South Korea
The government supports the teaching of English so there are plenty of opportunities in language teaching for native English speakers. Technology and IT are big in South Korea and jobs are often available in these areas, although English is not widely spoken and finding suitable employment in these fields can prove difficult.
It is usual to find work prior to entering the country to avoid any problems obtaining a visa. It is illegal to work on a tourist visa in South Korea. Contact the Embassy of the Republic of Korea for full visa requirement details.
For most jobs, application is by American-style résumé.
Networking is of great importance in South Korea and applicants are often well known to recruiters. For UK graduates it may be worth taking any job with a multinational company and then seeking further work through contacts and networking once in the country.
If applying for jobs once in the country, it is important that you have a business card (with one side translated into Korean) that states your name and contact information. South Korea has certain customs that should be recognised in business. This includes presenting your business card with both hands, text facing the recipient, and giving a gentle nod. When receiving a card, nod your head and thank the person for meeting with you. It is then appropriate to put the card away (examining a card at length is seen as discourteous).
Your CV, or résumé, generally follows the American style. This is a slightly more concise version of the UK CV, which gives brief details on:
Include details of two referees, who should be in senior positions, rather than colleagues. Include their name, address, phone number and job title. A photograph is not usually requested, although a job objective on the first page, under personal details, is common.
Visit Jobweb for further information on putting an American-style résumé together. If you do include an objective in your CV ensure you change it each time you apply for a job to make it specific to that role.
There are certain customs that should be recognised when attending an interview in South Korea. For example, interviewees should bow first when introduced and should not shake hands unless the interviewer extends his/her hand first. Do not interrupt the interviewer and ensure that when speaking about your experience you remain modest. Humility is important in Korean culture so do not overemphasise your individual achievements, referring to collective success instead. Show interest in the company and ensure you have carried out sufficient research beforehand. This will be a test of your sincerity in wanting the position and your loyalty to the company.
Most South Korean employers recognise UK qualifications.
If you are planning to live and work in South Korea, check your UK tax and National Insurance position with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) to ensure that you are not losing any UK pension rights.
There are private employment agencies operating in South Korea, and the country is a member of the International Confederation of Private Employment Agencies (CIETT) . Word-of-mouth is another way of finding out about agencies.
There is an annual Careers Fair for Overseas Students (South Korea) held in Seoul. The Coex Centre also runs numerous conferences and exhibitions over the year which may be useful for job hunting and networking.
Networking is an important part of job hunting and you should be prepared to sell yourself to potential employers. Always have a copy of your résumé to hand and a business card in both English and Korean. See applying for jobs for more information.
UK graduates will experience difficulty in finding work experience or short-term opportunities beyond either teaching English or work with voluntary organisations. Approaching multinational companies operating in Korea while still in the UK may provide opportunities.
Youth and UNESCO Korea runs a series of events, including the International Youth Camp. This conference brings together youth from all over the world for ten days in Korea. The aim is to learn and share ideas surrounding a particular theme. It can provide a networking opportunity, as well as a useful introduction to South Korea. UNESCO also provides international volunteering opportunities in South Korea.
The AIESEC (Association Internationale des Etudiants en Sciences Economiques et Commerciales) is a student-run organisation that offers students work placements and exchange schemes in over 100 different countries, including South Korea. The aim is to help people gain leadership skills and professional experience.
The government in South Korea supports the teaching of English and it is one of the main areas of work open to UK graduates. If applying for a teaching position, check that all terms and conditions of employment are clearly stated before accepting an offer and signing a contract. Research the institution or company you are interested in thoroughly and, where possible, speak to other teachers working there before accepting any offer. It is not possible to obtain a visa to teach English in South Korea without a three-year university degree - a TEFL qualification alone is not enough.
Voluntary opportunities are available, for example:
It is uncommon for UK graduates to obtain casual work and there are very few short-term opportunities for non-Korean nationals.
English language teaching is not possible for gap years during or before a degree, as there is a requirement to have completed three years higher education study in order to teach. It is, however, a real possibility for those who have graduated.
Universities in Korea are divided into national and private universities. Some of the universities have graduate schools, which are known as professional, general or open graduate schools. International students are welcomed, although study is usually in Korean and proficiency in the language is tested.
The structure of postgraduate education is similar to that in the UK. Degrees can be academic or professional, the latter providing training towards a particular profession. Masters degrees are available in a broad range of subjects and take around two years to complete. PhDs are also widely available and take three years or more to complete.
Applicants are generally required to sit a Korean Proficiency Test (KPT), subject to certain exemptions. For further information, contact the university to which you are applying. Universities with an interest in internationalising university education are conducting about 30% of their classes in English, while some universities have international faculties in which all courses are taught in English. Contact the individual institutions for further clarification.
There are many universities in South Korea which offer postgraduate study. These include:
Details of all courses/institutions can be found on the Study in Korea website.
You will be expected to have completed 12 years of primary and secondary education, and to have a Bachelors degree (though usually no specific classification is requested).
It is not usually possible to enter a postgraduate programme from a foundation degree or HND.
Institutions have different closing dates for applications, though typically these are September to November for courses starting in March, and from May to June for courses starting in September. Check with individual institutions for closing dates.
There is no centralised application process; each institution must be contacted directly. Visit Study in Korea for links to institutions.
Each institution has slightly different requirements but usually expect some or all of the following:
Usually applications are assessed on the basis of your documents. Interviews are rare for university entry.
Fees vary between institutions, although not hugely. Typically, private universities’ fees are around 30-50% higher than at state universities.
The Study in Korea website offers estimates of costs to international students. These include:
The South Korean government actively welcomes foreign students and has annual targets for their recruitment. Various ministries of the Korean government run scholarship programmes available to international students at postgraduate level. These include: the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology; the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Many of the scholarships are listed on the Study in Korea website.
Specific scholarships are also provided by the universities themselves (which are usually set against the tuition fees). Contact individual institutions for details.
Some Korean universities have exchange agreements with universities in the UK, allowing students to study in South Korea for a certain period. Contact the international office at your university to see if they have an exchange programme. In addition, many South Korean universities run courses in the vacation period for international students.
UK NARIC (National Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom) provides information about the equivalency of qualifications and skills from overseas to the UK’s national qualifications framework. Visit their website for more information on the services they provide.
UK citizens may enter South Korea for up to 90 days without needing a visa for tourist purposes only. If you wish to stay for longer or want to work or study in the country you must obtain a relevant visa.
Visas are available for numerous situations including:
If you are staying on a long-term basis in South Korea you must register with the local immigration office within the first 90 days of your stay.
Contact the Embassy of the Republic of Korea for more details.
Visa applications are made through the Korean Embassy and must be completed before you enter South Korea.
If you have been offered a job in the country your employer should file a work permit application on your behalf. Once this has been approved you will be issued with a Certificate of Confirmation of Visa Issuance and this must then be submitted to the Korean Embassy.
If you are studying in South Korea the university should be able to aid you with your visa application.
The usual documents that need to be presented for a visa application include:
Each different type of visa will require its own set of additional specific documents. Visit the Embassy of the Republic of Korea website for further details.
If you are not a UK national, contact the South Korean embassy in the country where you are currently residing about how to obtain visas and work permits. If you are living in the UK, go to the Embassy of the Republic of Korea .
You might also find it helpful to contact your ministry of foreign affairs (or your own embassy if you are not living in your home country) to ask whether there are any issues to be taken into account when considering working South Korea.
You can apply for permanent residency either from your home country or while in South Korea. If you do not have any connections to Korean citizens, i.e. through marriage or family members, you will find it difficult to obtain permanent residency but it is possible if you can provide sufficient evidence and documentation. For more information contact the Embassy of the Republic of Korea.
South Korea has certain policies in place, usually set up by the Ministry of Labour, to help the unemployed get back into work. Unemployment benefits have been integrated with vocational training and employment security institutions to aid with this.
Some universities have dedicated careers services, for example Seoul National University has a career development centre, which offers career counselling, mentoring programmes, employment planning and workshops. Other smaller universities may not have a dedicated service and careers advice may be given on an ad-hoc basis by academic staff.
Alumni societies are also well established and provide an informal system of networking and guidance.
Register with the British Embassy South Korea on arrival to make sure that you can be reached in the event of an emergency. The embassy is also able to help British nationals in the country in cases of emergencies and crimes.
Emergency contact numbers in South Korea are:
The British Embassy South Korea website also has details of police stations that have English speaking officers.
Find the latest travel advice and a traveller’s checklist on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website.
