South of Seoul volunteers would like to welcome you to South Korea. Deciding to move to Korea to become an educator may bring both a mix of joy, excitement, fear, and sadness. Many of our volunteers moved to South Korea as educators and relate to the many unique implications of such a life choice.
As an educator in South Korea, you may work as an:
Since a variety of educators with different visas live in South Korea, some of the blogs included in this Educators’ Virtual Welcome packet may include information for different visa types such as F4, F5, E2, E1, etc.
Each educator experiences life in Korea from their own social/cultural lens. Such lenses may be based on their country of origin, health care needs, culture, race, Korean language ability, location, and so much more. This means that each educator may experience Korean life in different ways unique to them.
South of Seoul volunteers seek to provide information that can be easily emotionally accessed and viewed through a variety of social/cultural lenses. We do this in order to support the educator community with empathetic and equitable information.
South of Seoul volunteers compiled an Educator’s Virtual Welcome Packet to help with this transition. Such a virtual welcome packet for educators includes information regarding commonly asked questions or shared experiences:
South of Seoul volunteers compile lists of commonly asked questions from a cross-section of ex-pat-focused Facebook Groups and personal interviews. We then review the information available online and contact the appropriate government agencies to confirm, clarify, and verify the information. After researching the information, we create blogs that address the information needed in the educational community.
That said, South Korea uses an agile government model which means information may change quickly and with minimal notice. Always confirm and cross-reference information between sources.
Absolutely not. As previously mentioned, each educator brings their own social/cultural lens. Such lenses may impact such things as 1) the perception of information included in blog articles, 2) the meaning of interactions and experiences in daily life, and 3) perceptions of how information, interactions, and experience relate in life.
South of Seoul volunteers HIGHLY recommend reading each of these blog articles more than once over time. Such articles provide readers with a great deal of insight which it might take time to relate to.
For example, read the SOS blogs before arriving in Korea and then a month after arriving in Korea. Different information will become important during those times.
If you have ideas for blogs that need to be added to this list, feel free to let us know in the comments or message us at southofseoul@gmail.com.
Download the South of Seoul app! We have designed an app specifically for international residents living in South Korea with a focus on Pyeongtaek and the surrounding areas. After you read these blogs the app will take your life to the next level. Click on the Google Play or App Store icons.
Trust us, educators need the information in the following blogs.
Feeling pressured to use Naver Maps (네이버 지도) instead of Google Maps while living in or visiting South Korea? Many valid reasons exist for this pressure. Time to explore the differences between these two map systems that provide different levels of access to information in Korea. Culture Shock Around Map Apps in Korea During our … Read more
As a public school teacher in South Korea, I’ve learned that the echo chamber of English language information about Suneung lacks detail. In fact, the English language research and information about the Suneung was so misleading I could find no ethically viable sources for my Master’s thesis. Therefore, I would like to reveal some misconceptions … Read more
Want to arrive in Korea ahead of the game? Take the Pyeongtaek Living 101 Course before you arrive and then sign up for workshops once you are here. It’s a great way to make the most of your time living in South Korea. Keep reading to learn more about the online course for integration in … Read more
Time to renew your E2 Visa for your ESL/EFL teaching job in South Korea. Let’s go! Many posts on the topic of Korean E2 visa renewal online leave out some critical details. We will add to the information to remove some of the fear and stress. Specifically, this post will look at how to apply … Read more
Worried about the typhoons that come through South Korea? Learn more about Typhoon preparedness in Korea and how international residents might want to prepare. Listen to the BlogCast Don’t want to read? Listen to the South of Seoul BlogCast which provides accessible content through the use of AI technology. We don’t have time to read each article … Read more
Recently we posted Tips for Making Friends in Korea and we mentioned embracing your hobbies. Of course, that’s easier said than done. You’ve moved to a new country and language limitations may make accessing your hobby difficult. I want to help make it easier by connecting you with groups in Korea where you can search … Read more
Have you recently moved to Korea for work or school and are you looking to build your community? Here are some of my personal tips for making friends in South Korea. Hold onto your hats because this isn’t short but it may be helpful. Listen to the BlogCast Don’t want to read? Listen to the … Read more
Would you like to see an income comparison foreign ESL teachers in Korea v US public school teachers? Let’s dig into how the money may shake out after basic expenses. We will look at the entry-level income v. expenses. Comparison of Salary and Expenses To understand the difference in income between entry-level teachers in the … Read more
Wondering what to expect during Korea’s four seasons? Let’s take a look at what a year looks like living in Korea. Discover tips for how to appreciate Korean seasons for their own unique style. Korea’s ‘Four Seasons’ is Part of Small Talk Korean culture puts great importance on the 4 seasons. While living in South … Read more
Are you getting a smartphone in South Korea? We have some information, tips, tricks, and things to watch out for.
