the MOE/POE. Housing Allowances for most jobs are not taxed and therefore do not count toward severance. According to this chart on nodong.kr, Housing Allowances either fall under “average wage” or “other money.” There can be arguments for NET Housing Allowances to be in either category: it is a regular, uniform payment to all NET employees (either directly or through the school), which would deem it as an average wage. However, this money is not given to all employees under an MOE/POE, so it could be considered other money. A few MOEs/POEs have confirmed that the Housing Allowance does count when calculating severance. To know for sure if this does or doesn’t apply to you, you need to contact your MOE/POE coordinator to see what they say. A general rule of thumb is that if you are taxed on your Housing Allowance, it should be included in severance. If you are not taxed on it, it does not count.

Clause 4 makes it clear that once you decide to either live in the school-provided housing or take the Housing Allowance, your decision is final. But, this is not always the case. If you have an extreme circumstance, like if there is a legitimate safety concern, an unlivable amount of mold, a stalker situation, or some natural disaster destroys the place, you may be able to start receiving the Housing Allowance mid-contract. If you just want to move into another apartment provided by the school, they should be able to find you another accommodation.

You need a serious reason that threatens your health or safety to leave immediately. If you just want to move due to space or to be closer to a specific area, then you will not be able to receive the Housing Allowance mid-contract. You’ll also have to insist that you need to leave and/or receive the Housing Allowance for the majority of situations and have proof that living in the current housing is negatively affecting you. For example, if your place is covered in mold, you’ll need to prove that you’ve tried to solve the issue (receipts of all the dehumidifiers you’ve bought, keeping the windows open, using fans, etc.), the issue still persists despite your efforts, and that it is really disrupting your life (have had to throw away a lot of your personal belongings due to mold contamination) or is causing you health problems (worsening heart issues, lung issues, allergies, all proven with visits to doctors). Some schools may be more stingy or strict than others, so this process could be smooth or it could be bumpy. It will depend on your school’s accountant, vice-principal, principal, and current landlord.

There are many people who want to find their own place and secure a location before the end of their current contract. Say you are renewing your contract in February and start looking for apartments in December. You find a place that you really love, but since apartments in Korea are filled quickly, you have to start renting the place as soon as possible. Because your school will only give you the Housing Allowance once your new contract starts, you will have to pay the key money, a relator fee, rent for December, rent for January, and rent for February if your move-in date is before your paycheck. You do not get reimbursed for rent. It’s sunk costs.

If you are a married couple, your school will have to find a place that is suitable for two people; however, you’ll have to prove your marital status with a marriage certificate (결혼증명서) from Korea or from your home country, or any other relevant documents that can prove your legal connection. If you are a queer couple, sorry. Korea is incredibly homophobic and does not recognize same-sex marriages in any capacity, meaning your marriage certificate does not hold any legal weight here regardless of where you were married. Your employer in Korea would not be legally obligated to find you an apartment that can work for your family. If you are a queer couple applying to EPIK together, some MOEs/POEs may not even consider placing you both close to one another let alone in the same MOE/POE.

Misc. Notes:

“Single” means that you should not have a roommate, but the Korean clause does not specify that (only in Seoul’s contract is it made clear).
Jeju’s Clause 1 uses the word “owned,” which it’s assumed is in reference to the housing being under the POE’s name instead of yours.
Chungbuk adds “피고용자는 주거비를 매월 받을 경우 고용자에게 가전제품 및 가구를 요구할 수 없다” to their Clause 3, which means that if you receive the Housing Allowance, you cannot request appliances or furniture from your school. This is true for most MOEs/POEs, but you will be able to take items other NETs have left.
Gangwon’s Clause 4 adds “for personal reasons” to the English version; however, the Korean is the same as the majority and does not specify “for personal reasons.”
The Korean version of Jeonbuk’s Clause 5 does not say “OR a microwave oven.” A microwave is included in the list of things you should have.
Jeju’s Clause 8 is unclear in what it is trying to convey. There is some type of grace period for complying with Clause 1-7 of this Article, but there is no reason as to why you wouldn’t comply with those clauses anyway.
The ordinance Jeju’s Clause 9 is referring to is the 공동주택관리령 (Municipal Housing Management Ordinance).

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Article 13 (Benefits)

Gyeonggi: Article 14 (Benefits)
Seoul, Jeonnam: Other Benefits

Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Daegu, Daejeon, Busan, Seoul, Sejong, Incheon, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, Jeju, Chungnam, Chungbuk:

The Employee shall be entitled to a one time Settlement Allowance of 300,000 Korean Won (KRW), when he/she first begins the contract. This Settlement Allowance will not be granted in the case of a Contract Renewal.
＊Daegu: The Employee shall be entitled to a one-time Settlement Allowance of 300,000 Korean Won (KRW), when he/she begins the first Contract with the Employer. This Settlement Allowance will not be granted in the case of a contract renewal.
＊Daejeon: The Employee shall be entitled to a one time Settlement Allowance of 300,000 Korean Won (KRW), when he/she first begins the contract by relocating to Daejeon from an outer city or from a foreign country. This Settlement Allowance will not be granted in the case of a Contract Renewal.
＊Busan: The new Employee shall be entitled to a one time Settlement Allowance of 300,000 Korean Won (KRW) when he/she first begins the contract. Neither the Entrance Allowance nor the Settlement Allowance are offered to Employees who are renewing their contracts.
＊Seoul: First time employee of SMOE shall be entitled to one time only settlement allowance of 300,000 Korean Won within the first month of employment. In the case of the termination of this Contract within six (6) months, regardless of course or ground therefore, Employee shall immediately pay back Employer the allowance.
＊Incheon: The new Employee shall be entitled to a one time only Settlement Allowance of 300,000 Korean Won (KRW), when he/she first begins the contract. Neither the Entrance Allowance nor the Settlement Allowance are offered to Employees who are renewing their contracts.
＊Jeonnam: The Employee shall be entitled to a one time only Settlement Allowance of 300,000 Korean Won (KRW), when he/she first begins the contract. This Settlement Allowance will not be granted in the case of a Contract Renewal.
On behalf of the Employee, the Employer shall provide 50% of the Employee's medical insurance premium (including the medical insurance premium for the Employee's dependents in the event the dependents of the Employee (spouse and/or children) live with him or her in Korea) pursuant to the National Medical Insurance Act of Korea. ＊Jeonnam: ※Citizens of South Africa are not able to participate in the Korean National Pension Plan.
＊Gwangju: On behalf of the Employee, the Employer shall provide 50% of the Employee's medical insurance premium (this cover the medical insurance premium for the Employee's dependents in the event the dependents of the Employee (spouse and/or children) live with him or her in Korea) pursuant to the National Medical Insurance Act of Korea.
＊Seoul: Employer shall provide Employee with half of the National Health Insurance premium pursuant to the National Health Insurance Act of Korea (including the premium for Employee’s accompanying dependents.)
Gangwon, Gyeongnam, Daegu, Daejeon, Busan, Sejong, Chungnam: In the case that the Employee is working in a remote area (as designated by the undersigned Office of Education), the Employee may be eligible for a Rural Allowance of 100,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month. Designations for remote areas are determined individually by the Employer.
＊Gyeonggi: In the case that the Employee is working in a remote area (as designated by the undersigned Office of Education), the Employee may be eligible for a Rural Allowance of 100,000 KRW per month.
＊Gyeongbuk: In the case that the Employee is working in a remote area (as designated by the undersigned Office of Education), the Employee may be eligible for a Rural Allowance of 100,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month(In the case of the following 4 areas within the norther region of Gyeongbuk Province: Cheongsong-gun, Yeongyang-gun, Bonghwa-gun and Uljin-gun, 200,000 KRW shall be apid, and in the case of Ulleung-do, 700,000 KRW shall be paid). Designations for remote areas are determined individually by the Employer.
＊Gwangju: In the case that the Employee is working at a small-sized rural school, the Employee will be eligible for a Rural Allowance of 100,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month. Designations for small-sized rural schools are determined by the「Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education ordinance on support for small-sized rural schools and kindergartens attached to an elementary school」.
≡ Seoul: In the case that Employee is working at more than one school, Employee shall receive a Multiple Schools Allowance as mentioend below.
1.1 100,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month for two schools.
1.2 150,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month for three schools.
≡ Incheon: Employees, with the exception of Canadians and Irish, shall be eligible for exemption from paying Korean income tax during the period of the first two years of employment in Korea if they provide the following documents to the Employer before the first payment of salary:
1) "Residence Certificate" issued by the relevant authority of the Employee's resident country 2) “an Application for Tax Exemption" on non-resident's Korean source income provided under the Korean Tax Treaty. If the Employee has already worked more than two years in Korea, he/she shall not be eligible for tax exemption.
＊Jeonnam: The Employee working in a remote area (in Goheung, Wando, Jindo, Shinan, and Samsan-myeon, Nam-myeon, and Hwajeong-myeon of Yeosu-si) will be eligible for a Rural Allowance of 200,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month.
＊Jeonbuk: In the case that the Employee is working in a remote area (Wanju, Jinan, Muju, Jangsu, Imsil, Sungchang, Gochang, Buan), the Employee may be eligible for a Rural Allowance of 100,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month. Designations for remote areas are determined individually by the Employer.
＊Jeju: In the case that the Employee resides on a remote island for his/her duties (as designated by the undersigned Office of Education), the Employee may be eligible for a Rural Allowance. Designations for remote areas are determined individually by the Employer.
1. 100,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month for Udo island
2. 200,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month for Chuja island
＊Chungbuk: In the case that the Employee is working in a remote area (as designated by the Employer), the Employee may be eligible for a Rural Allowance of 100,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month. Designations for remote areas are determined individually by the Employer.
Gyeongbuk, Daejeon, Busan, Jeju, Chungnam, Chungbuk: In the case that the Employee is working at more than one school, the Employee shall receive a Multiple Schools Allowance as mentioned below. Two schools on the same premises are considered as separate schools.
1. 100,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month for two schools
2. 150,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month for three or more schools.
＊Gangwon: Employees working for more than one school are eligible for a multiple school teaching allowance of 100,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month for two schools (main school and additional school) and an additional 50,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month for each additional school (business trip money for travel school is not provided). Two schools on the same premises are considered as separate schools, as are branches of the same school located on separate premises.
≡ Gyeonggi: In the case that the Employee is working in a remote area (as designated by the undersigned Office of Education), the Employee may be eligible for a Rural Allowance of 100,000 KRW per month.
＊Gyeongnam: In the case that the Employee commutes to more than one school on a regular basis, the Employee shall receive a Multiple Schools Allowance as mentioned below. Two schools on the same premises are considered as separate schools.
1. 100,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month for two schools
2. 150,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month for three or more schools.
＊Gwangju: In the case that the Employee is working at more than one workplace(i.e. institute, school, etc.), the Employee shall receive a Multiple Workplaces Allowance as mentioned below. Two workplaces on the same premises are considered as separate ones.
1. 100,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month for two workplaces
2. 150,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month for three or more workplaces.
However, the Multiple Workplaces Allowance will not be paid if a teacher remains at fewer than the assigned workplace(s) during the semester or vacation period.
＊Daegu: In the case that the Employee is working at more than one (1) school, the Employee shall receive a Multiple Schools Allowance as stated below. Two (2) schools on the same premises are considered as separate schools.
1. 100,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month for two (2) schools
2. 150,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month for three (3) or more schools.
≡ Seoul: Employees with the exception of Canadians and Irish, shall be eligible for exemption from paying Korean income tax during the period of the first two years if he/she provides the following documents to Employer before the first payment of salary: 1) "Residence Certificate" issued by a competent authority of employee's resident country 2) “an Application for Tax Exemption" on non-resident's Korean source income provided under the Korean Tax Treaty. If employee has already worked more than two years in Korea, he/she shall not be eligible for tax exemption.
＊Sejong: In the case that the Employee is working at more than one (1) school, the Employee shall receive a Multiple Schools Allowance as mentioned below. Two (2) schools on the same premises are considered as separate schools.
1. 100,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month for two (2) schools
2. 150,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month for three (3) or more schools.
≡ Incheon: The Employer, on behalf of the Employee, shall provide half of the national pension plan deduction (approximately 4.5% of salary) pursuant to the National Pension Corporation Act of Korea. American, Canadian or Australian Employees are eligible for a pension distribution refund if they submit the required documents to the Korean National Pension Service when they leave Korea after the completion of their Contract. ※Citizens of South Africa are not able to participate in the Korean National Pension Plan.
＊Jeonnam: In the case that the Employee is working at more than one school, the Employee shall receive a Multiple Schools Allowance of 100,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month for two schools or 150,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month for three or more schools. In this case the transportation allowance shall not be paid separately. However, when using a ship as a means of transportation, additional transportation allowance may be paid.
＊Jeonbuk: In the case that the Employee is working at more than one school, the Employee shall receive a Multiple Schools Allowance as mentioned below. An Elementary-Middle, Middle-High or Elementary-Middle-High integrated School will be considered as one school.
1. 100,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month for two schools
2. 150,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month for three or more schools.
Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Daejeon, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, Chungnam, Chungbuk: Employees, with the exception of Canadians and Irish, shall be eligible for exemption from paying Korean income tax during the period of the first two years of employment in Korea if they provide the following documents to the Employer before the first payment of salary:
1) "Residence Certificate" issued by the relevant authority of the Employee's resident country 2) “an Application for Tax Exemption" on non-resident's Korean source income provided under the Korean Tax Treaty. If the Employee has already worked more than two years in Korea, he/she shall not be eligible for tax exemption.
＊Gangwon: Employees, with the exception of Canadians and the Irish, shall be eligible for exemption from paying Korean income tax during the period of the first two years of employment in Korea if they provide the following documents to the Employer (school) before the first payment of salary, and the Employer (school) must immediately submit the documents to their respective tax office:
1) "Residence Certificate" issued by the relevant authority of the Employee's resident country 2) “an Application for Tax Exemption" on non-resident's Korean source income provided under the Korean Tax Treaty. If the Employee has already worked more than two years in Korea, he/she shall not be eligible for tax exemption.
＊Gyeonggi: Employees eligible for exemption from paying Korean income tax during the period of the first two years of employment in Korea must provide the following documents to the Employer before the first payment of salary in order to qualify for the tax exemption:
a. "Residence Certificate" issued by the relevant authority of the Employee's resident country
b. “Application for Tax Exemption" on non-resident's Korean source income provided under the Korean Tax Treaty.
** If the Employee has already worked more than two years in Korea, he/she shall not be eligible for tax exemption.
＊Daegu: Employees, with the exception of Canadians and Irish, shall be eligible for exemption from paying Korean income tax during the period of the first two (2) years of employment in Korea if they provide the following documents to the Work Place before the first payment of salary: 1) "Residence Certificate" issued by the relevant authority of the Employee's resident country 2) “an Application for Tax Exemption" on non-resident's Korean source income provided under the Korean Tax Treaty. The Work Place, in favor of the Employee, will submit the application to the local tax office and the result of the application will be determined by the tax office. If the Employee has already worked more than two (2) years in Korea, he/she shall not be eligible for tax exemption.
＊Busan: Employees, with the exception of Canadians and Irish, shall be eligible for exemption from paying Korean income tax during the period of the first two years of employment in Korea if they provide the following documents to the Employer before the first payment of salary:
1) "Residence Certificate" issued by the relevant authority of the Employee's resident country 2) “an Application for Tax Exemption" on non-resident's Korean source income provided under the Korean Tax Treaty 3) any other documents deemed necessary by National Tax Services of Korea. If the Employee has already worked more than two years in Korea, he/she shall not be eligible for tax exemption.
≡ Seoul: Employer, on behalf of Employee, shall provide half of the national pension plan deduction (approximately 4.5% of salary) pursuant to the National Pension Corporation Act of Korea. American, Australian or Canadian Employees are eligible for a pension distribution refund if they submit the required documents to the Korean National Pension Corporation when they leave Korea after the completion of their Contract. ※Citizens of South Africa are not able to participate in the Korean National Pension Plan.
＊Sejong: Employees, with the exception of Canadians and Irish, shall be eligible for exemption from paying Korean income tax during the period of the first two (2) years of employment in Korea if they provide the following documents to the Employer before the first payment of salary:
1) "Residence Certificate" issued by the relevant authority of the Employee's resident country 2) “an Application for Tax Exemption" on non-resident's Korean source income provided under the Korean Tax Treaty. If the Employee has already worked more than two (2) years in Korea, he/she shall not be eligible for tax exemption.
≡ Incheon: The Employee shall be entitled to severance pay according to the Employee Retirement Benefit Security Act set out by the Ministry of Labor, upon successful completion of the final contract with the concerned Employer.
＊Jeju: Employees, with the exception of Canadians and Irish, shall be eligible for exemption from paying Korean income tax during the period of the first two years of employment in Korea if they provide the following documents to the Employer before the first payment of salary:
1. "Residence Certificate" issued by the relevant authority of the Employee's resident country
2. “An Application for Tax Exemption" on non-resident's Korean source income provided under the Korean Tax Treaty. If the Employee has already worked more than two years in Korea, he/she shall not be eligible for tax exemption.
Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Busan, Sejong, Jeonbuk, Chungnam, Chungbuk: The Employer, on behalf of the Employee, shall provide half of the national pension plan deduction (approximately 4.5% of salary) pursuant to the National Pension Corporation Act of Korea. American, Australian or Canadian Employees are eligible for a pension distribution refund if they submit the required documents to the Korean National Pension Service when they leave Korea after the completion of their Contract. ※Citizens of South Africa are not able to participate in the Korean National Pension Plan.
＊Gangwon: The Employer, on behalf of the Employee, shall provide half of the national pension plan deduction (approximately 4.5% of salary) pursuant to the National Pension Corporation Act of Korea. American, Australian or Canadian Employees are eligible for a pension distribution refund if they submit the required documents to the Korean National Pension Corporation when they leave Korea after the completion of their Contract. South Africans are exempt from paying into the Korean National Pension.
＊Gyeonggi: The Employer, on behalf of the Employee, shall provide half of the national pension plan deduction (approximately 4.5% of the Employee’s salary) pursuant to the National Pension Corporation Act of Korea. Employees eligible for a pension distribution refund must submit the required documents to the Korean National Pension Corporation when they leave Korea after the completion of their Contract.
＊Gyeongnam, Daejeon, Jeonnam: The Employer, on behalf of the Employee, shall provide half of the national pension plan deduction (approximately 4.5% of salary) pursuant to the National Pension Corporation Act of Korea. American, Australian or Canadian Employees are eligible for a pension distribution refund if they submit the required documents to the Korean National Pension Corporation when they leave Korea after the completion of their Contract. ※Citizens of South Africa are not able to participate in the Korean National Pension Plan.
＊Daegu: The Employer, on behalf of the Employee, shall provide half of the national pension contribution (approximately 4.5% of salary) pursuant to the National Pension Corporation Act of Korea. American, Australian or Canadian Employees are eligible for a pension distribution refund if they submit the required documents to the Korean National Pension Service when they leave Korea after the completion of their employment in Korea. ※Citizens of South Africa are not able to participate in the Korean National Pension Plan.
≡ Seoul: If the aggregate period of extending the term of Employment pursuant to Article 10 is more than one (1) calendar year, Employer shall pay Employee one month salary as a severance pay for Employee’s continuous employment of one year, according to the severance payment regulations when Employee leaves SMOE.
≡ Incheon: In the case that the Employee is working at more than one school, the Employee shall receive a Multiple Schools Allowance as mentioned below. Two schools on the same premises are considered as separate schools.
1. 100,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month for two schools
2. 150,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month for three or more schools
＊Jeju: The Employer, on behalf of the Employee, shall provide half of the national pension plan deduction (approximately 4.5% of salary) pursuant to the National Pension Corporation Act of Korea. American, Australian or Canadian Employees are eligible for a pension distribution refund if they submit the required documents to the Korean National Pension Corporation when they leave Korea after the completion of their Contract. ※ Citizens of South Africa do not participate in the Korean National Pension Plan.

— All MOEs/POEs except Seoul —
Gyeongnam, Daejeon, Jeonnam, Jeju: The Employee shall be entitled to severance pay according to the Employee Retirement Benefit Security Act set out by the Ministry of Labor, upon successful completion of the final contract with the concerned Employer.
＊Gangwon: The Employee shall be entitled to severance pay according to the Employee Retirement Benefit Security Act set out by the Ministry of Labor and calculated by the Gangwon Provincial Office of Education severance pay guideline, upon successful completion of the final contract with the concerned Employer.
＊Gyeonggi: The Employee shall be entire to severance pay according to the standard formula set out by the Ministry of Labor (equivalent to approximately one month’s salary per annum), upon successful completion of the duties set out herein for the entire Term of Employment. The Employee shall receive his/her severance(s), based on his/her most recent pay category, upon completing and leaving the Employer and place of employment without renewal in accordance to the law(s) set by the Ministry of Labor.
＊Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Sejong, Jeonbuk: Employee shall be entitled to severance pay according to the 「Act On The Guarantee Of Employees’ Retirement Benefits」set out by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, upon successful completion of the final contract with the concerned Employer.
＊Daegu: The Employee shall be entitled to severance pay according to the Employee Retirement Benefit Security Act set out by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, upon successful completion of the final Contract with the concerned Employer.
＊Busan: The Employee shall be entitled to severance pay within 14 days according to the Employee Retirement Benefit Security Act set out by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, upon successful completion of the final Contract with the concerned Employer. However, if the Employee resigns during the term of the contract or the Employee is late in opening an bank account for the severance pay or in any special circumstances, the severance pay shall be paid within a month.
≡ Incheon: The Employee who is working in Gangwha area shall be entitled to an rural Allowance of 200,000 Korean Won every month.
＊Chungnam: The Employee shall be entitled to severance pay according to the 「Act On The Guarantee Of Employees’ Retirement Benefits」 set out by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, upon successful completion of the final contract with the concerned Employer.
＊Chungbuk: The Employee shall be entitled to severance pay according to the 「Act on The Guarantee of Employees’ Retirement Benefits」set out by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, upon successful completion of the final contract with the concerned Employer.

— Gangwon, Gyeongnam, Daegu, Incheon, Jeonnam, Jeju, Chungbuk only —
Gangwon, Gyeongnam, Jeonnam, Jeju: The Employer may provide a special allowance to an Employee who has made a great contribution to the Employer and/or who is determined to work at a special institute by the Employer.
＊Daegu: The Employees working for the DMOE as a Native English Teacher Program Coordinator shall be entitled to a special allowance of 300,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month. Also, if an Employee is recognized for a special achievement or contribution, he/she may receive bonus allowance. The DMOE shall decide whether a bonus allowance will be provided or not.
≡ Incheon: The Employee who is working for IIncheon Metropolitan City Office of Education East Asia Global Education Institute shall be entitled to a Special Duty Allowance of 200,000 Korean Won every month.
＊Chungbuk: The Employer may provide a special allowance and/or special leave to an employee who has made a great contribution to the Employer and/or who is determined to work at a special institute by the Employer.

— Gangwon, Incheon only —
≡ Gangwon: District coordinators, as determined by the POE, will be entitled to an additional allowance of 200,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month. Coordinators at the GIEI will be entitled to additional allowance of 300,000 Korean Won.
≡ Incheon: The Employee who is working in Ongjin-gun area shall be entitled to an Isolation Allowance of 600,000 Korean Won every month with 5 working days of extra paid vacation days during the Term of the Employment set forth under Article 5.

Article 13 Notes

Clause 1 has already been talked about in Article 10 (Initial Contract): if this is your first time working with an MOE/POE, you will receive the Settlement Allowance. You do not receive this money if you are renewing your contract.

Your school has to provide 50% of your medical insurance premium (국민건강보험료), including the premium of your dependents living with you in Korea. You should receive your medical insurance booklet about one month into living here (or when you receive your ARC, since it is connected), but if you have to go to the doctor beforehand, do not worry. It is not expensive to receive general care here (no more than ₩20,000 including medication). If you need any specific tests, treatments, or are hospitalized, it may cost more.

There is an act to improve the lives of those who live in rural communities called the Special Act on Improvement of Quality of Life for Farmers and Fishermen and Promotion of Development in Rural Areas (abbreviated to “Quality of Life for Farmers and Fishermen Act”). In Chapter 4 of this act, it states various ways local governments should improve education, like giving the schools more money for programs, incentives for teachers working there, etc. Because these schools receive extra allowances, you can expect to have a higher school budget.

Foreigners rarely want to work outside of a large city, which is why you can receive a special Rural Allowance if you live in a remote/rural area. NETs do not get a Rural Allowance because of the special act, but as a way to bribe NETs not to leave for larger cities. This is also why the salary for POEs is a bit higher than for MOEs.

The amount of this allowance depends on the area, but it is mostly an extra ₩100,000 every month which should be sufficient to offset travel expenses.

What area is deemed “remote/rural” depends on the MOE/POE; “remote/rural” is “비인기지역” in the Korean contract, which is more literally translated as “unpopular area” (비 = without, 인기 = popular (not similar to populous or population, literally like if something is well-liked), 지역 = area). Although what can be deemed as “popular” is subjective, MOEs/POEs already have specific lists of schools and/or areas that are “remote/rural” because of the special act mentioned above. These areas are usually townships (면), counties (군) outside of larger cities, and small islands (도). Some MOEs/POEs have these areas listed in the contract, some do not.

Some unlisted areas could be found online (if they were listed in a document like the one Gwangju mentioned), but most were not in any documents. According to this news article by Kim Myungshin (김명신), around 45.5% of schools in Gangwon were considered “rural.” Outside of the cities in Gangwon, it’s sparsely populated. This is true for most POEs, so it’s unclear what those POEs consider “remote/rural.”

Below are the listed areas that absolutely qualify (they are listed in the contract) and areas that would perhaps qualify (they fit the criteria):

Gangwon (unlisted): ₩100,000 for rural schools; perhaps schools in Goseong-gun (고성군), Yanggu-gun (양구군), Yangyang-gun (양양군), Yeongwol-gun (영월군), Inje-gun (인제군), Jeongseon-gun (정선군), Cheolwon-gun (철원군), Pyeongchang-gun (평창군), Hongcheon-gun (홍천군), Hwacheon-gun (화천군), Hoengseong-gun (횡성군), Kimhwa-gun (김화군), Icheon-gun (이천군), Tongcheon-gun (통천군), Pyeonggang-gun (평강군), and Hoeyang-gun (회양군) would qualify
Gyeonggi (unlisted): ₩100,000 for rural schools; references to schools in Yeoncheon-gun (연천군) were found online. Perhaps schools in Gapyeong-gun (가평군‎) and Yangpyeong-gun (양평군‎) also qualify
Gyeongnam (unlisted): ₩100,000 for rural schools; references to schools in Jinju (진주, outside of the city), Namhae-gun (남해군), and Hamyang-gun (함양군) were found online
Gyeongbuk (in contract): ₩100,000 for rural schools (specific areas unlisted); perhaps schools in Goryeong-gun (고령군), Gunwi-gun (군위군), Seongju-gun (성주군), Yeongdeok-gun (영덕군), Yecheon-gun (예천군), Uiseong-gun (의성군), Chungdo-gun (청도군), and Chilgok-gun (칠곡군) would qualify. ₩200,000 for Cheongsong-gun (청송군), Yeongyang-gun (영양군), Bonghwa-gun (봉화군), and Uljin-gun (울진군); ₩700,000 for Ulleung-do (울릉도)
Gwangju (in contract/online): ₩100,000 for a specific list of schools found in the “Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education Ordinance on Support for Small-Sized Rural Schools and Kindergartens Attached to an Elementary School” (광주광역시 농촌소규모학교 및 초등학교병설유치원 지원에 관한 조례) which can be found here. If you go to the website and go all the way to the bottom of the page, click the red button. It is an HWP file that lists the 11 elementary schools and 3 middle schools included on this list. Those schools will be listed so you don’t have to look for it yourself, but the document was last updated in 2019 so the following may be inaccurate: Elementary Schools: 광주동초등학교 (Excluding the Chunghyo Branch of the school, “충효분교 포함”), 광주지산초등학교, 광주북초등학교, 대촌중앙초등학교; 동곡초등학교, 송학초등학교, 평동초등학교, 무학초등학교, 임곡초등학교, 삼도초등학교, 본량초등학교; Middle Schools: 대촌중학교, 평동중학교, 임곡중학교
Daegu (unlisted): ₩100,000 for rural schools; perhaps schools in Dalseong-gun (달성군) would qualify
Daejeon (unlisted): ₩100,000 for rural schools; references to the elementary schools 동명초등학교, 산서초등학교, and 남선초등학교 were found online
Busan (unlisted): ₩100,000 for rural schools; perhaps schools in Gijang-gun (기장군) would qualify
Seoul: n/a, it’s Seoul
Sejong (unlisted): ₩100,000 for rural schools; perhaps schools in smaller towns north of the city would qualify
Incheon (in contract): ₩200,000 for Gangwha-gun (강화군); ₩600,000 for Ongjin-gun (옹진군) and 5 days of extra paid vacation (for an “Isolation Allowance”)
Jeonnam (in contract): ₩200,000 for Goheung-gun (고흥군), Wando-gun (완도군), Jindo-gun (진도군), Shinan-gun (신안군), Samsan-myeon (삼산면), Nam-myeon (남면), and Hwajeong-myeon (화정면)
Jeonbuk (in contract): ₩100,000 for Wanju-gun (완주군), Jinan-gun (진안군), Muju-gun (무주군), Jangsu-gun (장수군), Imsil-gun (임실군), Sungchang (assumed a typo; “Sungchang” does not exist in Jeonbuk, but “Sunchang/Soonchang” does. 순창군), Gochang-gun (고창군), and Buan-gun (부안군)
Jeju (in contract): ₩100,000 for Udo Island (우도면); ₩200,000 for Chuja Island (추자도; the other islands in Chuja-myeon (추자면) are not specified, but no schools are on those islands anyway)
Chungnam (unlisted): ₩100,000 for rural schools; perhaps schools in Geumsan-gun (금산군), Buyeo-gun (부여군), Seocheon-gun (서천군), Yesan-gun (예산군), Cheongyang-gun (청양군), Taean-gun (태안군), and Hongseong-gun (홍성군) would qualify
Chungbuk (unlisted): ₩100,000 for rural schools; perhaps schools in Goesan-gun (괴산군), Danyang-gun (단양군), Boeun-gun (보은군), Yeongdong-gun (영동군), Okcheon-gun (옥천군), Eumseong-gun (음성군), Jeungpyeong-gun (증평군), and Jincheon-gun (진천군) would qualify

If you work at more than one school, you will receive a “Multiple Schools Allowance” (복수학교근무수당) which is to cover the extra transportation fees. Public transportation (general buses and/or subways) costs around ₩50,000 for 20 days. If you only work at one extra school, you will receive a Multiple Schools Allowance worth ₩100,000; if you work at three or more schools, you will receive ₩150,000. Only Gangwon will give you ₩50,000 for every additional school over two schools. This amount should be paid to you during vacations even if you are not required to go to your traveling schools. If you work in Jeonnam, you can receive an extra allowance/transportation fee (출장비) if you need to use a ship to get to/from your school(s).

Clause 5 brings up income tax again; as stated in the notes section of “Header, Pay Level, and Salary” and now again in Clause 5, as long as if you are from the qualifying countries and fill out the required paperwork, you do not have to pay taxes in Korea for the first two years you work here. These countries include America, the UK, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand (sorry Canadians and Irish). You should be able to find the information you need regarding the documents if you search “Korea E2 tax exemption [your country].” Here is some more information from Korvia’s website.

The contract mentions needing a “Residence Certificate” (거주자증명서) and “an Application for Tax Exemption" (소득세 면제 신청서). You should begin the process of getting the residence certificate before you are in Korea, as it can take a long time for your home country’s government to send it to you in Korea. It is generally suggested to get a few official copies of the residence certificate, as your school could misplace it or if you change schools the following year, your new school will need this document as well; you should create your own copies of the originals. The “Application for Tax Exemption" is form 29-2 of the Enforcement Decree of the Income Tax Act and you can read about the exemption in Article 207-2 (Application for Non-Taxation or Exemption under Tax Treaties for Nonresidents). It is not linked on the translation center’s website, so you can find the application here. It is in both Korean and in English.

After you have the required documents, your school’s accountant or co-teacher will go to the local tax office with your residence certificate, a copy of your contract, copies of both of those documents, and your application. The process is quite quick and should be cleared within three hours if it is submitted during working hours (source). The contract also mentions that you need to get the documents (the residence certificate and the application for tax exemption) to your school before your first salary payment; although this is technically not true, it is easier for your school. According to Article 207-2, Clause 1 of the Enforcement Decree of the Income Tax Act, “…the income payer shall submit the application to the head of the tax office having jurisdiction over the place for tax payment of the income payer by not later than the ninth day of the month immediately following the month in which the relevant income is paid.” So, you legally have — at the very latest — 9 days after your first paycheck to submit these forms.

While in Korea, you will make monthly payments into the National Pension Plan (국민연금보험료 is the National Pension premium); only South Africans are excluded, meaning you do not have to pay into the pension plan. This payment is approximately 4.5% of your salary and your employer should match your contribution (9% total); it is automatically deducted every month. Your co-teacher will enroll you and you only need to really worry about it if you plan on leaving the country. You will occasionally (maybe once a year) get a document in the mail listing how much is in your pension, but you can call or visit the pension office to check how much is in your account.

Some NETs can take this money when they leave Korea while others cannot. Americans, Australians, and Canadians are able to receive their pension when they leave Korea after submitting the relevant documents (foreign bank account information, flight ticket, and some other paperwork) to the National Pension Office (국민연금공단). This money will be sent to your home country’s bank within a month or so. If you meet the requirements, you can receive it in cash at Incheon airport (although they will take a fee). Irish, New Zealanders, and Brits are unable to take their pension home with them even though they must pay into the pension program (if you pay into it for 10 years, you should be able to get the money when you turn 60).

Another chunk of money you are required to receive is severance pay. This is according to the Act on The Guarantee of Employees’ Retirement Benefits. Article 15 (Amount of Benefits) of that act says that severance “shall not be less than a prorated amount equivalent to the average wages [평균임금] earned for 30 days for each year of his or her continuous service.” In simpler terms, this is just the amount of your last paycheck multiplied by however many years you worked.

The equation for severance, in general, is:

daily average or ordinary wage (whichever is higher) × 30 days × (number of working days/365 days)

Although it seems straightforward, calculating severance is quite complicated and could be potentially done in several ways:

Calculating average wage by 3 contract months vs. 3 calendar months
Calculating severance every year and adding each year together vs. multiplying how many years you worked by your final salary and qualifiable allowances
Calculating ordinary wage using 243 hours vs. 209 hours
Including housing allowance (if received directly) vs. excluding housing allowance
Including the exit allowance (if received in the last paycheck) vs. excluding the exit allowance

These are only a few ways severance could be calculated; there may be more. All of these will be discussed below.

Some general information to keep in mind: because NET contracts are not 365 days (ex. February 26th to February 25th of the following year, 364 days), make sure to take note of that while calculating your severance. This difference is not often significant but can lead to a loss about ₩10,000 between calculating with the “whole” years and the actual amount of contracted days.

This amount should include any Rural Allowances and Multiple Schools Allowances. If you are taxed on your Housing Allowance, that should also be included when calculating your severance pay. Some MOEs/POEs may or may not include the Housing Allowance so you need to clarify with your coordinator beforehand.

As mentioned in Article 8 (Salary), an “average” wage is a concept used as a standard when calculating severance pay or work-related accident compensation. If your average wage (평균임금) is less than the ordinary wage (통상임금), the ordinary wage will be used instead while calculating. This is according to Article 2, Clause 1 and 2 of the Labor Standards Act. Severance should also be calculated with your pre-taxed income. Taxes will be taken out of your severance later.

Here is how to calculate severance using the average wage:

(total monthly salary for month 1 + total monthly salary for month 2 + total monthly salary for month 3 + 1/4 of any annual bonuses + 1/4 of any annual leave allowances paid annually) ÷ (the total number of calendar days in 3 months before leaving the job) = average daily wage

MOE/POE NETs do not receive payment in exchange for unused annual paid leave (general paid leave or sick leave). It does not seem to be required by law as it’s not in the Labor Standards Act.

The annual bonuses NETs receive do not qualify as a type of bonus to include while calculating ordinary wage but can be included in the average wage. This will only be relevant if that bonus is paid within the last 3 months before leaving the job. Most MOEs/POEs pay the Exit Allowance, the bonus that can qualify, 30 days after you’ve completed your contract. It does not fall into the time period necessary for calculating severance. If the Exit Allowance is included in your final paycheck, it should be calculated.

Since NETs are expected to retire not at the end of the month and instead on the 25th (for most MOEs/POEs), the last month (February or August) is not used as month 3. Instead, the two full months of work (December/January or June/July) are used and the leftover days in November/May (6ish days) and February/August (24ish days) are (possibly, it’s assumed) prorated by using the ordinary wage and added. This means any overtime paid out in February or August can be included when calculating severance.

The calculation for NETs specifically:

(prorated wage for month 1 + total monthly salary for month 2 + total monthly salary for month 3 + prorated wage for final month + Exit Allowance if included in final paycheck) ÷ (the total number of calendar days in 3 months before leaving the job) = average daily wage

The prorated amount is your hourly ordinary wage multiplied by how many hours worked.

Example 1: base pay of ₩2,100,000, no extra allowances or overtime, working for 1 year, retiring in February, Exit Allowance paid out in the last paycheck

₩10,048 hourly × 8 hours = ₩80,384 ordinary daily wage
((₩80,384 × 6 days in November) + ₩2,100,000 + ₩2,100,000 + (₩80,384 × 24 days in February) + ₩1,300,000 Exit Allowance) ÷ (6 days in November + 31 days in December + 31 days in January + 24 days in February)
(₩482,304 + ₩2,100,000 + ₩2,100,000 + ₩1,446,912 + ₩1,300,000) ÷ (6 days in November + 31 days in December + 31 days in January + 24 days in February)
(₩6,129,216 + ₩1,300,000 Exit Allowance) ÷ 92 days
₩7,429,216 ÷ 92 days
₩80,752 average wage

Example 1 Severance: because the ordinary wage is less than the average wage, the average wage will be used to calculate

daily average or ordinary wage (whichever is higher) × 30 days × (number of working days/365 days)
₩80,752 × 30 days × (364/365 days)
₩80,752 × 30 days × .997260274
₩2,415,923 severance pay before taxes

In this case, the difference between the average and ordinary wage is not that significant.

Example 2: base pay of ₩2,100,000, Multiple School Allowance (₩100,000), overtime (₩80,000), working for 1 year, retiring in February, Exit Allowance paid out after the last paycheck

₩10,526 hourly × 8 hours = ₩84,208 ordinary daily wage
((₩84,208 × 6 days in November) + ₩2,200,000 + ₩2,200,000 + (₩84,208 × 24 days in February) + ₩80,000 overtime) ÷ (6 days in November + 31 days in December + 31 days in January + 24 days in February)
(₩505,248 + ₩2,200,000 + ₩2,200,000 + ₩2,020,992 + ₩80,000) ÷ (6 days in November + 31 days in December + 31 days in January + 24 days in February)
₩7,006,240 ÷ 92 days
₩76,155 average wage

Example 2 Severance: because the average wage is less than the ordinary wage, the ordinary wage will be used to calculate

daily average or ordinary wage (whichever is higher) × 30 days × (number of working days/365 days)
₩84,208 × 30 days × (364/365 days)
₩84,208× 30 days × .997260274
₩2,519,319 severance pay before taxes

Example 3: base pay of ₩2,700,000, Rural Allowance of ₩700,000 (Ulleung-do), Multiple Schools Allowance of ₩150,000, Housing Allowance of ₩400,000, no overtime, working for 5 years, retiring in February, Exit Allowance paid out after the last paycheck

₩17,703 hourly × 8 hours = ₩141,624 ordinary daily wage
((₩141,624 × 6 days in November) + ₩3,400,000 + ₩3,400,000 + (₩141,624 × 24 days in February)) ÷ (6 days in November + 31 days in December + 31 days in January + 24 days in February)
(₩849,744 + ₩3,400,000 + ₩3,400,000 + ₩3,398,976) ÷ (6 days in November + 31 days in December + 31 days in January + 24 days in February)
₩11,048,720 ÷ 92 days
₩120,095 average wage

Example 3 Severance: because the average wage is less than the ordinary wage, the ordinary wage will be used to calculate

daily average or ordinary wage (whichever is higher) × 30 days × (number of working days/365 days)
₩141,624 × 30 days × (1,824/365 days)
₩141,624 × 30 days × 4.997260274
₩21,231,960 severance pay before taxes

If you take all of your severance at once in a lump sum, around 16.5% (possibly more) will be deducted according to nodong.kr (Q&A 2.2).

Here is the basic equation for how much to expect in your actual severance payment:

severance amount before taxes × .165 = amount deducted
severance amount before taxes − amount deducted = around what you should receive

Example 1 (from above): base pay of ₩2,100,000, no extra allowances or overtime, working for 1 year, retiring in February, Exit Allowance paid out in the last paycheck, calculated using average wage

₩2,415,923 severance pay before taxes
₩2,415,923 × .165 = ₩398,627
₩2,415,923 − ₩398,627 = ₩2,017,296 after taxes (not exact, as other taxes may apply)

Example 2 (from above): base pay of ₩2,100,000, Multiple School Allowance (₩100,000) and overtime (₩80,000), working for 1 year, retiring in February, Exit Allowance paid out after the last paycheck, calculated using ordinary wage

₩2,519,319 severance pay before taxes
₩2,519,319 × .165 = ₩415,688
₩2,519,319 − ₩415,688 = ₩2,103,631 after taxes (not exact, as other taxes may apply)

Example 3 (from above): base pay of ₩2,700,000, Rural Allowance of ₩700,000 (Ulleung-do) and Multiple Schools Allowance of ₩150,000 and Housing Allowance of ₩400,000, working for 5 years

₩21,231,960 severance pay before taxes
₩21,231,960 × .165 = ₩3,503,273
₩21,231,960 − ₩3,503,273 = ₩17,728,687 after tax (not exact, as other taxes may apply)

There was an amendment to the Act on The Guarantee of Employees’ Retirement Benefits that makes it so severance pay must be put into an Individual Retirement Pension (IRP) account (find information here); there are some exceptions and NETs qualify (Q&A 5: “When a foreign worker leaves the country” (외국인 근로자가 국외 출국한 경우)).

If for some reason you do not qualify for the exception (you become a naturalized Korean citizen), you would need to open an IRP account and submit the account information to your workplace/school. The school should do the rest (calculate tax and deposit the amount into the account). Because almost everyone else at your school has to create an account, your school may get confused if you have to or not.

However, your MOE/POE may calculate severance differently. While some will use your final paycheck and multiply it by however many years you worked with them, some will calculate severance every year. This means that, although they still use the equation as mentioned in law, it’s not exactly the equation listed here and throughout the web. If your MOE/POE uses this method, your school will have an account with your severance and add to it every year you work with them. If you transfer schools, your current school will give the account to your new school. Make sure to check the severance amount before transferring schools to see if they have been calculating it correctly.

If you were working with an MOE/POE for 5 years, each year’s severance is calculated separately (multiplied by 1 year instead of total years worked) and then added together.

Example calculated with the accumulated years/contracts method: base pay of ₩2,600,000, no allowances, no overtime, working for 5 years, retiring in February, Exit Allowance paid out after the last paycheck

The average wage is equal to ₩85,553 and the ordinary wage is equal to ₩99,520; severance will use the ordinary wage since it is higher
₩99,520 × 30 days × (1,824/365 days)
₩99,520 × 30 days × 4.997260274
₩14,919,820 severance pay before taxes (based on ordinary wage)

Example calculated with the separate years/contracts method:

Year 1: base pay of ₩2,200,000, no allowances, no overtime — ₩2,519,319 severance pay before taxes for year 1 (calculated with ordinary wage, as it is higher than average wage)
Year 2: base pay of ₩2,300,000, no allowances, no overtime — ₩2,633,964 severance pay before taxes for year 2 (calculated with ordinary wage, as it is higher than average wage)
Year 3: base pay of ₩2,400,000, no allowances, no overtime — ₩2,748,370 severance pay before taxes for year 3 (calculated with ordinary wage, as it is higher than average wage)
Year 4: base pay of ₩2,400,000, no allowances, no overtime — ₩2,748,370 severance pay before taxes for year 4 (calculated with ordinary wage, as it is higher than average wage)
Year 5: base pay of ₩2,600,000, no allowances, no overtime — ₩2,977,420 severance pay before taxes for year 5 (calculated with ordinary wage, as it is higher than average wage)
₩2,519,319 (year 1) + ₩2,633,964 (year 2) + ₩2,748,370 (year 3) + ₩2,748,370 (year 4) + ₩2,977,420 (year 5)
₩13,627,443 severance pay before taxes

For this situation, there is a difference of ₩1,292,377 between the two methods of calculation.

Calculating severance like this is legal, at least according to some on the LOFT: Legal Office for Foreign Teachers Facebook group. Concrete sources stating the legality have not been found.

Something else to look out for is how the MOE/POE is calculating ordinary wage. As mentioned in the notes of the “Header, Pay Level, and Salary” section of this guide, 243 hours is the true amount of time NETs should be compensated for, not 209. However, if the salary of NETs was determined by 243 hours, NETs would be making a lot more money. Because the ordinary wage is set by 209 hours, severance should also be calculated using 209 hours. It is imperative that you ask to see how severance is being calculated so you can verify this yourself.

Here is an example of what severance would look like using 243 hours: base pay of ₩2,100,000, no extra allowances or overtime, working for 1 year, retiring in February, Exit Allowance paid out after the last paycheck

₩2,100,000 ÷ 243 hours = ₩8,642 hourly
₩8,642 hourly × 8 hours = ₩69,136 ordinary daily wage
((₩69,136 × 6 days in November) + ₩2,100,000 + ₩2,100,000 + (₩69,136 × 24 days in February)) ÷ (6 days in November + 31 days in December + 31 days in January + 24 days in February)
₩6,274,080 ÷ 92 days
₩68,197 average wage
The average wage is equal to ₩68,197 and the ordinary wage is equal to ₩69,136; severance will use the ordinary wage since it is higher
₩69,136 × 30 days × (364/365 days)
₩69,136 × 30 days × .997260274
₩2,068,398 severance pay before taxes (based on ordinary wage)

Here is an example of what severance would look like using 209 hours: base pay of ₩2,100,000, no extra allowances or overtime, working for 1 year, retiring in February, Exit Allowance paid out after the last paycheck

₩2,100,000 ÷ 209 hours = ₩10,048 hourly
₩10,048 hourly × 8 hours = ₩80,384 ordinary daily wage
((₩80,384 × 6 days in November) + ₩2,100,000 + ₩2,100,000 + (₩80,384 × 24 days in February)) ÷ (6 days in November + 31 days in December + 31 days in January + 24 days in February)
₩6,611,520 ÷ 92 days
₩71,864 average wage
The average wage is equal to ₩71,864 and the ordinary wage is equal to ₩80,384; severance will use the ordinary wage since it is higher
₩80,384 × 30 days × (364/365 days)
₩80,384 × 30 days × .997260274
₩2,404,913 severance pay before taxes (based on ordinary wage)

This is a difference of ₩336,515. Although it does not seem like much, this difference can get up to over ₩1,000,000 if staying in Korea for multiple years.

Some MOEs/POEs may also calculate average pay using contract days rather than calendar days. Using calendar days primarily affects the average wage; since the ordinary wage will be used for most NET severance calculations, it should not make that much of a difference for you. You should pay attention to it if you do a lot of overtime hours within the last 3 months. Only then may the average wage be over the ordinary wage.

Here is the calculation with calendar days: base pay of ₩2,100,000, no extra allowances or overtime, working for 1 year, retiring in February, Exit Allowance paid out after the last paycheck

₩2,100,000 ÷ 209 hours = ₩10,048 hourly
₩10,048 hourly × 8 hours = ₩80,384 ordinary daily wage
₩2,100,000 (November 26 to December 25) + ₩2,100,000 (December 26 to January 25) + ₩2,100,000 (January 26 to February 25) ÷ (5 days in November + 31 days in December + 31 days in January + 25 days in February)
6,300,000 ÷ 92 days
₩68,478 average wage
The average wage is equal to ₩68,478 and the ordinary wage is equal to ₩80,384; severance will use the ordinary wage since it is higher
₩80,384 × 30 days × (364/365 days)
₩80,384 × 30 days × .997260274
₩2,404,913 severance pay before taxes (based on ordinary wage)

Regardless of the amount you are owed, you should check with your school’s accountant before leaving. Make sure they are calculating it correctly. They shouldn’t make mistakes, but it is possible. If there is a mistake, you will have to contact your MOE/POE as the budget for your salary comes from them. Fixing the amount before you leave the country is infinitely easier than trying to do so from outside Korea.

According to Article 37 (Interest for Delayed Payment of Wages) of the Labor Standards Act, if your employer fails to pay you within 14 days, they will have to pay interest starting day 15 and onward. That interest rate 20/100 per annum. This does not apply if there was a natural disaster.

Clause 8 mentions employees who have “made a great contribution” (특별한 공로) can receive a special allowance (특별 수당) and possibly get extra paid leave. It’s unclear if anyone has ever received this. What constitutes a “great contribution” is not defined. It’s possible this clause is just a carrot on a stick. If you do actually get the “special allowance,” it is unclear if this is a one-time sum or a monthly bonus like the Rural Allowance or Multiple Schools Allowance.

Misc. Notes:

The format differences in Clause 5, as long as any other part of the clause was unchanged, was not included; this is in reference to the listing of documents.
Gwangju, Daejeon, Sejong, and Chungnam all have a space between ※ and “Citizens” in Clause 6, but it was unnecessary to notate.
Incheon’s Clause 8 is not a typo (IIncheon).

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Article 14 (Annual Paid Leave)

Busan, Incheon, Jeju: Paid Leave
Gyeonggi: Article 15 (Annual Paid Leave)

Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Daegu, Daejeon, Busan, Seoul, Sejong, Incheon, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, Jeju, Chungnam, Chungbuk:

Gangwon: The Employee shall be entitled to a vacation period of a total of twenty six (26) working days during the Term of the Employment set forth under Article 5 hereof. If any requested vacation period interferes with the smooth operation of the programming of the school or institute, the Employer and the Employee shall negotiate an alternate vacation date(s) so that the requested vacation period does not interfere with the school schedule. The annual paid leave is administered in accordance with the Korean Labor Standard Act.
＊Gyeonggi: The Employee shall be entitled to a vacation period of a total of twenty six (26) working days during the Term of the Employment set forth under Article 5 hereof. If any requested vacation period interferes with the smooth operation of the programming and curriculum of the school or institute, the Employer and the Employee shall negotiate an alternate vacation date(s) so that the requested vacation period does not interfere with the school schedule. The annual paid leave is administered in accordance with the Korean Labor Standard Act.
＊Gyeongbuk, Jeonnam: The Employee shall be entitled to a vacation period of a total of twenty-six (26) working days during the Term of the Employment set forth in Article 5 hereof. If any requested vacation period interferes with the smooth operation of the programming of the school or institute, the Employer and the Employee shall negotiate an alternate vacation date(s) so that the requested vacation period does not interfere with the school schedule. The annual paid leave is administered in accordance with the Korean Labor Standard Act.
＊Gyeongnam: The Employee shall be entitled to a vacation period of a total of twenty six (26) working days during the Term of the Employment set forth under Article 5 hereof. If any requested vacation period interferes with the smooth operation of the programming of the school or institute, the Employer and the Employee shall negotiate an alternate vacation date(s) so that the requested vacation period does not interfere with the school schedule. The annual paid leave is administered in accordance with the Korean Labor Standard Act (School closures such as in-semester school holiday(s), school anniversary day(s), etc., will be considered part of the twenty six (26) working days paid leave).
＊Gwangju: The Employee shall be entitled to a vacation period of a total of twenty-six (26) working days during the Term of the Employment set forth under Article 5 hereof. If the requested vacation period interferes with the smooth operation of the programming of the school or institute, the Employer and the Employee shall negotiate an alternate vacation date(s). The annual paid leave is administered in accordance with the Korean Labor Standard Act.
＊Daegu: The Employee shall be entitled to Annual Paid Leave of a total of twenty-six (26) working days during the Term of Employment set forth in Article 5 hereof. If the Employee works at a school, the Paid Leave days shall be taken during the school’s summer, winter, and spring break, and any in-semester school recesses and in-semester school holidays; If the Employee works in other institutes, the Employee shall take his/her Paid Leave during the time when the leave would not affect the normal operation of the duties at the institute. If the date(s) of the requested leave interferes with the smooth operation of the programs of the school or institution, the Employer and the Employee shall negotiate an alternate date(s). The annual paid leave is administered in accordance with the Korean Labor Standard Act. ※ The standard is to take thirteen (13) working days during the first six (6) months of the Term of Employment, thirteen (13) working days during the second six (6) months of the Term of Employment.
＊Daejeon: The Employee shall be entitled to a vacation period of a total of twenty six (26) working days during the Term of the Employment set forth under Article 5 hereof. If any requested vacation period interferes with the smooth operation of the programming of the school or institute, the Employer and the Employee shall negotiate an alternate vacation date(s) so that the requested vacation period does not interfere with the school schedule. Twenty six (26) working days of vacation period set forth herein include the annual paid leave under the Korean Labor Standard Act.
＊Busan: The Employee shall be entitled to a vacation period of a total of twenty-six (26) working days during the Term of the Employment set forth in Article 5 hereof, and the paid leave in this clause includes annual paid leaves under the Labor Standards Act. For the smooth operation of the programming of the school, the Employee working in school(s) shall have vacation for ten (10) working days during the summer recess and ten (10) working days during the winter recess respectively. If the Employee works at an affiliated institution, the Employee shall negotiate on vacation dates that are not interfering with the smooth operation of the Work Place.
＊Seoul: Employee shall be entitled to a vacation period of 26 workdays during the Term of the Employment set forth in Article 5 hereof. If any requested vacation period interferes with regular school schedule or smooth work operations (e.g. English camps operated by the district offices or schools, school repoening schedules after the breaks), Employee may alternate vacation dates by reaching a mutual decision with the head of the work place. If the contract is less than one year vacation days will be pro-rated based on the length of the contract. The annual paid leave is administered in accordance with the Korean Labor Standard Act.
＊Sejong: The Employee shall be entitled to a vacation period of a total of twenty-six (26) working days during the Term of the Employment set forth under Article 5 hereof. If the Employee works in a school, the Employee shall have paid leave during the summer recess, the winter recess, any in-semester school holiday(s), and school anniversary. The number of paid leaves for school vacation shall not exceed ten (10) working days during the summer recess and sixteen (16) working days during the winter recess; If the Employee works in a training center, the Employee shall have paid leave outside the normal training session times. If any requested vacation period interferes with the smooth operation of the programming of the school or institute, the Employer and the Employee shall negotiate an alternate vacation date(s) so that the requested vacation period does not interfere with the school schedule. The annual paid leave is administered in accordance with the Korean Labor Standard Act.
＊Incheon: The Employee shall be entitled to a vacation period of a total of twenty six (26) working days during the Term of the Employment set forth under Article 5 hereof and the paid leave of this Article includes the annual paid leave of the Labor Standards Act. If the Employee works in a school, the Employee shall have vacation up to thirteen (13) working days during the summer and winter recesses respectively; If the Employee works in a institute, the Employee shall have their vacation outside the normal training session times. If the requested vacation period interferes with the smooth operation of the programming of the school or institute, the Employer and the Employee shall negotiate an alternate vacation date(s) and period so that the requested vacation period does not interfere with the school schedule.
＊Jeonbuk: The Employee shall be entitled to a vacation period of a total of 26 working days during the Term of the Employment set forth in Article 5 hereof. If any requested vacation period interferes with the smooth operation of the programming of the school or institute, the Employer and the Employee shall negotiate an alternate vacation date(s) so that the requested vacation period does not interfere with the school schedule. The annual paid leave is administered in accordance with the Korean Labor Standard Act.
＊Jeju: The Employee shall be entitled to a vacation period of a total of twenty six (26) working days during the Term of the Employment set forth under Article 5 hereof and the paid leave of this Article includes the annual paid leave of the Labor Standards Act. If the Employees works in a school, the Employee shall have vacation for eight (8) working days during the summer recess and eighteen (18) working days during the winter recess respectively; If the Employee works in a training center, the Employee shall have their vacation outside the normal training session times. If the requested vacation period interferes with the smooth operation of the programming of the school or institute, the Employer and the Employee shall negotiate an alternate vacation date(s) and period so that the requested vacation period does not interfere with the school schedule.
＊Chungnam: The Employee shall be entitled to a vacation period of a total of twenty six (26) working days in accordance to Labor Standard Act during the Term of the Employment set forth under Article 5 hereof. If any requested vacation period interferes with the smooth operation of the programming of the school or institute, the Employer and the Employee shall negotiate an alternate vacation date(s) so that the requested vacation period does not interfere with the school schedule. The annual paid leave is administered in accordance with the Korean Labor Standard Act.
＊Chungbuk: The Employee shall be entitled to a vacation period of a total of 26 working days during the Term of the Employment set forth under Article 5 hereof. If any requested vacation period interferes with the smooth operation of the school or institute, the Employer and the Employee shall negotiate an alternate vacation date(s) so that the requested vacation period does not interfere with the school/institution schedule. The annual paid leave is administered in accordance with the Korean Labor Standard Act.
The Employee shall apply for and obtain the Employer's consent to take any paid leave a minimum of fifteen (15) calendar days in advance of the requested date of leave.
＊Gyeonggi: Any use of annual paid leave must be accompanied by the Employer’s consent and must be acquired at least 15 calendar days before the leave takes place. Unless under unavoidable circumstances, vacation days shall be used without impediment to the operation of the school’s regular curriculum.
≢ Gwangju: The employees at the Gwangju English Experience Center shall get an additional four (4) vacation days during the Term of Employment.
＊Daegu: The Employee shall apply for and obtain the Employer's consent to take any Paid Leave a minimum of fifteen (15) calendar days in advance of the requested date of leave.
≢ Busan: Exception to 10 working days during summer vacation and 10 working days during winter vacation, the remaining 6 working days from the total of 26 working days under Article 14 Clause ① shall be used as written in Article 14 Clause ⑤ and ⑥ with Employer’s written consent during the period not interfering with the school schedule.
≡ Seoul: In case of the termination of this Contract (inclding a Renewal Contract), paid leave shall be pro-rated based on the actual number of days of Employment. If Employee accrued more than the allowed vacation days, the remaining vacation days over the allowed vacation days will be deducted from his/her paycheck. Employee is not eligible for more than 7 vacation days when terminating the contract on or before 6 months of employment.
Gyeonggi, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Daejeon, Sejong, Jeonbuk, Jeju, Chungnam: The Employee shall note the difference between school vacation and Paid Vacation days; the Employee is expected to fulfill all normal working duties during the school vacation period unless the Employee has received prior approval to use paid vacation leave during the school vacation period.
＊Gangwon: The Employee shall note the difference between school vacation and Paid Vacation days; the Employee is expected to fulfill normal working duties during the school vacation period unless the Employee has received prior approval for Paid Vacation during the school vacation period.
≡ Gwangju: The Employee shall apply for and obtain the Employer's consent to take any paid leave a minimum of fifteen (15) calendar days in advance of the requested date of leave. If the employee travels abroad at any time during the employment period, the Application Form for Travel Abroad must be completed and submitted to the employer in advance. The employer may ask the employee to provide a Certificate of Entry/Departure Record provided by immigration if necessary.
＊Daegu: The Employee shall note the difference between school vacation and Paid Leave days; the Employee is expected to fulfill all normal working duties during the school vacation period unless the Employee has received prior approval for Paid Leave during the school vacation period.
≡ Busan: The Employee shall apply for and obtain the Employer's consent to take any paid leave a minimum of fifteen (15) calendar days in advance of the requested date of leave.
＊Seoul: Employee shall apply for and obtain consent of the head of workplace to take a leave at least fifteen (15) days in advance.
＊Incheon: The Employee shall note the difference between school vacation and Paid Vacation days; the Employee is expected to fulfill normal working duties during the school vacation period unless the Employee has received prior approval to use paid vacation leave during the school vacation period.
＊Jeonnam, Chungbuk: The Employee shall note the difference between school vacation and Paid Vacation days; the Employee is expected to fulfill all normal working duties during the school vacation period unless the Employee has received prior approval to use Paid Vacation during the school vacation period.
Gangwon, Gyeongnam, Jeonnam, Chungnam: Regardless of the number of days over which the Paid Leave falls, eight (8) accumulated hours of Paid Leave shall be counted as one day. This includes tardiness, early leave, other absences during the work day and/or half-days of Paid Leave. A total of less than eight (8) hours will not be counted.
＊Gyeonggi: Regardless of the number of days over which the Paid Leave falls, eight (8) accumulated hours of paid leave shall be counted as one day. This includes tardiness, early leave, other absences during the work day and/or half-days of Paid Leave.
＊Gyeongbuk, Chungbuk: Regardless of the number of days over which the Paid Leave falls, eight (8) accumulated hours of paid leave shall be counted as one day. This includes tardiness, early leave, other absences during the work day and/or half-days of Paid Leave. A total of less than eight (8) hours will not be counted.
≡ Gwangju: The Employee shall note the difference between school vacation and Paid Vacation days; the Employee is expected to fulfill normal working duties during the school vacation period unless the Employee has received prior approval for Paid Vacation or Unpaid Leave during the school vacation period.
＊Daegu: Regardless of the number of days over which the Paid Leave falls, eight (8) accumulated hours of Paid Leave shall be counted as one (1) day. This includes tardiness, early leave, other absences during the work day and/or half-days of Paid Leave, the total number of Paid Leave days shall not exceed twenty-six (26) working days. If the Employee used more than the allowed twenty-six (26) Paid Leave days, those days and hours shall be unpaid.
≡ Daejeon: During the school semester, the Employer may allow the Employee to not come to work on the day(s) when the school is closed for in-semester school holiday(s), school anniversary day(s), etc., and these days will be considered part of the Paid Leave set forth in the foregoing clause ①.
≡ Busan: The Employee shall note the difference between school vacation and Paid Vacation days; the Employee is expected to fulfill normal working duties during the school vacation period unless the Employee has received prior approval to use Paid Vacation leave during the school vacation period.
＊Seoul: Regardless of the number of days over which the Paid Leave falls, eight (8) accumulated hours of Paid Leave shall be counted as one day. This includes tardiness, early leave, other absences during the work day and/or half-days of Paid Leave. (A total of less than eight (8) hours will not be counted.)
＊Sejong: Regardless of the number of days over which the Paid Leave falls, eight (8) accumulated hours of Paid Leave shall be counted as one (1) day. This includes tardiness, early leave, other absences during the work day and/or half-days of Paid Leave. A total of less than eight (8) hours shall be subtracted from Paid Leave.
≡ Incheon, Jeju: In the case that the Employee does not work on the day(s) when the school is closed for in-semester school holiday(s), school anniversary day(s), etc., this shall be deducted from the total number of days of paid leave in the forgoing clause ① and the Employee shall agree to this.
≡ Jeonbuk: Tardiness, early leave, other absences during the work day will be deducted from the paid leave.
Gyeonggi, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Chungnam: In case of the termination of this Contract (including a renewal contract), annual paid leave shall be pro-rated based on the actual number of days of employment completed. If the Employee used more than the allowed vacation days, he or she is entitled to, those days shall be unpaid. The remaining days specified in the foregoing clause ① shall be surrendered.
＊Gangwon: In case of the termination of this Contract (including a Renewal Contract), annual paid leave shall be pro-rated based on the actual number of days of employment. If the Employee used more than the allowed vacation days, he or she is entitled to, the remaining days specified in the forgoing clause ① shall be surrendered and unpaid.
≢ Gwangju: The employee shall be entitled to unpaid leave up to 7 calendar days only in the case of an emergency situation and only with the prior approval of the Employer (Principal). In this case, the employee must submit documents of proof to the Employer (Principal).
＊Daegu: In case of the termination of this Contract, the allowed Annual Paid Leave shall be pro-rated based on the actual number of days of employment completed. If the Employee used more than the allowed Paid Leave days, he/she is entitled to, those days shall be unpaid. The remaining days specified in the foregoing clause ① shall be surrendered.
≡ Daejeon: Eight (8) accumulated hours of Paid Leave shall be counted as one day and deducted from the Paid Leave days specified in the foregoing clause ①. This includes tardiness, early leave, other absences during the work day and/or half-days of Paid Leave.
≡ Busan: During the school semester, the Employer may allow the Employee to not come to work on the day(s) when the school is closed for in-semester school holiday(s), school anniversary day(s), etc., and these days shall be considered a part of the Paid Leave set forth in the foregoing Clause ①.
≡ Seoul: Employee shall note the difference between school vacation and paid vacation days; Employee is expected to fulfill normal working duties during the school vacation period unless Employee has received prior approval for paid vacation or unpaid leave during the school vacation period.
＊Sejong: In case of the termination of this Contract (including a renewal contract), annual paid leave shall be prorated based on the actual number of days of employment completed. If the Employee used more than the allowed paid leaves, he/she is entitled to, those days shall be unpaid. The remaining days specified in the foregoing clause ① shall be surrendered.
≡ Incheon: In the case of tardiness, early leave, other absences during the work day, deduction shall be made from the number of days of paid leave in the forgoing clause ①.
＊Jeonnam: In case of the termination of this Contract (including a renewal contract), paid leave shall be pro-rated based on the actual number of days of employment completed. If the Employee used more than the allowed vacation days, he or she is entitled to, those days shall be unpaid.
＊Jeonbuk: In case of the termination of this Contract, annual paid leave shall be pro-rated based on the actual number of days of employment completed. If the Employee used more than the allowed vacation days, he or she is entitled to, those days shall be unpaid. The remaining days specified in the foregoing clause ① shall be surrendered.
≡ Jeju: Regardless of the number of days over which the Paid Leave falls, eight (8) accumulated hours of Paid Leave shall be counted as one day. This includes tardiness, early leave, other absences during the work day and/or half-days of Paid Leave.
＊Chungbuk: In case of the termination of this Contract (including a Renewal Contract), paid leave shall be pro-rated based on the actual number of days of Employment. If the Employee used more than the allowed vacation days, he or she is entitled to, the remaining days specified in the forgoing clause 1 shall be surrendered and unpaid.

– Gangwon, Gwangju, Daegu, Daejeon, Busan, Incheon, Jeju, Chungnam only –
≡ Gangwon: The Employee must use Paid Leave if they do not wish to come to work on the day(s) when the school is closed for in-semester holiday(s), school anniversary day(s) etc. However, if the Employee wishes to work during school closures mentioned in this clause, they can come to work as usual without using Paid Leave.
≡ Gwangju: Regardless of the number of days over which the Paid Leave falls, eight (8) accumulated hours of Paid Leave shall be counted as one day. This includes tardiness, early leave, other absences during the work day and/or half-days of Paid Leave. A total of less than eight (8) hours will not be counted.
≡ Daegu: Employees who are recognized for special achievement or contribution may receive an additional Paid Leave of a maximum of five (5) working days. The DMOE shall decide whether an additional Paid Leave will be granted or not.
≡ Daejeon, Incheon, Jeju: In case of the termination of this Contract (including a renewal contract), paid leave shall be pro-rated based on the actual number of days of employment completed. If the Employee used more than the allowed vacation days, he or she is entitled to, those days shall be unpaid. The remaining days specified in the foregoing clause ① shall be surrendered.
≡ Busan: Any tardiness, early leave, other absences during the work day and/or half-days of paid leave shall be deducted from the paid leaves specified in Article 14 Clause ①.
≡ Chungnam: The Employee’s paid leave shall be used during the school discretionary holidays, anniversary and others.

– Gwangju, Busan only –
≡ Gwangju: In case of the termination of this Contract (including a renewal contract), paid leave shall be pro-rated based on the actual number of days of employment completed. If the Employee used more than the allowed vacation days, he or she is entitled to, those days shall be unpaid. The remaining days specified in the foregoing clause ① shall be surrendered.
≡ Busan: In case of the termination of this contract (including a renewal contract), paid leave shall be pro-rated based on the actual number of days of employment completed. If the Employee used more than the allowed vacation days he or she is entitled to, those days shall be unpaid. The remaining days specified in the foregoing clause ① shall be surrendered.

Article 14 Notes

There is a difference between school vacation periods (방학) and your paid vacation days (유급휴가). In western countries, public school teachers get (almost) the entire break off because there are no kids to teach; non-contract Korean teachers can also take off the entire break, only coming to school a few days here and there. That is not the case for you. You can and should use your paid vacation days during the school vacation periods, but breaks are a lot longer than the number of days you get in your contract. You do not get the school vacation period off, you still have to work.

This is called “deskwarming” and, although should be for lesson planning, is mostly doing your own thing. Don’t feel guilty about watching Netflix, playing online games with other deskwarming friends, studying something, or bringing some of your hobbies to school. If you’ve already planned all that you can, there is nothing else for you to do.

Every MOE/POE will grant you at least 26 paid vacation days. For those working at Gwangju’s English Experience Center, you can get an extra 4 days; those who live/work in Ongjin-gun get an extra 5 days due to the “Isolation Allowance”; and, in some special circumstances, you can receive more paid leave if you have “made a great contribution” (Article 13 (Benefits), Clause 8).

However, this vacation time cannot be “freely” used whenever you want; you can only use your vacation days when you do not have classes (i.e. take a half day after classes finish to go to the bank, take a week off in summer when school is not in session, etc.). You need to communicate with your school(s) to know when a program, like English Camp, will occur during summer and winter vacation before you apply for your paid leave.

Most MOEs/POEs will also require you to use your paid vacation days if there is a discretionary holiday (재량휴업일) like the school’s anniversary. You should account for 1 or 2 days to be used each semester as a discretionary holiday and save 1 or 2 days each semester to be used for early leave.

Some MOEs/POEs also ask that you use a specific amount of your paid vacation days during certain periods:

Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Daejeon, Seoul, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, Chungnam, and Chungbuk do not specify how many days you can take during the summer and winter recesses
Daegu: 13 days in summer and 13 days in winter
Busan: 10 days in summer and 10 days in winter; the remaining 6 days are set aside for discretionary holidays, half-days, tardiness, and during times the leave does not disrupt the “smooth operation” of the school
Sejong: 10 days in summer and 16 days in winter
Incheon: 13 days in summer and 13 days in winter
Jeju: 8 days in summer and 18 days in winter

For all of the MOEs/POEs that list out specific amounts, it only applies if you work at a school. If you work at another institution, you can take your vacation whenever it doesn’t interfere with the schedule.

Some of the MOEs/POEs that split vacations are accommodating and flexible. The days listed are merely a suggestion set forth to ensure the MOE/POE has enough NETs available to participate in English programs during a school vacation, as you may be asked to teach at another school in the area. Some are a lot more strict and will require you to “use ‘em or lose ‘em.”

It seems like MOEs/POEs strictly limiting how many days you take off is against the law, even though you signed a contract stipulating this division. As long as you plan around your school(s) English Camp and other programs, that time is yours. On the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s website (infographic slide 4), it clearly states that an employer cannot force you to take your vacation at a specific time, and if they say you must, you do not have to comply. This cannot be found in writing other than that infographic and some news articles containing the infographic (Korea, Daehan). The only way an employer can legally deny your paid leave is if it “greatly impacts” the operation of the business (ex. class, English Camp, etc.), which is written in Article 60, Clause 5 of the Labor Standards Act.

Article 62 (Substitution of Paid Leave) of the Labor Standards Act says, “An employer may, by a written agreement with the representative of employees, get employees to take a paid leave on a particular working day, in substitution of an annual paid leave provided for in Article 60.” This should only refer to discretionary holidays rather than pre-determined amounts of time you can use your paid time off.

Clause 2 says you must inform your Employer at least 15 days in advance of your requested days of paid leave (유급휴가). This is only in reference to the paid leave in this Article, not any other paid leave (sick or special leave) listed in Articles 15 and 16. The Korean version of this clause states “이 유급휴가” meaning “this paid leave” stated in this article. There are some Korean teachers who think this refers to special leave or sick leave, too, but it’s impossible to give notice for that leave. Who knows 15 days in advance when they will get sick or when a loved one will die?

Gwangju’s Clause 3 mentions that you must inform your employer about traveling abroad. This is true for most MOEs/POEs and is not because they don’t trust you or want to baby you, but for other reasons like insurance. Korean teachers also need to fill out documents stating if they will be going overseas.

Clause 4 says that eight accumulated hours of paid leave count as 1 day of paid leave and includes any tardiness (지각), early leave (조퇴), and other absences (외출). This is in accordance with Article 17 (Subtraction from Number of Days of Annual Leave), Clause 4 of the State Public Officials Service Regulations. Some MOEs/POEs subtract any time (not just that equaling 8 hours) from your paid leave.

Gangwon, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Seoul, Jeonnam, Chungnam, and Chungbuk all only count miscellaneous time if it adds up to 8 hours.
Gyeonggi, Daegu, Daejeon, Busan, Incheon, Jeonbuk, and Jeju do not make it clear.
Sejong states that any amount of time you take is subtracted from your paid leave.

It is unclear if this follows the law or not; nowhere says it is legal to subtract any amount of time from your paid leave.

What is considered “late” is also not made clear in any laws nor in the MOE/POE contracts.

If you are fired or quit, your paid leave will be prorated. This means that you do not get the entire 26 days of paid leave listed in this contract. Article 17 (Subtraction from Number of Days of Annual Leave), Clause 2 of the State Public Officials Service Regulations tells us how to prorate your paid leave. Keep in mind that 15 days or more is considered 1 month of work; anything less than 15 days is not counted for prorating your paid leave.

This is the equation:

(period you worked in months ÷ 12 months) × the number of paid leave for that year/contract period

For example, say you started working in February and realized you have to go home in May of the same year. You start your contract in February with less than 15 days left in the month and, if you leave in early May, that month does not count either if you haven’t gone over 15 days. Only March and April would count.

(2 months of work (March and April) ÷ 12 months) × 26 days of paid leave = the amount you have left
(2 ÷ 12) × 26 = 4.3333333342 days of paid leave

As stated in this Clause of the State Public Officials Service Regulations, the decimal shall be rounded off.

4 days of paid leave

If you’ve gone over the amount of paid leave after it has been prorated, it counts as unpaid leave and therefore your final paycheck will reflect that.

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Article 15 (Sick Leave)

Gyeonggi: Article 16 (Sick Leave)

Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Daegu, Daejeon, Busan, Seoul, Sejong, Incheon, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, Jeju, Chungnam, Chungbuk:

The Employee shall be entitled to a paid Sick Leave in the case of any illness or injury which prevents the Employee from performing the duties herein only with the express consent of the Employer. The Employee shall notify the Employer of any absence due to sickness within one (1) hour of the beginning of the Employee's duties.
＊Gwangju: The Employee shall be entitled to a paid Sick Leave in the case of any illness or injury which prevents the Employee from performing the duties herein only with the express consent of the Employer. The Employee shall notify the Employer of any absence due to sickness before the beginning of the Employee's duties.
＊Daegu: The Employee shall be entitled to paid Sick Leave in the case of any illness or injury which prevents the Employee from performing the duties herein only with the express consent of the Employer. The Employee shall request to the Head of the Work Place to take an absence due to sickness within one (1) hour of the beginning of the Employee's Work Hours.
＊Seoul: Employee shall be entitled to paid sick leave if an illness or injury prevents him/her from performing the duties under this Contract, after first obtaining prior consent from the head of workplace.
＊Chungbuk: The Employee shall be entitled to paid Sick Leave in the case of any illness or injury which prevents the Employee from performing the duties herein only with the express consent of the Employer. The Employee shall notify the Employer of any absence due to sickness within one (1) hour of the beginning of the Employee's duties.
The Employee's paid Sick Leave during the Term of Employment shall not exceed eleven (11) working days. Regardless of whether the sick-leave days are consecutive or individual, the Employee shall not require a doctor's note for the first three (3) days of sick leave taken during the Term of Employment. However, a practicing doctor's medical report shall be required for any sick-leave periods taken above the three-day threshold, whether these days are consecutive or individual. The time period of the sick leave must not exceed the period advised by the physician's report. Letters from a physician must be submitted to the Employer on the first day that the Employee returns to the work place. ＊Busan: In case a medical report is not submitted on time, the unexcused sick leave(s) shall be deducted from the total paid leaves specified in Article 14 Clause ①. In case the emplyee needs a long-term (2 or more consecutive days) sick leave, the employee must notify the employer prior to using the sick leave, and a doctor’s note must be submitted to the employer before using the long-term sick leave.
＊Gyeonggi: A practicing doctor’s medical report shall be required for any sick-leave periods taken exceeding two (2) consecutive days or upon the request of the Employer. Reports from a physician must be submitted to the Employer on the first day that the Employee returns to the work place.
＊Gwangju: The Employee's paid Sick Leave during the Term of Employment shall not exceed eleven (11) working days. Regardless of whether the sick-leave days are consecutive or individual, the Employee shall not require a doctor's note for the first three (3) days of sick leave taken during the Term of Employment. Once the first three days of an employee’s sick leave allowance is utilized, the use of any sick leave, individual or consecutive thereafter will require a practicing doctor's medical report for the sick leave periods taken. The time period of the sick leave must not exceed the period advised by the physician's report. Letters from a physician must be submitted to the Employer on the first day that the Employee returns to the work place.
＊Daegu: The Employee's paid Sick Leave during the Term of Employment shall not exceed eleven (11) working days. Regardless of whether the sick-leave days are consecutive or individual, the Employee shall not require a doctor's note for the first three (3) days of Sick Leave taken during the Term of Employment. However, a doctor's note from a practicing doctor shall be required for any Sick Leave periods taken above the three-day threshold, whether these days are consecutive or individual. The time period of the Sick Leave must not exceed the period advised by the doctor’s note. The doctor’s note must be submitted to the Head of the Work Place on the first day that the Employee returns to the Work Place.
＊Seoul: When Employee takes a sick leave for three (3) consecutive working days or more Employee shall submit a medical doctor’s report to Employer.
＊Jeonbuk: The Employee's paid Sick Leave during the Term of Employment shall not exceed eleven(11) working days. Regardless of whether the sick-leave days are consecutive or individual, the Employee shall not require a doctor's note for the first three (3) days of sick leave taken during the Term of Employment. However, a practicing doctor's medical report shall be required for any sick-leave periods taken above the three-day threshold, whether these days are consecutive or individual. The time period of the sick leave must not exceed the period advised by the physician's report. Letters from a physician must be submitted to the Employer on the first day that the Employee returns to the work place.
＊Jeju: The Employee's paid Sick Leave for one year shall not exceed eleven (11) working days. Regardless of whether the sick-leave days are consecutive or individual, the Employee shall not require a doctor's note for the first three (3) days of sick leave taken during the Term of Employment. However, a practicing doctor's medical report shall be required for any sick-leave periods taken above the three-day threshold, whether these days are consecutive or individual. The time period of the sick leave must not exceed the period advised by the physician's report. Letters from a physician must be submitted to the Employer on the first day that the Employee returns to the work place. In the case of a contract that is more than one calendar year, sick leave shall be given on a proportional basis.
If the Employee requires a Sick Leave of more than eleven (11) working days during the Term of Employment, any working days beyond the 11-day limit will be unpaid.
＊Gangwon: Any Sick Leaves taken beyond the 11-day limit will be unpaid.
＊Gyeonggi: If the Employee requires a Sick Leave of more than eleven (11) working days during the Term of Employment, any Sick Leave days beyond the 11-day limit will be unpaid.
＊Daegu: If the Employee requires and takes Sick Leave of more than eleven (11) working days, including the accumulated hours of tardiness, early leave, other absences during the work day and/or half-days of Sick Leave, during the Term of Employment, any working days and hours beyond the eleven-day limit shall be unpaid.
＊Seoul: Employee’s paid sick leave taken during the Term of Employment shall not exceed fifteen (15) work days. Any sick leave taken beyond the allotted 15 work days will be without pay. 15 days of consecutive absence due to sick leave will include Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays of the Republic of Korea.
＊Jeonbuk: If the Employee requires a Sick Leave of more than the number of paid sick leave days according to the Employee’s Term of Employment set forth under Article 15 ②, any working days beyond the number of paid sick leave days set forth limit will be unpaid.
＊Jeju: If the paid sick leave period of the employee exceeds the maximum number of working days, it shall be unpaid.
The total number of days of Sick Leave (both paid and unpaid) used by the Employee and the reasons for taking Sick Leave will be included in the Employee's Attendance Record Card, which shall be utilized by the Employer to evaluate the Employee's conduct and determine the Employee's contract renewal.
＊Gyeonggi: Sick leaves may be used to account for tardiness, early leaves, outings during school hours, and/or half-day leaves due to sickness. Eight (8) accumulated hours used in such manners shall be counted as one day of sick leave.
＊Daegu: The total number of days of Sick Leave (both paid and unpaid) used by the Employee and the reasons for taking Sick Leave will be included in the Employee's attendance record on NEIS (National Education Information System) which shall be utilized by the Employer to evaluate the Employee's conduct and determine the Employee's contract renewal.
＊Daejeon: The total number of days of Sick Leave (both paid and unpaid) used by the Employee and the reasons for taking Sick Leave will be included in the NEIS(National Education Information System), which shall be utilized by the Employer to evaluate the Employee's conduct and determine the Employee's contract renewal.
＊Seoul: Regardless of the number of days over which the Sick Leave falls, eight (8) accumulated hours of Sick Leave shall be counted as one sick day. This includes tardiness, early leave, and other absences during the work day and/or half-days of Sick Leave. (A total of less than eight (8) hours will not be counted.)
＊Sejong: The total number of days of Sick Leave (both paid and unpaid) used by the Employee and the reasons for taking Sick Leave will be included in the Employee's Attendance Record on NEIS (National Education Information System), which shall be utilized by the Employer to evaluate the Employee's conduct and determine the Employee's contract renewal.
＊Incheon, Jeonnam: The total number of days of Sick Leave (both paid and unpaid) used by the Employee and the reasons for taking Sick Leave will be included in the Employee's Personnel Record Card, which shall be utilized by the Employer to evaluate the Employee's conduct and determine the Employee's contract renewal.

– All MOEs/POEs except Seoul –
Gangwon, Gyeongbuk, Chungnam, Chungbuk: Regardless of the number of days over which the Sick Leave falls, eight (8) accumulated hours of Sick Leave shall be counted as one day. This includes tardiness, early leave, other absences during the work day and/or half-days of Sick Leave. A total of less than eight (8) hours will not be counted.
＊Gyeonggi: The total number of days of Sick Leave (both paid and unpaid) used by the Employee and the reasons for taking Sick Leave will be included in the Employee's Personnel Record Card, which shall be utilized by the Employer to evaluate the Employee's conduct and determine the Employee's contract renewal.
＊Gyeongnam, Gwangju: Regardless of the number of days over which the Sick Leave falls, eight (8) accumulated hours of Sick Leave shall be counted as one day. This includes tardiness, early leave, other absences during the work day and/or half-days of Sick Leave. A total of less than eight(8) hours will not be counted.
＊Daegu: Regardless of the number of days over which the Sick Leave falls, eight (8) accumulated hours of Sick Leave shall be counted as one (1) day. This includes tardiness, early leave, other absences during the work day and/or half-days of Sick Leave.
＊Daejeon, Jeonnam: Regardless of the number of days over which the Sick Leave falls, eight(8) accumulated hours of Sick Leave shall be counted as one day. This includes tardiness, early leave, other absences during the work day and/or half-days of Sick Leave. A total of less than eight(8) hours will not be counted.
＊Busan: Tardiness, early leave, and other absences during the work day and/or half-days of Sick Leave shall be deducted from the total sick leaves specified in the foregoing Clause ②.
＊Sejong: Regardless of the number of days over which the Sick Leave falls, eight (8) accumulated hours of Sick Leave shall be counted as one (1) day. This includes tardiness, early leave, other absences during the work day and/or half-days of Sick Leave. A total of less than eight (8) hours shall be subtracted from Sick Leave.
＊Incheon: In the case of sick tardiness, sick early leave, other sick absences during the work day, deduction shall be made from the number of days of sick paid leave in the forgoing clause ②.
＊Jeonbuk: Tardiness, early leave, and other absences during the work day due to sickness will be deducted from the sick leave.
＊Jeju: Regardless of the number of days over which the Sick Leave falls, eight(8) accumulated hours of Sick Leave shall be counted as one day. This includes tardiness, early leave, other absences during the work day and/or half-days of Sick Leave.
In case of the termination of this Contract (including a renewal contract), paid sick leave shall be pro-rated based on the actual number of days of employment completed. If the Employee used more than the allowed paid sick leave, he or she is entitled to, those days shall be unpaid. The remaining days specified in the foregoing clause ③ shall be surrendered.
＊Gyeonggi: Elective cosmetic surgery or treatment including laser surgery or any complications arising as a result of this type of surgery or treatment will not be considered for Sick Leave.
＊Daegu: In case of the termination of this Contract, paid Sick Leave shall be pro-rated based on the actual number of days of employment completed. If the Employee used more than the allowed paid sick leave days he/she is entitled to, those days shall be unpaid. The remaining days specified in the foregoing clause ② shall be surrendered.
＊Busan: In case of the termination of this Contract (including a renewal contract), paid sick leave shall be pro-rated based on the actual number of days of employment completed. If the Employee used more than the allowed paid sick leave he or she is entitled to, those days shall be unpaid. The remaining days specified in the foregoing clause ③ shall be surrendered.
＊Sejong: In case of the termination of this Contract (including a renewal contract), paid sick leave shall be prorated based on the actual number of days of employment completed. If the Employee used more than the allowed paid sick leave, he or she is entitled to, those days shall be unpaid. The remaining days specified in the foregoing clause ③ shall be surrendered.
＊Jeonbuk: In case of the termination of this Contract (including a renewal contract), paid sick leave shall be pro-rated based on the actual number of days of employment completed. If the Employee used more than the allowed paid sick leave, he or she is entitled to, those hours and days shall be unpaid. The remaining days specified in the foregoing clause ② shall be surrendered.
＊Chungbuk: In case of the termination of this Contract (including a renewal contract), paid sick leave shall be pro-rated based on the actual number of days of employment completed. If the Employee used more than the allowed paid sick leave, he or she is entitled to, those days shall be unpaid. The remaining days specified in the forgoing clause ③ shall be surrendered.

Article 15 Notes

As mentioned in Article 11 (Renewal), Korea has a horrible standard of not using any sick leave unless you are incredibly ill and have gone to the hospital. Most people still come to work, “prove” to everyone around them that they are actually sick, and then leave when someone tells them they should go home. This happens everywhere, all the time. For this reason, your school and/or co-teacher may hesitate to “approve” your sick leave while you are still at home, and urge you to come to work. You have the right to refuse, of course.

With most MOEs/POEs, you will get 11 days of paid sick leave (유급병가) every year; Seoul gets 15. For the first 3 days you use, you do not need a doctor’s note. For day 4 and onward, you would need an official note from whichever doctor you visited. Only Busan and Gyeonggi require an official note after 2 days of paid sick leave.

There are multiple types of official doctor notes: a 진료확인서 (a certificate of medical care after being diagnosed), a 진단서 (a medical certificate that proves your health status), and a 소견서 (a doctor’s letter of opinion). Both the 진료확인서 and 소견서 are quite cheap. They can be free to only a few thousand won. A 진단서, however, is a lot more expensive (around ₩50,000). Only ask for a 진단서 if it is required of you.

All MOEs/POEs, sans Daegu, specifically mention a 진단서 in the contract. In Daegu, it is required that you get a 진료확인서. Clarify with your school beforehand if you absolutely need a 진단서 or not. Some may let another form slide but don’t expect it. Korean teachers are required to get a 진단서 so they will ask this of you as well.

If you have to be out of work for multiple days, make sure the certificate notes the duration of the recommended time you are unable to be at work. If not, you’ll have to go back to the doctor’s office to get another certificate that makes it clear.

Obtaining a sick note is not as easy as it seems; not only does your employer expect you to be on your deathbed for you to be absent from work, but most doctors also will only give you an official note if you are incredibly ill. Multiple people have been refused a note and are explicitly told by a doctor that they can only get one if they “have a serious illness like HIV or Hepatitis.” Yes, very specific diseases to point out. It doesn’t feel too discriminatory until you learn that foreigners were tested for HIV/AIDS every year for the visa health check until 2017. To this day, it is still included in tests run by hospitals throughout Korea, even without your consent.

Clause 1 says that you need to inform your employer, meaning the vice-principal and the relevant co-teachers (main co-teacher and whomever you’re teaching with), “within one hour of the beginning of the Employee's duties.” As a native English speaker, you may assume that you have to let your school know by 7:00 or 7:30 AM; however, the Korean clause says “근무 시간 시작 후 1시간 이내에” which means you have until 1 hour after (후) starting work. If you start work at 8:30 AM, you have until 9:30 AM to tell your school that you’re sick, at least according to the contract. The only MOE/POE that this does not apply to is Gwangju. Although you are not obligated to tell your school an hour beforehand, it is good manners to tell your co-teacher as soon as you realize you cannot come to school. They’ll have to cover a class for you, which is extra work for them. Giving them more time to prepare is the kind thing to do.

Any sick days that you use over the allotted 11 days will be unpaid. If you go over 30 days, your contract may be terminated (Article 18 (Termination of the Contract)). The total number of sick days will also be noted on NEIS and/or your record card (근무상황부) and will be considered when applying to renew your contract. Like with paid leave, a total of 8 hours will count as 1 day of paid sick leave. Some MOEs/POEs will count any amount of time, while some will not count less than 8 hours.

Gangwon, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Daejeon, Seoul, Jeonnam, Chungnam, and Chungbuk all only count miscellaneous time if it adds up to 8 hours.
Gyeonggi, Daegu, Busan, Incheon, Jeonbuk, and Jeju do not make it clear.
Sejong states that any amount of time you take is subtracted from your paid sick leave.

Again, like with paid leave, nowhere in the law says subtracting any amount from your paid sick leave is legal. Article 18 (Sick Leave) of the State Public Officials Service Regulations makes it clear that only an accumulated total of 8 hours should be counted as 1 day.

For inputting your sick leave into NEIS, you will have to do so while at work or ask your co-teacher to do it for you. You can only log into your NEIS account from home after you’ve applied for an “EVPN” in the NEIS system while at work. That includes having a special password and downloading a bunch of programs onto your personal computer... and using Microsoft Edge. It is a very annoying process.

When you input leave into NEIS, a reason has to be listed. This is why your co-teacher may ask you specifics. Only your principal, vice-principal, and higher-ups at school can view the specific reasons people are not at work. However, everyone can see the general category of why you’re not at work: paid leave, sick leave, or special leave (the type is specified). This is how teachers find out another teacher is pregnant before they tell anyone since pregnant people have special leave.

Lying is not recommended as what doctors you go to shows up while filing your taxes, but if you do not want the entire school to know which doctor you are going to for whatever reason, perhaps say you want to go to the dermatologist, internist, or see an ENT instead.

Misc. Notes:

According to Busan (Clause 2), 2 days is considered a long-term illness.
Gyeonggi’s Clause 6 says that any complications from cosmetic surgery will not count as sick leave. This feels pointed and specific.
Seoul’s Clause 3 says that public holidays and weekends will count during consecutive sick days, which is not mentioned anywhere in law (the Labor Standards Act nor State Public Officials Service Regulations).

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Article 16 (Special Leave)

Gyeonggi: Article 17 (Special Leave)

Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Daegu, Daejeon, Busan, Seoul, Sejong, Incheon, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, Jeju, Chungnam, Chungbuk:

Gangwon, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Sejong, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, Chungnam, Chungbuk: The Employee may take a paid Special Leave for a number of days as set forth below for each of the following events stated herein only with the express consent of the Employer. The duration of the Special Leave excluding maternity leave shall not include Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays of the Republic of Korea.
＊Gyeonggi: The Employee may take a paid Special Leave for a number of days as set forth below for each of the following events stated herein only with the express consent of the Employer: The duration of the Special Leave, excluding maternity leave, shall not include Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays of the Republic of Korea.
＊Gwangju: The Employee may take a paid Special Leave for a number of days as set forth below for each of the following events stated herein only with the express consent of the Employer. The duration of the Special Leave (excluding maternity leave) shall not include Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays of the Republic of Korea.
＊Daegu: The Employee may take paid Special Leave for a number of days as set forth below for each of the following occurrences stated herein only with the express consent of the Employer. The duration of the Special Leave, excluding maternity leave, shall not include Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays of the Republic of Korea, and shall commence on the day of the occasion and be used consecutively.
＊Daejeon: The Employee may take a paid Special Leave from the date the event takes place for the number of days as set forth below for each of the following events stated herein only with the express consent of the Employer: The duration of the Special Leave excluding maternity leave shall not include Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays of the Republic of Korea.
＊Busan: The Employee may take a paid Special Leave for a number of days as set forth below for each of the following events stated herein only with the express consent of the Employer. The duration of the Special Leave, excluding maternity leave, shall be used consecutively commencing on the day or the day before/after not include Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays of the Republic of Korea and a document must be submitted to prove the occurrence.
＊Seoul: Employee may take a paid Special Leave for a number of days as set forth below for each of the following events stated herein only with the express consent of the head of workplace: The duration of the Special Leave excluding maternity leave shall not include Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays of the Republic of Korea.
＊Incheon: The Employee may take a paid Special Leave for a number of days as set forth below for each of the following events stated herein only with the express consent of the Employer. The duration of the Special Leave excluding maternity leave shall be used consecutively commencing on the day or the day before/after of occurrence(Events 2, the paternity leave shall not be requested after 90days from the day of the occurrence) not include Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays of the Republic of Korea.
＊Jeju: The Employee may take a paid Special Leave for a number of days as set forth below for each of the following events stated herein only with the express consent of the Employer. The duration of the Special Leave excluding maternity leave shall not include Saturdays, Sundays, Labor Day(May 1st) and national holidays of the Republic of Korea.
1. Five (5) days for the Employee's marriage, one (1) day for the marriage of the Employee's child.
  ＊Daegu: Five (5) days for the Employee's marriage, one (1) day for the marriage of the Employee's child
2. Ten (10) days for paternity leave. ＊Busan: (The paternity leave shall not be requested after 90 days from the day of the occurrence.)
  ＊Daegu: Ten (10) days for paternity leave
  ＊Gyeonggi, Sejong: Five (5) days for paternity leave.
3. Five (5) days for the death of the Employee’s parents or spouse or spouse's parents; three (3) days for the death of the Employee’s or spouse's grandparents; three (3) days for the death of the Employee’s child or child's spouse; one (1) day for the death of the Employee’s or spouse's siblings.
  ＊Daegu: Five (5) days for the death of the Employee’s parents or spouse or spouse's parents; three (3) days for the death of the Employee’s or spouse's grandparents; three (3) days for the death of the Employee’s child or child's spouse; one (1) day for the death of the Employee’s or spouse's siblings
  ＊Daejeon, Sejong, Jeju: Five (5) days for the death of the Employee’s parents or spouse or spouse's parents; two (2) days for the death of the Employee’s or spouse's grandparents; two (2) days for the death of the Employee’s child or child's spouse; one (1) day for the death of the Employee’s or spouse's siblings.
4. In case of a female Employee, ninety (90) continuous calendar days shall be granted for a maternity leave. In the case of maternity leave, only the first 60 days shall be paid leave; the last 30 days shall be unpaid leave.
  ＊Gyeonggi: In case of a female Employee, ninety (90) calendar days (including Saturday, Sunday and Korean national holidays) shall be granted for a maternity leave. In the case of maternity leave, only the first 60 days shall be paid leave; the last 30 days shall be unpaid leave.
  ＊Gwangju: In the case of a female Employee, ninety (90) continuous calendar days shall be granted for a maternity leave. A minimum of 45 days of maternity leave must be taken in the postnatal period. In the case of maternity leave, only the first 60 days shall be paid leave; the last 30 days shall be unpaid leave.
  ＊Daegu: In case of a female Employee, ninety (90) continuous calendar days of maternity leave must be taken. Of the ninety (90) days, only the first sixty (60) days will be paid leave; the last thirty (30) days will be unpaid leave.
  ＊Daejeon, Incheon: In case of a female Employee, ninety (90) calendar days shall be granted for a maternity leave. In the case of maternity leave, only the first 60 days shall be paid leave; the last 30 days shall be unpaid leave.
  ＊Sejong: In case of a female Employee, ninety (90) continuous calendar days shall be granted for a maternity leave. In the case of maternity leave, only the first sixty (60) days shall be paid leave; the last thirty (30) days shall be unpaid leave.
  
  – All MOEs/POEs except Gyeonggi –
5. Daejeon, Busan, Jeonnam, Jeju, Chungbuk: Female Employee with a child aged less than one year shall be entitled to thirty(30)-minute-nursing time twice a day.
  ＊Gangwon, Gyeongbuk: Female Employee with a child aged less than one year shall be entitled to thirty (30) - minute - nursing time twice a day.
  ＊Gyeongnam: Female Employees’ with a child aged less than one year shall be entitled to athirty (30)-minute-nursing time twice a day.
  ＊Gwangju: Female Employees with a child aged less than one year shall be entitled to thirty(30)-minute-nursing time twice a day.
  ＊Daegu: Female Employee with a child aged less than one (1) year shall be entitled to thirty-minute nursing time twice a day.
  ＊Seoul: Female Employee with a child aged less than one year shall be entitled to thirty (30) minute nursing time twice a day.
  ＊Sejong: Female Employee with a child aged less than one (1) year shall be entitled to thirty (30)-minute nursing time twice a day.
  ＊Incheon, Jeonbuk: Female Employee with a child aged less than one year shall be entitled to thirty(30)-minute nursing time twice a day.
  ＊Chungnam: Female Employee with a child aged less than one year shall be entitled to thirty (30) -minute - nursing time twice a day.
6. An employee who is either less than 12 weeks pregnant or more than 36 weeks pregnant may receive a reduction of two (2) non-instruction working hours per working day. In order to receive this reduction, a doctor’s medical confirmation must be provided no less than three (3) days before the commencement of this reduction.
  ＊Daegu, Sejong: An employee who is either less than twelve (12) weeks pregnant or more than thirty-six (36) weeks pregnant may receive a reduction of two (2) non-instruction working hours per working day. In order to receive this reduction, a doctor’s medical confirmation must be provided no less than three (3) days before the commencement of this reduction.
– Gyeonggi, Daegu, Incheon only –
＊Gyeonggi: A pregnant Employee who is fewer than 12 weeks pregnant and/or more than 36 weeks pregnant shall be entitled to two (2) working hours deduction a day that does not interfere with the operation of the school curriculum. In order to apply, the Employee must submit a doctor’s certificate not fewer than three (3) days before the commencing day of deduction.
＊Daegu: In case of the Special Leave, the Employee shall submit a documentation which proves an occurrence set forth in the foregoing clause ① to the Head of the Work Place.
＊Incheon: In the event of Special Leave pursuant to any of the provisions set forth in the foregoing clause ①, Employee must submit a document which proves an occurrence to the Head of the Work Place.

Article 16 Notes

Special leave (특별휴가) is set aside for specific life events, like getting married or a death in the family. There are a set amount of days you can take for each occurrence and you’ll need to take this leave immediately before or after the date of the occurrence (발생한 날), you cannot “defer” it to a later date. This leave does not include the weekend or national holidays of Korea. This means that if you get 3 days for the death of a grandparent and they happen to pass on a Friday, you can leave work early on Friday (day 1), and take Monday (day 2) and Tuesday (day 3) off. You cannot just say something happened and then get the time off, though. You have to prove it with any type of evidence (증빙하는 서류), like an official document or certificate. Maternity leave is the only type of special leave that includes weekends and holidays. You have to get approval from your principal/vice-principal before taking special leave.

The State Public Officials Service Regulations were updated for this year (2022). It includes Table 2 which lists the number of days you should receive for specific life events. Because the contracts we are looking at are from 2021, they do not match this update and are outdated. Please check your current contract (2022 and onward) to see if it follows the law (relevant to Gyeonggi, Daejeon, Sejong, and Jeju). Here is what is listed in the State Public Officials Service Regulations:

5 days for your marriage
1 for the marriage of your child
10 days for your spouse giving birth (paternity leave)
20 days if you were to adopt a child (only under certain circumstances; probably not relevant to you unless you are married to a Korean national)
5 days for the death of your parents or your spouse’s parents
3 days for the death of your grandparents or spouse’s grandparents
3 days for the death of your child or your spouse’s child
1 day for the death of your or your spouse’s sibling

You are given 5 consecutive days of leave if you are married (결혼). Most Korean couples have their ceremony on the weekend and then immediately begin their honeymoon the following week starting Monday. They use their official paid leave to do all of the legal paperwork so they can have a nice vacation.

10 days are given for paternity leave (배우자 출산휴가); Article 18-2 (Paternity Leave) of the Equal Employment Opportunity and Work-family Balance Assistance Act makes it clear that you can only request paternity leave up until 90 days after your spouse gives birth. This should not include weekends or holidays. You can use it consecutively or split this time in half. For example, if your spouse has a false alarm, you can use 1 or 2 days during that period and then the rest when they actually go into labor. You could even split it where you take leave during the birth, go back to work while your spouse recovers, and then take the rest of your leave when they get back home from the hospital. Matching up this leave with your paid vacation is not a bad idea.

Subclause 3 talks about death (사망) in your family. You will get 5 days of paid leave if your parents or if your spouse’s parents pass, 3 days if your grandparents pass, 3 days if your child passes, and 1 day if your sibling passes. This leave has to be consecutive. For emergency situations, Gwangju allows you to request unpaid leave 7 days in advance. Other MOEs/POEs may approve unpaid leave for emergency situations as well. If you do have a death in your family and you want to attend the funeral, you should absolutely explain the situation to your school. You may need to explain western funerals and how they are different from Korean funerals.

Korean funerals begin immediately after a loved one passes and lasts for only three days. Most western cultures wait a week or so from the time of death to the actual ceremony. Because of this difference, your school may assume you do not have enough time to physically get to your home country to attend the funeral and therefore would not grant you any unpaid leave. If you explain the difference in customs, there would be few schools that would deny you sending off your loved one.

Maternity leave is a lot more complicated than just receiving 90 days. There are many laws that can make your life a little easier. However, the contract does not list everything that is mentioned in the law.

Before even getting pregnant, you are able to take leave for infertility treatments like artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization. You can have up to 3 days of leave per year for this. Only the first day is paid. Your employer does have the ability to change the date of this leave if it “significantly impedes the operation of normal business” (Article 18-3 of the Equal Employment Opportunity And Work-family Balance Assistance Act).

While pregnant, the Labor Standards Act defines what protections and perks you are legally obligated to receive. Article 74 (Protection for Maternity) of the Labor Standards Act, in simplified terms, is this:

You get 90 days for maternity leave if you are having one child and 120 days if you are having twins, triplets, or more. This is for both pre- and post-birth. You have to take at least 45 days after giving birth for one child and 60 days if you are having two or more children. This means you have half of your leave pre-birth and half of your leave post-birth; you can technically “save” your time before giving birth so you have a longer break after giving birth.
Only the first 60 days for one child and the first 75 days for two or more children are paid leave; the remaining amount of time is unpaid.
You cannot do overtime work if you are pregnant. After you return to work, you should be given the same overtime as before you left for maternity leave.
If you need to request a change in the start and end time of your workday, you can as long as you complete the contractual daily work hours. This does not apply if the “normal operation of [the] business can be significantly impeded.” To do this, you’ll need a doctor’s note listing the amended times and why it is needed. An employer cannot reduce your wages because they reduced your work hours.
If you are between 0 to 12 weeks or 36 weeks pregnant to the time of birth, you can request a reduction in your work hours by 2 hours a day. This reduction can happen for 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the afternoon, 2 hours in the morning, or 2 hours in the afternoon. You need to submit a medical certificate 3 days prior to when you want to start this leave. This is to prevent a miscarriage in early pregnancy or any other complications 36 weeks and over. The employer is not obligated to grant a reduction in work hours between 12 and 36 weeks pregnant. This is true for ordinary workers. Public officials are able to receive this reduction for the entire duration of their pregnancy as long as it does not impede the smooth operation of the workplace.

You can claim paid leave for regular prenatal checkups; your wage should not be reduced due to these doctor appointments (Article 74-2 (Permission for Time for Medical Examination of Unborn Child) of the Labor Standards Act).

Because Korea’s birthrate is so low, expecting mothers are given a lot of perks. If you are pregnant, you need to talk to your local public health center (보건소) to see all of the benefits you are eligible to receive.

After giving birth and going back to work, you should be granted a 30-minute (or longer) paid break twice a day to be used as “nursing time” (육아시간) upon request. This is only if you have an infant under the age of 1 regardless if the child is biologically yours or is adopted (Article 75 (Nursing Hours) of the Labor Standards Act). You can take this time at the beginning or at the end of work. If your employer does not grant you this time, they face imprisonment for up to 2 years or a fine of up to 20 million won.

“육아시간” is more accurately translated as “childcare time” but refers to breastfeeding in this contract and in the law. The term for the time you spend while breastfeeding is “수유시간” (literally “giving milk/lactation time”). You can use this time to express and store breastmilk at work, or even use both 30-minute breaks combined and come in 1 hour late or leave 1 hour early. Not allowing you to pump breastmilk is deemed discriminatory under Article 2, Clause 1 of the Equal Employment Opportunity And Work-family Balance Assistance Act.

You are also allowed a leave of absence of up to 1 year for childcare leave according to Article 19 of the Equal Employment Opportunity And Work-family Balance Assistance Act. This includes biological children and adopted children. Your child must be either aged 8 or younger, or in elementary school second grade or lower, to qualify. However, since NETs are considered fixed-term employees (under the Act on the Protection of Fixed-term and Part-time Employees), this leave of absence is not included in your employment period. Although your employer cannot dismiss or take any “other disadvantageous measure” against you, your visa status seems unclear. Immigration is not your employer so them canceling your work visa for not working isn’t out of the question.

You can still request maternity leave if you have a miscarriage, stillbirth, or an abortion (under specific circumstances); you can use your leave multiple times before the embryo/fetus passes. According to Article 43 (Request for Miscarriage or Stillbirth Leave) of the Enforcement Decree of the Labor Standards Act, the amount of time you get off depends on the amount of time you were pregnant:

up to 11 weeks pregnant: 5 days of paid leave after the miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion
12 to 15 weeks pregnant: 10 days of paid leave after the miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion
16 to 21 weeks pregnant: 30 days of paid leave after the miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion
22 to 27 weeks pregnant: 60 days of paid leave after the miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion (abortion cannot be performed after the 24th week; Article 15 (Limited Permission for Induced Abortion Operations) Enforcement Decree Of The Mother And Child Health Act)
28 weeks and up: 90 days of paid leave after the miscarriage or stillbirth

To receive this leave, you will have to submit a medical certificate issued by the hospital you visited.

In order to be granted official leave for an abortion, you must have had one under the following circumstances:

If you are impregnated by rape or quasi-rape
If you are likely to be severely injured by the pregnancy
If you or your spouse has a eugenic or genetic mental disability or physical disease (achondrogenesis, cystic fibrosis, and other genetic diseases which expose embryos to high risk)
If you or your spouse are suffering from any contagious disease (German measles, toxoplasmosis, and other infectious diseases which medically expose embryos to high risk)
If you are pregnant by a blood relative or by a marriage where you are legally unable to marry

If you are married or are in a de facto marital relationship (you live together but are not married), both partners must give their consent to the procedure. If your partner passed away, disappeared, or cannot be found, only the pregnant individual’s consent is needed. If the pregnant person or partner is unable to give consent due to a mental disability, their consent may be substituted by a person who is able to properly support their wishes (Article 14 (Limited Permission for Induced Abortion Operations) of the Mother And Child Health Act).

“Menstrual leave” (생리휴가) is mentioned in Article 73 (Monthly Menstrual Leave) of the Labor Standards Act. You can request 1 day off per month while menstruating. This is separate from paid leave and sick leave, meaning it should not be subtracted from either of those allowances. It should, instead, be unpaid leave. It’s unclear if the MOE/POE will use this time against you while calculating your points for the performance evaluation. This type of leave should be considered an authorized absence. Only unauthorized absences are usually counted against you.

The majority of workers tend not to use menstrual leave, so it’s a good idea beforehand to check out the vibe of your school; however, if you ask for it, your employer is legally required to give you this time. If they don’t, they can be fined up to 5 million KRW. You also should not have to “prove” you are on your period. That is considered an invasion of privacy (although placing a used tampon on someone’s desk would make sure no one ever asks that of you again). You can also freely use this time any day of the week; an employer cannot force you to use it on any specific day.

For public officials, which may or may not apply to NETs:

After birth

You cannot work on Saturdays or holidays if you’ve given birth in the past year unless you’ve given explicit consent (Article 11 (Overtime Work and Working on Holidays), Clause 3 of the State Public Officials Service Regulations).
If you need special procedures as a result of giving birth or meet specific criteria (undefined), you may be granted 2 extra hours every day for rest, hospital treatment, etc. (Article 20 (Special Leave), Clause 4 of the State Public Officials Service Regulations).
You can request 2 hours of leave a day for “maternity protection hours” while you are pregnant. This time can be used for rest, hospital treatment, etc. However, you’ll have to meet the necessary criteria in order to receive this time. The criteria are set by the Minister of Personnel Management and is undefined online (Article 20 (Special Leave), Clause 4 of the State Public Officials Service Regulations).

If you have a child, you can be granted other special leave in accordance with Article 20 (Special Leave) of the State Public Officials Service Regulations:

For a child less than 5 years old, you can get 2 hours a day (within 24 months) for medical procedures and other matters that meet the criteria (undefined)
You get 2 days a year (3 days if you have more than 3 children; no specific age range) for participating in an event hosted by the childcare center, kindergarten, or school; counseling with teachers; and accompanying your child to the hospital for any treatment, including health checkups or vaccinations.

Before getting pregnant, if you need any type of fertility treatment (like artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization), you can have 1 day of paid leave on the day the procedure is performed. The person who will get pregnant may also take another 1 day of paid leave when the eggs are collected during in vitro fertilization (Article 20 (Special Leave), Clause 11 of the State Public Officials Service Regulations).

There are a few other special leave days that are listed in Article 20 (Special Leave) of the State Public Officials Service Regulations. This leave is typically unpaid and includes:

1 day every month for “woman’s health leave” (여성보건휴가) to be used during your menstrual period and/or for medical checkups if you are pregnant (Clause 3).
5 days if you suffer from a natural disaster such as wind, flood, or fire (Clause 9).
5 days if you plan to volunteer at a disaster area (Clause 9).
Limitless early leave for attending classes at Korea National Open University (한국방송통신대학교) (Clause 6). You’ll have to use up your paid leave first before being able to receive this special leave. This university has many branches all over Korea.

Misc. Notes:

Concerning paternity leave: the contract uses the term “출산” which just means birth, but in reference to your spouse giving birth. Most legal documents also use “배우자 출산휴가” (literally translated as “spouse giving birth leave”).

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Article 17 (Codes of Conduct)

Seoul: Code of Conduct
Gyeonggi: Article 18 (Codes of Conduct)

Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Daegu, Daejeon, Busan, Seoul, Sejong, Incheon, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, Jeju, Chungnam, Chungbuk:

Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Chungnam: The Employer will immediately report the Employee to the appropriate agencies once the Employer becomes aware of any illegal action (Narcotics, etc...) by the Employee and the Employee shall be subject to prosecution and punishment according to Korean law.
＊Gangwon: The Employer will immediately report the Employee to the appropriate agencies once the Employer becomes aware of any illegal action (narcotics, etc.) by the Employee and the Employee shall be subject to prosecution and punishment according to Korean law.
＊Gyeonggi: The Employer will immediately report the Employee to the appropriate agencies once the Employer becomes aware of any illegal action(Narcotics, etc) by the Employee and the Employee shall be subject to prosecution and punishment according to Korean law.
＊Daegu: The Employer will immediately report the Employee to the appropriate agencies once the Employer becomes aware of any illegal action by the Employee and the Employee shall be subject to prosecution and punishment according to Korean law.
＊Daejeon, Jeonbuk: The Employer will immediately report the Employee to the appropriate agencies once the Employer becomes aware of any illegal action( Narcotics, etc...) by the Employee and the Employee shall be subject to prosecution and punishment according to Korean law.
＊Busan, Sejong: The Employer will immediately report the Employee to the appropriate agencies once the Employer becomes aware of any illegal action (narcotics, etc.) by the Employee, and the Employee shall be subject to prosecution and punishment according to Korean law.
＊Seoul: Employee shall not behave in any manner that may damage or tarnish the reputation of the teaching profession in general or of the S.M.O.E. program and the undersigned Employer in particular during the Term of Employment including orientation period occurring after entering Korea. Employee shall comply with and observe any codes of conduct applicable to NSETs.
＊Incheon: The Employer will immediately report the Employee to the appropriate agencies once the Employer becomes aware of any illegal action (Narcotics, etc...)by the Employee and the Employee shall be subject to prosecution and punishment according to Korean law.
＊Jeonnam: The Employer will immediately report the Employee to the appropriate agencies once the Employer becomes aware of any illegal action( Narcotics, etc.) by the Employee and the Employee shall be subject to prosecution and punishment according to Korean law.
＊Jeju: The Employer will immediately report the Employee to the appropriate agencies once the Employer becomes aware of any illegal action(Narcotics, etc...) by the Employee and the Employee shall be subject to prosecution and punishment according to Korean law.
＊Chungbuk: The Employer will immediately report the Employee to the appropriate agencies once the Employer becomes aware of any illegal action(Narcotics, etc.) by the Employee and the Employee shall be subject to prosecution and punishment according to Korean law.
Gangwon, Gwangju, Sejong, Jeju, Chungbuk: The Employee shall not behave in any manner which may damage or tarnish the reputation of the teaching profession in general or of the EPIK program and the undersigned Employer in particular during the Term of Employment including the orientation period occurring after entering Korea.
＊Gyeonggi: The Employee shall not behave in any manner which may damage or tarnish the reputation of the undersigned Employer in particular or the teaching profession in general during the Term of Employment.
＊Gyeongnam: The Employee shall not behave in any manner (whether in person, online, or through any other medium) which may damage or tarnish the reputation of the teaching profession in general or of the undersigned Employer in particular during the Term of Employment including the orientation period occurring after entering Korea.
＊Gyeongbuk, Daegu, Busan, Chungnam: The Employee shall not behave in any manner, whether in person or online, which may damage or tarnish the reputation of the teaching profession in general or of the EPIK program and the undersigned Employer in particular during the Term of Employment including the orientation period occurring after entering Korea.
＊Daejeon: The Employee shall not behave in any manner, whether in person, online or through any other medium, which may damage or tarnish the reputation of the teaching profession in general or of the EPIK program and the undersigned Employer in particular during the Term of Employment including the orientation period occurring after entering Korea.
＊Seoul: Employee shall not engage in any other opportunities (including but not limited to any part-time work, tutoring, self-employment, or online opportunities) outside of designated duties that result in financial gain.
＊Incheon: The Employee shall not behave in any manner, whether in person or online, which may damage or tarnish the reputation of the teaching profession in general or of the EPIK program and the Employer in particular during the Term of Employment including the orientation period occurring after entering Korea.
＊Jeonnam: The Employee shall not behave in any manner, whether in person, online or through any other medium, which may damage or tarnish the reputation of the teaching profession in general or of the undersigned Employer in particular during the Term of Employment including the orientation period occurring after entering Korea.
＊Jeonbuk: The Employee shall not behave in any manner which may damage or tarnish the reputation of the teaching profession in general, of the EPIK program or of Jeollabuk-do education and the undersigned Employer in particular during the Term of Employment including the orientation period occurring after entering Korea.
The Employee shall observe and comply with any codes of conduct and dress applicable to Korean teachers.
＊Busan: The Employee shall observe and comply with any codes of conduct not listed in this contract applicable to that of educational personnels under the Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education, etc.
＊Seoul: Employee shall not be involved in any activities that may cause harm to the students or be of detriment to the reputation of the school, District Office of Education, and Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education.
＊Incheon: The Employee shall observe and comply with any codes of conduct not listed in this contract applicable to that of educational personnels under the Incheon Metropolitan City Office of Education, etc.
Gangwon, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Daejeon, Jeonnam, Jeju, Chungnam: The Employee shall not engage in any other opportunities that result in financial gain (including any part-time, private or self-employment, or online instruction) during the Term of Employment set forth under Article 5 hereof.
＊Gyeonggi, Chungbuk: The Employee shall not engage in any other employment (including any part-time, private or self-employment, or online instruction) during the Term of Employment set forth under Article 5 hereof.
＊Daegu, Busan, Sejong: The Employee shall not engage in any other opportunities that result in financial gain and/or benefit (including any part-time, private or self-employment, or online instruction) during the Term of Employment set forth under Article 5 hereof.
＊Seoul: Employee shall observe and comply with the guidelines set in ‘SMOE NSET Duties and Regulations’.
＊Incheon: The Employee shall not engage in any other opportunities that result in financial gain and/or benefit (including any part-time, private or self-employment, or online instruction and etc.) during the Term of Employment set forth under Article 5 hereof.
＊Jeonbuk: The Employee shall not engage in any other opportunities that result in financial gain(including any part-time, private or self-employment, or online instruction) during the Term of Employment set forth under Article 5 hereof.
The Employee shall not be involved in any activity which could cause harm to the students or be of detriment to the reputation of the school.
＊Seoul: Employer will immediately report Employee to the appropriate agencies once Employer becomes aware of any illegal action (Narcotics, etc.) by Employee and Employee shall be subject to prosecution and punishment according to Korean law.
＊Jeonbuk: The Employee shall not in any activity which could cause harm to the students or be of detriment to the reputation of the school.
During the term of employment and after the termination of the contract, the employee must not disclose any confidential information about their co-workers, school or program that they have acquired during their term of employment, or take advantage of it for personal reasons. Should there be any disclosure, the employee must bear full legal and financial responsibility for damages that it may cause. The employee must sign a security pledge both at the start of the contract term and upon completion of the contract term. The employee must return the acquired confidential documents or materials to the Employer upon the completion/termination of the contract.
＊Gangwon: During the Term of Employment and after the termination of the Contract, the Employee must not disclose any confidential information about their co-workers, school or program that they have acquired during their Term of Employment, or take advantage of it for personal reasons. Should there be any disclosure, the Employee must bear full legal and financial responsibility for damages that it may cause. The Employee must sign a security pledge both at the start of the contract term and upon completion of the contract term. The Employee must return the acquired confidential documents or materials to the Employer upon the completion/termination of the contract.
＊Gyeonggi: The Employee must not disclose any confidential information about their co-workers, school or program that they have acquired during their term of employment and must return the acquired confidential documents or materials to the Employer upon the completion/termination of the contract. In accordance wit the Ministry of Education regulations, the Employee must sign a security pledge both at the start of the contract term and upon completion of the contract term.
＊Daegu: During the Term of Employment and after the termination of the Contract, the Employee must not disclose any confidential information about his/her co-workers, school or program that he/she have acquired during the Term of Employment, or take advantage of it for personal reasons. Should there be any disclosure, the Employee must bear full legal and/or criminal liability and financial responsibility for damages incurred. The Employee must sign a security pledge both at the start of the Term of Employment and upon completion of the Term of Employment. The Employee must return the acquired confidential documents or materials to the Employer upon the completion or termination of the Contract.
＊Busan: During the term of employment and after the termination of the contract, the Employees must not disclose any confidential information about their co-workers, school or program that they have acquired during their term of employment, or take advantage of it for personal reasons. Should there be any disclosure, the Employee must bear full legal and financial responsibility for damages that it may cause. The Employee must sign a security pledge both at the start of the contract term and upon completion of the contract term. The Employee must return the acquired confidential documents or materials to the Employer upon the completion/termination of the contract.
＊Seoul: During the term of employment and after the termination of the contract, Employees must not disclose any confidential information about their co-workers, school or program that they have acquired during their term of employment, or take advantage of it for personal reasons. Should there be any disclosure; Employee must bear full legal and financial responsibility for damages that it may cause. Employee must sign a security pledge both at the start of the contract term and upon completion of the contract term. Employee must return the acquired confidential documents or materials to Employer upon the completion/termination of the contract.
＊Jeju: During the term of employment and after the termination of the Contract, the employee must not disclose any confidential information about their co-workers, school or program that they have acquired during their term of employment, or take advantage of it for personal reasons. Should there be any disclosure, the employee must bear full legal and financial responsibility for damages that it may cause. The employee must sign a security pledge both at the start of the Contract term and upon completion of the Contract term. The employee must return the acquired confidential documents or materials to the Employer upon the completion/termination of the Contract.

– Gyeonggi, Gwangju, Daegu, Jeonbuk only –
Gyeonggi: The Employee shall be responsible for any expenses regarding visa documents, medical examination(s), and residency forms for the purpose of residency and employment in the Republic of Korea.
Gwangju: The Employee must remain in the workplace during working hours. If the need arises for the Employee to leave the workplace on working days, including conditions set forth under Article 15, proper permission must be received from their Employer prior to their departure.
Daegu: The Employee shall sincerely and earnestly work to carry out the duties set forth in this Contract by following the directions of the Employer (and the Head of the Work Place designated by the Employer) as is laid out in said Contract, and abide by the Code of Professional Conduct for the Civil Workers of the Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education to construct an upright educational environment for Daegu.
Jeonbuk: The Employee is obligated to abide by [Duties and Regulations] regulated by the Employer and should submit necessary documents demanded by the Employer.

Article 17 Notes

Clause 1 is obvious: don’t break the law. Yes, that includes recreational dugs. Korea is not there yet.

Clause 2 talks about your behavior, which seems like a no-brainer, but it should be discussed.

The massive KakaoTalk (KKT) group chats with hundreds of EPIK teachers are a breeding ground for issues. Korean teachers also have large group chats, but absolutely none of them use their real accounts, name, or picture. Most Korean teachers would think it is incredibly shortsighted for NETs to use their actual accounts to talk about MOE/POE policies, students, other teachers, etc. during orientation or the contracted period. Join large group chats with a proxy account or make an “open profile” to chat away in groups. However, using an open profile does not mean you can say racist, derogatory, or discriminatory things. If you see anyone saying something along those lines, screenshot the messages and send them to the MOE/POE.

The codes of conduct (복무규정) of Korean teachers are MOE/POE specific. You can find them by searching “[your MOE/POE]교육청 복무규정” on Google or Naver and finding a law website like law.go.kr. Most of the ordinance will not apply to you if there are sections about sick leave, paid leave, or vacation time, but the “general” information will. This usually includes things like:

Perform your duties democratically and sincerely
Comply with laws and regulations
Behave a certain way: use gentle language, smile and treat others kindly, be punctual, help colleagues, respect the opinion of others, and keep developing your character
Keep certain information private/confidential

In terms of dressing applicable to Korean teachers, that will depend on your school. Some schools will require you to dress business casual, while others will not care if you come in sweatpants. You will not know how to dress until you’ve been at your school for at least a few days. Wear decent clothes (nice jeans and a dress shirt) for the first few days until you can feel out what is appropriate at your school.

It is also suggested that you don’t wear anything too tight or revealing (skirts above the knee or tops that show any type of cleavage, even one centimeter is too much). Some women are explicitly told not to wear certain items of clothing because the “hormonal boys can’t help themselves” around foreign women. Yes, it is discriminatory, but it is something you should expect to hear. If you are a non-Korean woman in Korea, you are automatically sexualized more than the average Korean woman, and Korean women are already sexualized to a criminal/detrimental extent.

On a separate-but-similar note, there is a well-known stereotype that foreign women are more sexually promiscuous and “inherently sexy.” Lots of older men assume foreign women to be sex workers, specifically Thai, Ukrainian, and Russian women. If you can even remotely pass as one of those ethnicities, be aware of old men following you home or elsewhere. They may try to harm you.

Clause 4 beings talking about participating in any “profitable” act. Although this refers to any type of extra money (Korean teachers are also unable to have another job), this subclause mostly references tutoring on the side.

Private tutoring can be incredibly lucrative in Korea and many parents want an English tutor from an English-speaking country. There are quite a few people who live in Korea making the same money, if not more, as EPIK teachers through private tutoring. Because it is a great way to get some extra cash, a lot of EPIK (and hagwon (학원)) teachers do so on the side. It is very much a “don’t ask, don’t tell” type of deal. You may be approached by parents or teachers at your school to tutor their children. It’s up to you if you follow through, but if you do, do some research beforehand to know what you should be paid. If you don’t want to, you can easily point to this subclause and say that you can get fired and deported if you are caught, and that makes you uncomfortable.

Many people are worried that this subclause also covers making money through social media, like YouTube or TikTok. Some MOEs/POEs say that doing so will violate your contract. However, stating that it is a violation is a bit deceptive. It can be a violation, but as long as you are smart with how you go about it, they cannot legally touch you. For you to be fired, the MOE/POE needs to prove that doing social media has disrupted your work as a teacher (bad work ethic, not participating in work-related events, etc.) which can be difficult. The MOE/POE cannot do anything as long as it does not affect your teaching. If they find you are not as motivated and are performing “unsatisfactorily,” they’ll have to give you written notices before firing you.

If you do things for your social media accounts during work hours, your social media is in conflict with your job. This includes creating content, editing, posting, and interacting with commenters during work hours can lead to disciplinary action. However, if you do tasks for your social media outside of work hours, it can be incredibly difficult for your employer to prove that it impedes your ability to be a good teacher. A more detailed explanation can be found here.

If you want to be an influencer and remain untouchable, you need to:

Not do anything related to social media at work (your private accounts are alright)
Have any money you make go to your foreign bank account
Reinforce that it is just a hobby and any income you make is just a side effect of doing your hobbies.

If you make products and try to sell them, then that is obviously not unintentional. You can receive “gifts” and “donations” for your work, though (not in your Korean bank account).

Clause 6 brings up not disclosing any confidential information; the Korean version of the contract uses “근무 중 지득한 비밀” (secrets acquired while working) and “중요 자료” (important data). There is no definition of what those consist of, so you’ll have to use your noggin.

It is safe to say that anything that is likely to cause harm if the content is leaked, like testing materials and personal information of students or teachers, are absolutely things you need to either return to or destroy within your school. Some schools may hand out a list of students with their picture, name, grade, class, student number, their phone numbers, and parents’ contact information. Korea is not void of shitbag predators. Keep your kids safe by keeping their information safe; you should not be bringing that information outside of school. Tests here are also taken quite seriously. If you happen to leak the questions and/or answers, it can cause a lot of problems.

Specifics about your contract could also be considered “confidential information.” This is why I’ve only included information that is publicly available. You can find anything listed here through Google, Reddit, the (virtually) unmoderated EPIK KakaoTalk group chats, or any EFL message board, especially if you search both in Korean and English.

At the start and at the end of your contract, you will be asked to sign a security pledge (보안서약서). This pledge, or NDA, will usually restate what is listed in this clause: that you will not disclose any confidential information about your co-workers, school, or the EPIK program that you have acquired during the term of employment or take advantage of it for any reason. If you do end up disclosing information, you will have to “bear full legal and financial responsibility for damages.”

Although Clause 7 is only in four different contracts (Gyeonggi, Gwangju, Daegu, and Jeonbuk), most of what is listed will apply to you as well. Gyeonggi mentions that you will have to pay for your visa, medical exams, and residency forms. Everyone, in every MOE/POE, is responsible for paying for their own documents. Save around ₩150,000 every year for this process; the required medical exams for the visa renewal are ₩50,000 to ₩150,000 and renewing your visa costs ₩60,000, more if you need a new card, want to ship it to your home, and need to take a new ID picture.

You also have to comply with what Gwangju’s says: you are not allowed to leave the school grounds during work hours. If your specific school allows you to leave, do not say anything about it in large group chats. Someone will snitch and ruin it for everyone.

As mentioned earlier in these notes and in Daegu’s Clause 7, you need to comply with the codes of conduct not only listed in this contract but for your MOE/POE. Again, you can find these codes of conduct by searching “[your MOE/POE]교육청 복무규정” on Google or Naver and finding a law website (like law.go.kr). Most may not apply to you, but basic ones will.

Jeonbuk mentions you may have to submit any necessary documents “demanded by the employer.” This is, again, something everyone in every MOE/POE will be expected to follow.

Misc. Notes:

The use of ellipses in Clause 1 is… a… foreboding… choice.

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Article 18 (Termination of the Contract)

Gyeonggi: Article 12 (Termination of the Contract)

Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Daegu, Daejeon, Busan, Sejong, Incheon, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, Jeju, Chungnam, Chungbuk:

The Employer may legally terminate or cancel this Contract upon occurrence of any one or more of the following events:
＊Gwangju: The Employer may legally terminate or cancel this Contract with immediate effect upon occurrence of any one or more of the following events:
1. The Employee violates the laws of the Republic of Korea. ＊Busan: (any drug related crime, sexual crime, DUI etc.)
2. The Employee violates the Codes of Conduct set forth under Article 17.
  ＊Gyeonggi: The Employee violates the Codes of Conduct set forth under Article 18, Clause 1 to 5.
3. The Employee works in Korea without holding the required valid visa such as E-2-2 visa, etc.
  ＊Gangwon, Daegu, Daejeon, Chungbuk: The Employee works in Korea without holding the required valid visa such as E-2 visa, etc.
  ＊Gyeonggi: The Employee works in Korea without holding the required valid visa (e.g. E-2 visa).
4. Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Busan, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, Chungnam: The Employee fails to perform or unsatisfactorily performs any of the duties stipulated in this Contract. In this event, the Employer shall provide formal written notice of unsatisfactory performance to the Employee. Three of more written notices shall be considered sufficient grounds for termination for the Contract.
  ＊Gangwon: The Employee fails to perform or unsatisfactorily performs any of the duties stipulated in this Contract. In this event, the Employer shall provide formal written notice of unsatisfactory performance to the Employee. Three or more written notices shall be considered sufficient grounds for termination for the Contract.
  ＊Gyeonggi: The Employee receives a notice of termination upon receiving three (3) or more written letters for failing to perform or unsatisfactorily performs any of the duties stipulated in this Contract.
  ＊Gwangju: The Employee fails to perform or unsatisfactorily performs any of the duties stipulated in this Contract. In this event, the Employer shall provide formal written notice of unsatisfactory performance to the Employee. Two written notices during the contract period shall be considered sufficient grounds for termination of the Contract.
  ＊Daegu: The Employee fails to perform or unsatisfactorily performs any of the duties stipulated in this Contract. In this event, the Employer and/or the Head of the Work Place shall provide formal written notice of unsatisfactory performance to the Employee. Three (3) or more written notices shall be considered sufficient grounds for termination for the Contract.
  ＊Daejeon: The Employee fails to perform or unsatisfactorily performs any of the duties stipulated in this Contract. In this event, the Employer shall provide formal written notice of unsatisfactory performance to the Employee. Two or more written notices shall be considered sufficient grounds for termination for the Contract.
  ＊Sejong: The Employee fails to perform or unsatisfactorily performs any of the duties stipulated in this Contract. In this event, the Employer shall provide formal written notice of unsatisfactory performance to the Employee. Three (3) of more written notices shall be considered sufficient grounds for termination for the Contract.
  ＊Incheon: The Employee fails to perform or unsatisfactorily performs any of the duties stipulated in this Contract. In this event, the Employer shall provide formal written notice of unsatisfactory performance to the Employee. Two or more written notices shall be considered sufficient grounds for termination of the Contract.
  ＊Jeju: The Employee fails to perform or unsatisfactorily performs any of the duties stipulated in this Contract. In this event, the Employer shall provide formal written notice of unsatisfactory performance to the Employee. Two of more written notices shall be considered sufficient grounds for termination of the Contract.
  ＊Chungbuk: The Employee fails to perform or unsatisfactorily performs any of the duties stipulated in this Contract. In this event, the Employer shall provide formal written notice of unsatisfactory performance to the Employee. Three of more written notices shall be considered sufficient grounds for termination of the Contract. (Written notice can be given by the principal of the Empolyee’s main school and/or by the person who is in charge of GET program at the Office of Education.)
5. Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Daejeon, Jeonbuk, Jeju, Chungnam: The Employee engages in any other opportunities that result in financial gain (including any part-time, private or self-employment, or online instruction) during the Term of Employment set forth under Article 5 herein.
  ＊Gangwon: The Employee engages in any other employment (including any part-time, private or self- employment, or online instruction) during the Term of Employment set forth under Article 5 herein.
  ＊Gyeonggi: The Employee engages in any other employments (including any part-time, private or self-employment, or online instruction) during the Term of Employment set forth under Article 5 herein.
  ＊Daegu, Busan, Sejong: The Employee engages in any other opportunities that result in financial gain and/or benefit (including any part-time, private or self-employment, or online instruction) during the Term of Employment set forth under Article 5 herein.
  ＊Incheon: The Employee engages in any other opportunities that result in financial gain and/or benefit(including any part-time, private or self-employment, or online instruction) during the Term of Employment set forth under Article 5 herein.
  ＊Jeonnam: The Employee engages in any other any other opportunities that result in financial gain (including any part-time, private or self-employment, or online instruction) during the Term of Employment set forth under Article 5 herein.
  ＊Chungbuk: The Employee engages in any other employment (including any part-time, private or self-employment, or online instruction) during the Term of Employment set forth under Article 5 herein.
6. The Employee fails to perform his/her duties for more than five working days without receiving prior consent from the Employer.
  ＊Gwangju: The Employee fails to perform his/her duties for a minimum of three working days without receiving prior consent from the Employer.
  ＊Daegu, Busan, Sejong: The Employee fails to perform his/her duties for more than five (5) working days without receiving prior consent from the Employer.
7. Any of the information provided in the Employee's application is false or inaccurate.
8. The Employee fails the medical exam in Korea in accordance with the requirements of the Korean Immigration Office and the EPIK program.
  ＊Gyeonggi: The Employee fails the medical exam in Korea in accordance with the requirements of the Korean Immigration Office and/or the EPIK program.
  ＊Daegu: The Employee fails the medical exam in Korea in accordance with the requirements of the Korea Immigration Service and the EPIK program.
  ＊Sejong: The Employee fails the medical exam in Korea in accordance with the requirements of the Korea Immigration Office and the EPIK program.
  ＊Incheon: The Employee fails the medical exam in Korea in accordance with the requirements of the Korean Immigration Office, the EPIK program and the Incheon English program.
9. It is determined that the Employee is prevented from or incapable of performing the duties set forth under Article 3 hereof for any medical reason, whether it is physical or psychological in nature, including chronic ailments such as diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, chronic liver disease, tuberculosis, neurologic disorder, substance or alcohol addiction, etc.
  ＊Gyeonggi: It is determined that the Employee is prevented from or incapable of performing the duties set forth under Article 3 hereof for any medical reason, whether it is physical, mental, or psychological in nature, including chronic ailments such as Diabetes Mellitus, high blood pressure, chronic liver disease, tuberculosis, neurologic disorder, substance or alcohol addiction, etc.
  ＊Daegu, Daejeon, Busan, Incheon: It is determined that the Employee is prevented from or incapable of performing the duties set forth under Article 3 hereof for any medical reason, whether it is physical or psychological in nature, including chronic ailments such as diabetes Mellitus, high blood pressure, chronic liver disease, tuberculosis, neurologic disorder, substance or alcohol addiction, etc.
  ＊Chungbuk: It is determined that the Employee is prevented from or incapable of performing the duties set forth under Article 3 hereof for any medical reason, whether it is physical or psychological in nature, including chronic ailments such as diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, chronic liver disease, tuberculosis, neurological disorder, substance or alcohol addiction, etc.
  a. If requested to take a physical and/or psychological examination by the Employer, the Employee must make themselves available within two (2) working days for the medical examination.
  ＊Gyeonggi, Daegu: If requested to take a physical and/or psychological examination by the Employer, the Employee must make him/herself available within two (2) working days for the medical examination.
  ＊Sejong: If requested to take a physical and/or psychological examination by the Employer, the Employee must make himself/herself available within two (2) working days for the medical examination.
  b. The Employee must complete a medical examination in Korea for the purpose of working in Korean public schools and educational institutions. If requested by the Employer, the Employee must submit the results to the Employer immediately. All related expenses shall be borne by the Employee.
  ＊Gyeonggi: The Employee must complete a medical examination in Korea for the purpose of working in Korean public schools. If requested by the Employer, the Employee must submit the results to the Employer immediately. All related expenses shall be borne by the Employee.
  ＊Daejeon: The Employee must complete a medical examination(e.g. drug testing, etc.) in Korea for the purpose of working in Korean public schools and educational institutions. If requested by the Employer, the Employee must submit the results to the Employer immediately. All related expenses shall be borne by the Employee.
  ＊Jeju: The Employee must complete a medical examination (e.g. drug testing, etc.) in Korea for the purpose of working in Korean public schools and educational institutions. If requested by the Employer, the Employee must submit the results to the Employer immediately. All related expenses shall be borne by the Employee.
  ＊Chungbuk: The Employee must complete a medical examination (drug testing included) in Korea for the purpose of working in Korean public schools and educational institutions. If requested by the Employer, the Employee must submit the results to the Employer immediately. All related expenses shall be borne by the Employee.
10. The total number of days of sick leave (both paid and unpaid) used by the Employee pursuant to Article 15 hereof exceeds thirty (30) working days.
  ＊Gangwon: The total number of days of sick leave (both paid and unpaid) used by the Employee pursuant to Article 15 hereof exceeds thirty working (30) days.
  ＊Gyeonggi: The total number of days of Sick Leave (both paid and unpaid) used by the Employee pursuant to Article 16 hereof exceeds thirty (30) days.
  ＊Incheon: The total number of days of sick leave (both paid and unpaid) used by the Employee pursuant to Article 15 hereof exceeds thirty (30) days.
In the event of termination of this Contract pursuant to any of the provisions set forth in the foregoing clause ①, the Employer shall pay the Employee a prorated salary based on the number of days actually worked by the Employee.
＊Gyeonggi: In the event of termination of this Contract pursuant to any of the provisions set forth in the foregoing Clause 1, the Employer shall pay the Employee a prorated salary based on the number of days actually worked by the Employee.
＊Gwangju: In the event of termination of this Contract pursuant to any of the provisions set forth in the foregoing clause ①, the Employer shall pay the employee a prorated salary based on the number of days actually worked by the Employee.
Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Jeonnam, Chungnam: In the event of termination of this Contract pursuant to any of the provisions set forth in the foregoing clause ①, the Employee shall immediately refund the loan to the Employer pursuant to Article 10 ①.
＊Gangwon, Jeonbuk: In the event of termination of this Contract pursuant to any of the provisions set forth in the foregoing clause ①, the Employee shall immediately refund the loan to the Employer pursuant to Article 10①.
＊Gyeonggi: In the event of termination of this Contract pursuant to any of the provisions set forth in the foregoing Clause 1, the Employee shall immediately refund the Entrance Allowance and Settlement Allowance to the Employer pursuant to Article 10 Clause 5.
＊Daegu: In the event of termination of this Contract pursuant to any of the provisions set forth in the foregoing clause ①, the Employer will not pay the Employee the Contract Completion Bonus. The Employee’s visa will subsequently be cancelled.
＊Daejeon: In the event of termination of this Contract pursuant to any of the provisions set forth in the foregoing clause ①, the Employee shall immediately refund the loan to the Employer pursuant to Article 11①.
＊Busan, Jeju: In such event, the Employer will not pay the Employee the Contract completion bonus. The Employee's visa will subsequently be cancelled.
＊Sejong: In the event of termination of this Contract pursuant to any of the provisions set forth in the foregoingclause ①, the Employee shall immediately refund the loan to the Employer pursuant to Article 10 ①.
＊Incheon: In the event of termination of this Contract pursuant to any of the provisions set forth in the foregoing clause ①, the Employee shall immediately refund the loan to the Employer pursuant to Article 10 clause ①.
＊Chungbuk: In such event, the Employer will not pay the Employee the Exit Allowance. The Employee's visa will subsequently be cancelled.

– All MOEs/POEs except Daegu, Busan, Jeju, Chungbuk –
Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Sejong, Jeonnam, Chungnam: In such event, the Employer will not pay the Employee the Contract Completion Bonus. The Employee's visa will subsequently be cancelled.
＊Gangwon, Jeonbuk: In such event, the Employer will not pay the Employee the Exit Allowance. The Employee's visa will subsequently be cancelled.
＊Gyeonggi: In such event, the Employer will not pay the Employee the Exit Allowance and the Employee’s visa will subsequently be cancelled.
＊Daejeon: In such event, the Employee's visa will subsequently be cancelled.
＊Incheon: In such event, the Employer will not pay the Employee the Contract completion bonus. The Employee's visa will subsequently be cancelled.

Seoul:

Employer may legally terminate or cancel this Contract upon occurrence of any one of the following events;
1. If Employee violates the laws of the Republic of Korea.
2. If Employee fails to perform or unsatisfactorily performs any of the duties stipulated in this Contract. In this event, Employer shall provide formal written notice of unsatisfactory performance to Employee. Three or more written notices shall be considered sufficient grounds for termination for the Contract.
3. If Employee fails to perform continuously his/her duties for one (1) week or more without any excuse or prior notification.
4. If any of the information provided in Employee’s application is neither true nor accurate.
5. If it is determined that Employee is prevented from or incapable of performing his/her duties set forth under Article 3 hereof for any medical reason, whether it is physical or psychological in nature, including chronic ailments such as diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, chronic liver disease, tuberculosis, neurologic disorder, substance or alcohol addiction or drug addiction, etc.
  a. If requested to take a physical and/or psychological examination by Employer, Employee must make themselves available within two (2) working days for the medical examination.
  b. Employee must complete a medical examination in Korea for the purpose of working in Korean public schools and educational institutions. If requested by Employer, Employee must submit the results to Employer immediately. All related expenses shall be borne by Employee.
6. If the sick leave (paid or unpaid) used by Employee pursuant to Article 15 hereof exceeds thirty (30) days.
7. Employee works in Korea without holding the required valid visa such as E-2 visa, etc.
8. Employee fails the medical exam in Korea in accordance with the requirements of the Korean Immigration Office and the ETIS program.
9. If Employee engages in any other opportunities (including but not limited to any part-time work, tutoring, self- employment, or online opportunities) outside of designated duties that results in financial gain.
In the event that this Contract is terminated pursuant to the foregoing clauses in Section 1, Employer shall pay Employee a prorated salary based on the number of days actually worked by Employee. In such event, employee’s visa will subsequently be cancelled.
In the event of termination of this Contract pursuant to any of the provisions set forth in foregoing Paragraph 1, Employee shall immediately return the Entrance Allowance to Employer pursuant to Article 11, Paragraph 1.

Article 18 Notes

Most of Clause 1 is quite obvious: don’t break the law, don’t violate the Codes of Conduct, have the correct visa (E-2-2), and actually do your job. Subclause 4 is where things should be expanded upon.

What do “fail to perform” and “unsatisfactorily performs” mean? Well, for instance, say that you are a first-time teacher and, like most, don’t really know what you’re doing. Instead of continuously taking feedback from your co-teachers and working on your lessons, you don’t do anything to improve. Literally nothing besides ignoring your co-teacher. This is how you “fail to perform.”

If your co-teacher says that you should have more pictures on your PPT, put more pictures on your PPT. If they say you should talk a bit slower, talk a bit slower. These aren’t hard adjustments to make and are not comments meant to degrade you or your work. The whole goal of your teaching is to help your students. If you talk too fast or have too many words on your PPT, your students aren’t going to understand. Critiques from your co-teachers within the first few months can seem endless, especially if you’re new at teaching EFL — don’t let it discourage you. Your co-teachers want to help you, not break you down (… most of the time).

If you do “fail to perform,” you get either 2 or 3 strikes:

2 strikes: Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Daegu, Busan, Seoul, Sejong, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, Chungnam, Chungbuk
3 strikes: Gwangju, Daejeon, Incheon, Jeju

These “strikes” are given in the form of a written notice (서면 경고). This is not a text from your co-teacher saying “hey, it would be nice if you did xyz better!” or even a scrap piece of paper with some notes, this is an official notice that is typed out and given after many smaller discussions. The warning can be from your school, but will more than likely be from your MOE/POE. Getting a notice may require a special skill of being unable to improve. Getting 3 is Olympic-level incompetency. 99% of people should not be worried about receiving a written notice nor worried about being fired over an “unsatisfactory” performance. Try to do your job to the best of your ability and you should be good.

Subclause 5 talks about being fired over having any other type of income, which was spoken about in the Article above (Article 17 (Codes of Conduct)). To reiterate, this is mostly in reference to private tutoring. However, some MOE/POEs say that doing any social media-related work can be going against your contract. You can still do social media work as long as it does not interfere with your actual job as a teacher. A more detailed explanation can be found here.

Subclause 7 is also something important to mention. The application they are referencing here is your EPIK application. Many individuals have lied on their application and are still EPIK teachers, they were just never caught. People come with illnesses deemed “unhirable” (like diabetes) and hide it while teaching (during medical exams, not telling their co-workers, etc.). People come with undisclosed tattoos and piercings and have had no problem. If you believe that you can hide it (mental health issues especially), do not snitch on yourself. Just know that if you do lie, there is always a risk.

You should snitch on yourself if you have any visible physical issues or alterations, especially tattoos or stretched ears.

Very few, if any at all, have come to Korea through EPIK with any type of mobility aid. There is no anti-discrimination law in Korea that would make EPIK not consider your application illegal, so there is not much you can do to fight it.

Tattoos in Korea, although way less taboo than they used to be, can still be a shock to more conservative people. If you have a tattoo in a place no one at work (or during a medical exam) would see, then who cares if you lie about having it? If you have a full sleeve and hand tattoos, that’s something you should mention. A prospective teacher a few years or so ago was fired while at orientation for not disclosing their tattoos (read about it here). Someone was also caught having undisclosed tattoos during their medical exam at orientation, meaning it had to have been on their back somewhere. A lot of NETs have tattoos, so as long as it isn’t something obscene or inappropriate for children, then the MOE/POE probably will not care. They may ask for you to cover it up, however.

Stretched ears are basically non-existent in Korea. If you have stretched ears, everyone will either be incredibly confused as to why you have them or just think you always wear big earrings. Anything over a 00 gauge/10mm might be difficult to camouflage.

If you say you have a tattoo, facial piercings, or ear piercings other than one piercing on each earlobe, EPIK will ask for you to submit a photo which will more than likely be passed around to the MOEs/POEs. Switch to jewelry that is more “work appropriate” (nude, stone, or solid-colored plugs (no tunnels); plain earrings, etc.) before taking this picture.

If you get more ear piercings while in Korea, you do not really have to talk to your school about it. If you want to get a facial piercing, that will be something you’d have to discuss. For tattoos, what they can’t see can’t hurt them. Some schools may wish that you discuss getting a visible tattoo with them beforehand, while some will not care at all.

Subclause 9, although discriminatory, is mostly for your safety. If you’re coming to Korea with any type of illness, you need to do research on how to receive adequate treatment and if you can obtain any necessary medication while you live in Korea. Although most doctors speak at least a little bit of English, it is not enough nor the same as in your home country. There are a lot of issues with the medical system here, too; medical discrimination exists. If you have a serious illness that needs regular treatment, it is unlikely that you will find Korea accommodating to your needs. If you are “caught” with any illness, the MOE/POE can ask that you take a medical exam and give them the results. The exam should be called “공교육기관 근무 신체검사” (physical examination for public educational institutions).

Clauses 2 through 4 lay out what would happen if you are terminated:

Your school will pay a prorated salary based on how much you actually worked
You will have to refund the Entrance Allowance (and possibly the Settlement Allowance)
You won’t receive the Exit Allowance/Contract Completion Bonus
Your visa will be canceled
If you have gone over the prorated amount of sick days and paid leave, you may have more pay deducted to account for that

Article 26 (Advance Notice of Dismissal) and Article 27 (Written Notice of Grounds for Dismissal) of the Labor Standards Act make it clear that the MOE/POE will have to give you notice at least 30 days before your dismissal; if they do not, they have to pay you 30 days of your hourly (“ordinary”) wage. This does not apply if you’ve worked less than three months; if there is some big natural disaster, incident, or unavoidable circumstance; or if you have intentionally caused damage to the school.

Misc. Notes:

Clause 1.9: the formatting with “a” and “b” may differ between MOEs/POEs, but was unnecessary to mark.

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Article 19 (Completion of Training, and Evaluation of Teaching Performance and Conduct)

Gyeonggi, Gyeongnam, Daejeon, Jeju: Completion of Mandatory Orientation and Training, and Evaluation of Teaching Performance and Conduct
Daegu, Busan, Jeonnam: Completion of Training and Evaluation of Teaching Performance and Conduct
Seoul: Article 20 (Completion of Mandatory Orientation and Training and Evaluation of Teaching Performance and Conduct)

Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Daegu, Daejeon, Busan, Seoul, Sejong, Incheon, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, Jeju, Chungnam, Chungbuk:

Gangwon, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Busan, Sejong, Jeonbuk, Chungbuk: The Employee shall complete all training deemed necessary by the National Institute for International Education (NIIED) and/or the undersigned Office of Education.
＊Gyeonggi: The Employee shall complete all training deemed necessary by the National Institute for International Education (NIIED) and/or Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education.
＊Gyeongnam: The Employee shall complete all training deemed necessary by the GOE. This includes but is not limited to an orientation held before the beginning of the Term of Employment and/or in-service training during the Term of Employment.
＊Daegu: The Employee shall complete all training deemed necessary by the National Institute for International Education and/or the undersigned Office of Education.
＊Daejeon, Jeju: The Employee shall complete all training deemed necessary by EPIK and/or the undersigned Provincial Office of Education. This includes but is not limited to an orientation held before the beginning of the Term of Employment and/or in-service training during the Term of Employment.
＊Seoul: Employee shall complete orientation and if necessary, in-service training conducted by Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education.
＊Incheon: The Employee shall complete all training deemed necessary by the National Institute for International Education (NIIED) and/or the Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education.
＊Jeonnam: The Employee shall complete all training deemed necessary by the National Institute for International Education (NIIED) and/or Jeollanamdo Office of Education.
＊Chungnam: The Employee shall complete all training deemed necessary by the National Institute for International Education (NIIED) and/ Chungcheongnam-do Office of Education.
Gwangju, Sejong, Jeonnam, Chungnam: Upon the request of the Employer, the Employee shall participate in training programs during the term of employment.
＊Gangwon: Upon the request of the Employer, the Employee shall participate in training programs during the term of employment for a total of 30 hours within the contract year.
≡ Gyeonggi: The Employee shall not claim additional compensation for any portion of the mandatory training (e.g. orientation, workshop) that falls within the Term of Employment.
≡ Gyeongnam, Daejeon, Jeju, Chungbuk: The Employee will not be entitled to compensation for any portion of the mandatory orientation which falls outside the Term of Employment as stipulated under Article 5.
＊Gyeongbuk, Busan, Incheon, Jeonbuk: Upon the request of the Employer, the Emplyee shall participate in training programs during the term of employment.
≢ Daegu: If an Employee is hired by the DMOE at the time when an orientation is not offered, he/she may be allowed to participate in a training at a later time as required by the Employer.
≢ Seoul: If Employee fails to fully complete the orientation without prior approval, this Contract shall be subsequently terminated and, EMployee must return to his/her home country and Employee’s visa shall be cancelled. In that case, the Entrance Allowance and the Exit Allowance will not be paid to Employee.
The Employee shall sincerely participate in the Evaluation of Teaching Performance and Conduct required by the Employer.
≡ Gyeonggi, Daegu, Chungbuk: Upon the request of the Employer, the Employee shall participate in training program(s) during the term of employment.
≡ Gyeongnam, Daejeon, Jeju: The Employee shall participate in any training program(s) upon request of the Employer.
≡ Seoul: Employee will not be entitled to compensation for any portion of the mandatory orientation which falls outside the Term of Employment.

– Gyeonggi, Gyeongnam, Daegu, Daejeon, Seoul, Jeju, Chungbuk only –
Gyeongnam, Daegu, Daejeon, Jeju, Chungbuk: The Employee shall sincerely participate in the Evaluation of Teaching Performance and Conduct required by the Employer.
＊Gyeonggi: The Employee shall sincerely participate in the Evaluation of Teaching performance and Conduct required by the Employer.
＊Seoul: If requested to participate in the Evaluation of Teaching Performance and Conduct required by the Employer, Employee shall sincerely participate in the evaluation and the results can be used for his/her contract renewal and etc.

Article 19 Notes

Under the Ministry of Education, NIIED (국립국제교육원) is the National Institute for International Education. The EPIK program is a part of NIIED. This means NETs have to do whatever NIIED wants NETs to do.

The biggest question from this article is “What kind of training are they talking about?” EPIK orientation is quite infamous: an unpaid, week-long (or 8 days) orientation that covers various topics (teaching, life in Korea, learning Korean, etc.). If you miss EPIK orientation without prior notice and/or approval, your contract may (and probably would) be void. Although orientation will not induce an awakening of any sort, especially if you have taught EFL before, it’s not a complete waste of time — you can learn a bit and make friends in your city. After orientation ends and you begin teaching at your school, there are videos you will have to watch and complete an attached quiz.

EPIK orientation is not the only type of training you may have to complete. There will be various types of “training” throughout the school year which is typically little to no work on your end. Although this training is about important topics like discrimination against the disabled, creating equal opportunity between girls and boys, school security, sexual violence/harassment, bullying, and the like, it is usually all in Korean and therefore the majority of NETs cannot understand what is going on. How your school and/or MOE/POE handle making you complete this type of training differs:

They may make you sign a piece of paper saying you completed it, but you won’t even know what the training was actually about or that there was training at all
They may ask you to watch videos and do a short quiz (all in Korean, so either you click random answers or your co-teacher will help you)
They may ask that you go to a seminar with an English interpreter

There may be other types of “training” (similar to workshops) where you learn more about teaching EFL. Mostly only Gyeonggi and Seoul have this type of training for NETs. Most MOEs/POEs do not have regular extra programs, like workshops, to help develop NET teaching abilities. Korean teachers have access to a lot more optional enrichment courses/resources (open classes, workshops/lectures, etc.).

The “Evaluation of Teaching Performance and Conduct” (교원능력개발평가) was discussed in Article 11 (Renewal), but to reiterate, it is an assessment that covers a variety of topics relating to your teaching and life in Korea.

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Seoul Only: Article 19 (Matters not explicitly stated in the Contract)

Matters not explicitly stated in the Contract shall be determined by Employer after Employee’s concerns are taken into consideration.

Seoul Only Article 19 Notes

This is true for all MOEs/POEs and is listed in Article 22 (Governing Law, Language and Venue); however, Gyeonggi does not explicitly state this.

Article 20 (Indemnification)

Seoul: Article 21 (Indemnification)

Gangwon, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Daejeon, Busan, Sejong, Incheon, Jeonbuk, Jeju, Chungnam, Chungbuk:

Gyeongnam, Gwangju, Daejeon, Chungnam, Chungbuk: If the contract is terminated or cancelled under Article 18 (Termination of the Contract) or by the employee’s request regardless of the reason, the employee shall indemnify the employer against any damages that may occur due to the termination of the contract. The damages in regards to this Article 20 include, but are not limited to, any Housing fees which the employer incurs after the termination of the Contract.
＊Gangwon: If the Contract is terminated or cancelled under Article 18 (Termination of the Contract) or by the Employee’s request regardless of the reason, the Employee shall indemnify the Employer against any damages that may occur due to the termination of the Contract. The damages in regards to this Article 20 include, but are not limited to, any Housing fees which the Employer incurs after the termination of the Contract.
＊Gyeongbuk, Busan, Jeonbuk: If the contract is terminated or canceled under Article 18 (Termination of the Contract) or by the employee’s request regardless of the reason, the employee shall indemnify the employer against any damages that may occur due to the termination of the contract. The damages in regards to this Article 20 include, but are not limited to, any Housing fees which the employer incurs after the termination of the Contract.
＊Sejong: If the contract is terminated or cancelled pursuant to Article 18, clause ①, or by the employee’s request regardless of the reason, the employee shall indemnify the employer against any damages that may occur due to the termination of the contract. The damages in regards to this Article 20 include, but are not limited to, any Housing fees which the employer incurs after the termination of the Contract.
＊Incheon: If the contract is terminated or canceled under Article 18(Termination of the Contract) or by the employee’s request regardless of the reason, the employee shall indemnify the employer against any damages that may occur due to the termination of the contract. The damages in regards to this Article 20 include, but are not limited to, any Housing fees which the employer incurs after the termination of the Contract.
＊Jeju: The Employee hereby agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Employer against any and all liability, claims, suits, losses, costs and legal fees caused by, arising out of or resulting from any negligent, intentional or illegal act of the Employee during the Term of Employment under this Contract.

Gyeonggi:

The Employee shall be responsible for any liability or damages arising from or in relation to any negligent, faulty, or illegal activity during the Term of Employment under this Contract. Therefore, the Employee shall agree in written form to provide 300,000 KRW as security deposit per month to the employing school’s administration office either on or by the eighteenth (18th) of every month for the first three (3) months of employment until it amounts to a total of 900,000KRW.
If the contract is terminated or cancelled under Article 12 (Termination of the Contract) or by the employee’s request regardless of the reason, the employee shall indemnify the employer against any damages that may occur due to the termination of the contract. The damages in regards to this Article 20 include, but are not limited to, any Housing fees which the employer incurs after the termination of the Contract.
The Employer shall check the leased facilities and financial matters arising from the use of them by the Employee before the Term of Employment is completed. If any liability or damages are found, these shall be confirmed in written form by the Employee, who will be indemnified from the security deposit pursuant to the foregoing Clause 1. In the case that housing damages or fees owed exceed the security deposit pursuant to the foregoing Clause 1, the Employer is entitled to be paid additional compensation by the Employee up to the amount owed. The Employee will be refunded their security deposit within two (2) months after the completion of the final Contract if there are no liabilities or damages. Employees with their own housing arrangements as well as married couples who are both employed by GPOE shall also be required to provide the deposit to his/her respective schools.

Daegu:

If the Contract is terminated or cancelled pursuant to Article 18 or by the Employee’s request regardless of the reason, the Employee shall indemnify the Employer against any damages and costs that may occur due to the termination of the Contract. The damages and costs in regards to this Article 20 include, but are not limited to, any housing fees which the Employer incurs after the termination of the Contract.

All Employees (excluding renewing members) shall provide 300,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month to the administration office of the Work Place by the day after the pay day for the first two (2) months of employment as a safety deposit. With the Employee’s approval, the safety deposit may be deducted and set aside from the first two (2) months’ salary. A total of 600,000 Korean Won (KRW) will be set aside as a safety deposit.
If Employee has successfully completed the Initial Contract, the full amount of the safety deposit will be returned within one (1) month after the completion of the Contract. In the event that the Employee owes money to the Employer due to early termination of Contract, pursuant to Article 18 or by the Employee’s request, the amount owed will be deducted from the safety deposit. If the damage or cost incurred exceeds the safety deposit set aside, then Employee’s pay of the coinciding month will be used to cover the remaining cost. In the event that a renewing member, from whom a safety deposit is not set aside, owes money to the Employer due to reasons stated in this clause, his/her pay of the coinciding month, and if necessary, his/her accumulated severance pay will be used to cover the damage.
All Employees under this Contract shall abide by this Article even in case he/she finds his/her own housing, is legally married or shares accommodations with his/her spouse.

Seoul:

If the contract is terminated or cancelled under Article 18 (Termination of the Contract) or by Employee’s request regardless of the reason, Employee shall indemnify Employer against any financial liability that may occur due to the termination of the contract. The financial liability in regards to this Article 21 can include, but are not limited to, any housing damage or fees which Employer incurs due to termination of the contract.
Employer can claim indemnification from the security deposit stipulated in Article 12 Clause 8 for any financial liabilities arising from any fault, accident or negligence on the part of Employee. In the case that financial liabilities exceed the deposit, Employer is entitled to be paid additional compensation by Employee up to the amount owed.

Jeonnam:

If the contract is terminated or cancelled under Article 18 (Termination of the Contract) or by the employee’s request regardless of the reason, the employee shall indemnify the employer against any damages that may occur due to the termination of the contract. The damages in regards to this Article 20 include, but are not limited to, any Housing fees which the employer incurs after the termination of the Contract.
The Employee shall indemnify and protect the Employer from any liability or damages arising from or in relation to any negligent, faulty, or illegal activity of the Employee during the Term of Employment under this contract. For safety deposit, 200,000 Korean won per month will be deducted from the Employee's salary for the first 3 months of employment until it amounts to a total of 600,000 Korean won.
If the Employee is free from any and all liability, claims, suits, losses, costs and legal fees caused by, arising out of or resulting from any negligent, intentional or illegal act of the Employee, the Employee shall be refunded the total amount of money secured on the final day of the termination of the contract.

Article 20 Notes

Indemnification (손해배상) is the act of securing against loss or damage. If you were to quit mid-contract, you are contractually obligated to compensate the MOE/POE for the loss they will face. Most MOEs/POEs list housing as something you would have to pay. As some schools may not be able to get out of the housing contract with the landlord, you may be required to pay for the remaining months of rent and the monthly bills that would occur over that time period.

As for the security deposit, if you do a midnight run (leave in the middle of the night without telling anyone) and your MOE/POE keeps the security deposit until you complete your final contract, you will not be getting that money back. Although they claim it is for any damage that may be done to the apartment, it is really to keep people from leaving unannounced.

Misc. Notes:

It is unclear if Daegu’s Clause 2 is legal. It mentions that the employer can deduct money owed to them from your severance pay.

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Article 21 (Consent to Limited Release of Information)

Seoul: Article 22 (Consent to information provision)

Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Daegu, Daejeon, Busan, Seoul, Sejong, Incheon, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, Jeju, Chungnam, Chungbuk:

Gangwon, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Daejeon, Busan, Incheon, Jeonbuk, Chungnam: The Employee grants his/her consent that the information in the Employee's application form and/or Personnel Record Card may be used for the purpose of statistical data collected by the Employer and/or the Korean government, for other operations of the EPIK program, for his/her contract renewal with his/her current Employer or his/her new application to other provinces, etc.
＊Gyeonggi, Jeonnam: The Employee grants his/her consent that the information in the Employee's application form and/or Personnel Record Card may be used for the purpose of statistical data collected by the Employer and/or the Korean government, for his/her contract renewal with his/her current Employer or his/her new application to other provinces.
＊Gyeongnam: The Employee grants his/her consent that the information in the Employee's application form and/or Personnel Record Card may be used for the purpose of statistical data collected by the Employer and/or the Korean government, for other operations of the GOE Program, for his/her contract renewal with his/her current Employer or his/her new application to other provinces, etc.
＊Daegu, Sejong: The Employee grants his/her consent that the information in the Employee's application form and/or Personnel Record Card may be used for the purpose of statistical data collected by the Employer and/or the Korean government, for other operations of the EPIK program, for his/her contract renewal with his/her current Employer or his/her new application to another Office of Education, etc.
＊Seoul: Employee agrees that the information on his/her application form and Personnel Record Card can be used for governmental statistics collected by Employer or his/her new application to other provinces.
＊Jeju: The Employee grants his/her consent that the information in the Employee's application form and/or Personnel Record Card may be used for the purpose of statistical data collected by the Employer and/or the Korean government, EPIK Program, his/her Contract renewal with his/her current Employer or his/her new application to other provinces etc.
＊Chungbuk: The Employee grants his/her consent that the information in the Employee's application form and/or Personnel Record Card may be used for the purpose of statistical data collected by the Employer and/or the Korean government, for his/her contract renewal with his/her current Employer or his/her new application to other provinces, etc.
The Employee agrees that the evaluation results stipulated in Article 19, Clause ④ may be used for his/her contract renewal with his/her current Employer or his/her new application to other provinces.
＊Gyeonggi: The Employee agrees that the evaluation results stipulated in Article 19 Clause 4 may be used for his/her contract renewal with his/her current Employer or his/her new application to other provinces.
＊Daegu: The Employee agrees that the evaluation results stipulated in Article 19, clause ④ may be used for his/her contract renewal with his/her current Employer or his/her new application to another Office of Education, etc.
＊Seoul: Employee agrees that the evaluation results stipulated in Article 20, clause 4 will be used for his/her new application to other provinces.
＊Sejong: The Employee agrees that the evaluation results stipulated in Article 19, Clause ④ may be used for his/her contract renewal with his/her current Employer or his/her new application to another Office of Education, etc.
＊Incheon: The Employee agrees that the evaluation results stipulated in Article 19, Clause ⑤ may be used for his/her contract renewal with his/her current Employer or his/her new application to other provinces.
＊Jeju: The Employee agrees that the evaluation results stipulated in Article 19, Clause ④ may be used for his/her Contract renewal with his/her current Employer or his/her new application to other provinces.

Article 21 Notes

Clause 1 is pretty basic; your MOE/POE can and will use the information from your EPIK application (지원서) for statistical purposes. Also, if you reapply through EPIK to teach at a new MOE/POE, your previous MOE/POE can share your information (primarily your record card (인사기록카드)) with the Office of Education you are transferring to.

Clause 2 is also quite standard; your evaluation should absolutely be taken into account for contract renewals or transfers to other provinces.

For some MOEs/POEs, your information (first and last name, country of origin, sex, date of birth, degree/major, pay level, current schools) is given to every school that has or will have a NET. This happens typically around early December (for spring intake) or in May (for fall intake).

This list is sent out by the MOE/POE and is only given to the head of the school/main co-teacher through the Ministry of Education’s email system. If you hear of current teachers reaching out to who is replacing them, this list is how they know. Some co-teachers will show the current NET this list (or just the name of the replacement teacher). With the email system, some NETs can access this information as long as they know where the mail is sent, but some MOEs/POEs make it so NETs do not have permission to view this document.

Although not everyone has access to this list, having that much of your personal information shared around is not something most would have consented to. It would be a lot of work to send each school the information of their NET individually, but protecting your workers’ personal information is essential, especially since this information includes your full name and where you work. Perhaps this is being over-cautious, but most people don’t want everyone in an MOE/POE to know their private information. People with bad intentions exist everywhere, even within the school systems of Korea.

This also happens to teachers who are leaving Korea, leaving that MOE/POE, those staying in the same MOE/POE at the same school, and those transferring schools. Less personal information is shared in those instances, but it still is regardless. For transferring teachers specifically, the typical information shared is:

First and last name
Sex
Country of origin
Which Regional Office of Education you are currently in
Grade level (language center, high, middle, elementary)
Name of current school(s)
Your new school(s)
Pay level
Contract start date
Contract end date
Notes about if you are changing your place of work or if you will be traveling between multiple schools

It is unclear if this is legal. No mention of the sending of employee information is within the Labor Standards Act.

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Article 22 (Governing Law, Language and Venue)

Seoul: Article 23 (Governing Law, Language and Venue)

Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Daegu, Daejeon, Busan, Seoul, Sejong, Incheon, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, Jeju, Chungnam, Chungbuk:

The terms of this Contract and the rights and obligations of the parties hereto shall be construed, interpreted and determined in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Korea.
The governing language of the Contract shall be Korean. The English translation of this Contract is offered for the purpose of convenience only.
＊Jeonnam: The governing language of the Contract shall be Korean. The English translation of this Contract offered for the purpose of convenience only.
If a dispute or disagreement should arise in connection with or out of this Contract, the parties hereto shall first try to resolve it in accordance with the principle of good faith. If the parties fail to mutually resolve such disputes or disagreements or come to amicable settlements, their disputes or disagreements shall be resolved by arbitration in Seoul, Korea in accordance with the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board.
＊Gyeonggi: If a dispute or disagreement should arise in connection with or out of this Contract, the parties hereto shall first try to resolve it to the mutual satisfaction of both parties and in accordance with the principle of good faith.
＊Seoul: If a dispute or disagreement should arise in connection with or out of this Contract, the parties hereto shall first try to resolve it in accordance with the principle of good faith. If the parties fail to mutually resolve such disputes or disagreements or come to amicable settlements, their disputes or disagreements shall be resolved by arbitrator in Seoul, Korea in accordance with the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board.
＊Incheon: If a dispute or disagreement should arise in connection with or out of this Contract, the parties hereto shall first try to resolve it in accordance with a principle of good faith. If the parties fail to mutually resolve such disputes or disagreements or come to amicable settlements, their disputes or disagreements shall be resolved by arbitration in Seoul, Korea in accordance with the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board.
＊Jeonnam: If a dispute or disagreement should arise in connection with or out of this Contract, the parties hereto shall first try to resolve it in accordance with the principle of good faith. If the parties fail to mutually resolve such disputes or disagreements or come to amicable settlements, their disputes or disagreements shall be finally resolved by arbitration in Seoul, Korea in accordance with the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board.

– All MOEs/POEs except Gyeonggi, Seoul –
Matters not explicitly stated in the Contract shall be determined by the Employer by taking the Employee's concerns into consideration.

Article 22 Notes

Article 22, as mentioned at the beginning of this guide, is stating that the English translation of this contract is just for funsies and only the Korean version holds actual legal weight. All of the differences found between the English translation and the Korean version of the contract were expanded upon, but a few could have been missed. It is worth looking over for yourself just to make sure. It does not hurt to copy+paste the Korean portion of the contract into a translation site like Papago or ask a fluent Korean-speaking friend. There are some contracts for 2022 onward that purposefully mistranslate and/or add some language that makes it mean something completely different than the Korean version of the clause. Check your contract’s Article 3, Clause 1.

If you’ve tried to resolve an issue with your school to no avail, or if you feel as if that answer is not correct, contact your MOE/POE coordinator. Their job is to help your school navigate your contract as well as to help you. Let them do their job. Think of them as an HR department. Do you trust HR completely and expect they will always have your back? Of course not. The MOE/POE coordinators work for the government, not for you. Will they still help you if your contract is not being followed by your school (not receiving paid leave, etc.)? Yes. Coordinators do tend to fight for NETs a little more than an HR department would, but it is still a good idea to remember you are not friends.

In case this dispute cannot be resolved within your MOE/POE, you will need to go to Seoul and bring your disagreements to the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board (KCAB, 대한상사 중재원). Here is their Korean website and here is their English website. Arbitration is essentially the process of getting a separate party (an arbitrator) to settle a dispute outside of court.

If you feel like you need legal advice, you should join the LOFT: Legal Office for Foreign Teachers Facebook group. You can inquire about any issue you may have and can even post anonymously, which is suggested. It is important to note that not everyone who will comment on your post is an actual lawyer; there could be misinformation spread around so it’s good to check things for yourself and ask for sources.

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Article 23 (Signature)

Seoul: Article 24 (Signature)

Gangwon, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Daegu, Daejeon, Busan, Seoul, Sejong, Incheon, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, Jeju, Chungnam, Chungbuk:

In witness whereof, the parties hereto sign the Contract in triplicate on the date entered below with each party retaining one copy and submitting the third copy for the Employee's visa application.
＊Gwangju, Daejeon: In witness whereof, the parties hereto sign the Contract in duplicate on the date entered below with each party retaining one copy.
＊Seoul: In witness whereof, the parties hereto sign the Contract and 9 part “addenda” in triplicate on the date entered below with each party retaining one copy and submitting the third copy for Employee's visa application.
＊Jeonbuk: In witness whereof, the parties hereto sign the Contract in triplicate(quadruplicate if necessary) on the date entered below with each party retaining one copy and submitting the third copy for the Employee's visa application(submitting the forth copy to the Regional Office of Education).

Gyeonggi:

In witness whereof, the parties hereto sign the Contract in triplicate on the date entered below with each party retaining one copy and submitting the third copy for the Employee's visa application.
The principal of the school where the employee is working has the right to demand for a copy of the contract for the primrose of management, in which the employee should submit a copy to him/her.

Article 23 Notes

This is the signature of you and your employer (the MOE/POE). Make sure you sign on the employee line as well as in every box at the bottom of the contract where it says “employee.”

Creating duplicates of your contract is essential. Immigration, your school, the MOE/POE, and you should all have a copy of your contract. You’ll need copies for other processes as well, like getting your own housing or applying for tax exemption. It is suggested to have an extra copy handy at every school you teach at. Having access to your contract and being able to pull it out when needed will be crucial. You won’t always have to reference it, but when you do, you’ll thank yourself that it’s readily available.

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