**Starting dates:

1.      March 01, 2008 (some jobs available at mid-march)

2.      September 2008.

3.      Between March and September (not many but some positions available, please check with us)

 

Please note that this information is general information prepared by federal government’s education board.  Generally the rules apply to all the Provincial Office of Educations (all the public schools in Korea). However, depends on the location there are slight differences. If the information here and your contract is different, the contract is the one that applies to you (your contract overrides this information).

 

There are many different teaching positions available in Korea, and most likely you are trying to decide which job would best fit your personal and career goals. The EPIK program has several advantages to offer, which we would like to highlight here.

Regular Hours and Vacation Time
First of all, EPIK participants have very regular working hours and are not contractually obligated to work during evenings or weekends. All Provincial Office of Education participants are employed by the Korean government, and can thus take all national holidays off in addition to 14 days paid vacation time. And because participants work in the public school system, they can sometimes enjoy additional paid time off when schools are closed.

Job Security
As a government employee, your job is secure with Provincial Office of Education. You will never be released from your job for budget or institutional problems nor for preferential reasons, like your physical appearance or your accent. Also, you are always paid in full and paid on time, unlike some private academies.

More Prestige
Provincial Office of Education is the only national English teaching program sponsored by the Korean government and can carry more weight on a resume or CV. Work well done in Provincial Office of Education also has more prestige and can bring widespread recognition in a local community or even in a province. EPIK is also a great launching point for an English (ESL/EFL) teaching career.

More Flexibility
Provincial Office of Education positions offer a lot of flexibility in your teaching. Most Provincial Office of Education participants have autonomy over what they teach and do not have to adhere to rigid rules or pre-designed textbooks. Provincial Office of Education participants usually have little administration work and are not hindered by having to meet academic objectives, but can focus more on building confidence and having fun in the classroom.

A Greater Impact
In Provincial Office of Education, you will have the opportunity to network with high ranking education officials and administrators who can improve the way English is taught in the public schools of Korea. Simply by sharing the different ways in which you learned English, you can give them valuable input and ideas which can affect change on an official level. You will also have the opportunity to teach students of all different backgrounds, and not just those students who can afford private lessons. You may also have the opportunity to teach public school teachers, who will then go on to teach English to their students. In other words, you can potentially reach many more people and have a much greater impact than with other teaching jobs in Korea. In some areas of Korea, young students have still never met a foreigner and will be fascinated by everything you do and say. You can break false conceptions and open the world to them as a true cultural bridge.

 

 

For the EPIK jobs there are after school classes (not usually or guaranteed but usually) which is over time depends on locations. It is easy to do the over time because you teach 22 hours per week and over the 22 hours are over time. The classes are held within your working hours (4Pm to 5pm or 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm) at an over time rate of 30,000 Won. So if you teach three hours per week you will be getting approximately 400,000 Won per month on top of your base salary.

 

EPIK (English Program in Korea) run by the Korean Ministry of Education, was established in 1995 with the mandate to improve the English speaking abilities of students and teachers in Korea, to develop cultural exchanges, and to reform teaching methodologies in English.

**Teaching for the elementary and middle school students (You will be hired by a Provincial Government Office of Education and will be teaching at public schools at the provinces).
**Starting date: check with I Love ESL

**Salary: 2.0-2.85 M depends on your qualification and location you teach

 **Housing: single

 **Working hours: 9am-5Pm, (but your teaching hours are 22 hours per week during the school hours) Monday to Friday.

**Vacation: 14 days per year. Upon completing of your contract if you renew your contract then you will be getting 14 days additional vacation with round trip to your home country.

 **Full government medical benefit, Round trip air Fair will be provided.

 

There are five levels of employment for Korean public schools (hired by Provincial Government Office of Education), and all applicants must have the following basic requirements:

Basic requirement

EPIK participants must meet the following basic eligibility requirements.

Be a citizen of a country where English is the primary language. Be a citizen of one of the seven major English speaking countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the South Africa, United Kingdom, or the United States of America. (Applicants of Korean heritage who has a permanent residency in a country where English is the primary language must have studied from the junior high level(7th grade) and resided for at least 10 years or more in the country where English is the primary language.
Hold at least a Bachelor's degree
Be mentally and physically healthy
Have a good command of the English language
Have the ability and willingness to adapt to Korean culture and living
If you are a male citizen of the Republic of Korea under the age of 35, you must have either completed mandatory military service or have received an official waiver.

LEVEL	Requirements	Monthly Pay
		Metropolitan City	Province
1+	· Level 1 plus 2 consecutive yrs teaching experience   within the same Provincial Office of Education	$2,600 (2.5 million KRW)	$2,700-$3,000 (2.6-2.85 million KRW)
1	· 2 years of teaching experience with one of the followings    - MA degree    - Teacher's, TEFL/TESOL/CELTA(100+hrs) Certificate    - Education, English Education or English Language/Literature major · As a level 2+, contract renewal at the same POE	$2,400 (2.3 million KRW)	$2,500-$2,800 (2.4-2.65million KRW)
2+	· MA degree in any discipline, with BA in Education, English Education or English Language/Literature · MA degree in Education, English Education or English Language /Literature, with BA in any discipline · As a Level 2, contract renewal at the same POE	$2,200 (2.1 million KRW)	$2,300-$2,600 (2.2-2.45 million KRW)
2	· Must have one of the followings    - Teacher's Certificate   - TEFL/TESOL/CELTA(100+hrs) Certificate    - Education, English Education or English Language/Literature major    - BA degree plus 1 yr full-time English teaching experience · MA degree in any discipline	$2,100 (2.0 million KRW)	$2,200-$2,500 (2.1-2.35 million KRW)
3	· BA degree in any discipline	$1,900 (1.8 million KRW)	$2,100-$2,400 (2.0-2.25 million KRW)

* The amount of provincial pay varies according to special rural allowance and multiple school teaching allowance (usually 100,000 per month if you are working for a province and additional 100,000 if you work for a county). There will be additional travel allowance if you are teaching multiple schools.
* Updated salary includes provincial allowance.

Benefits

***Settlement Allowance - 300,000 KRW (one-time payment)
All EPIK ELIs, regardless of level, will be provided with a settlement allowance of 300,000 KRW in the first month of their first contract.

Tax Exemption - 2 years of income tax exemption (except Canadians)
With the exception of Canadians, all EPIK ELIs, regardless of ELI level, are exempt from paying Korean income tax for the first two years of their employment in Korea.
To be eligible for this tax exemption, you must submit official proof of residency in the form of Residency Certification from the relevant jurisdictional tax office of your country of permanent residence. This document must be submitted to the supervisor of your POE within one month of your arrival in Korea. In order to be tax exempted, you are required to submit documents below to your supervisor within the first month of your employment.
       - an Application Form(provided by your supervisor)
       - a copy of Residence Certificate(issued by the competent authority - Revenue Office of your resident country)
If you have previously worked for more than two years in Korea, you are ineligible for this income tax exemption.
Income tax exemption can be an exceptional benefit since, for example, in the USA, single persons with no dependents may need to pay one-third of their income as tax.
As there is no tax treaty between Canada and Korea, Canadian EPIK ELIs will be taxed between 2 and 4 percent on their Korean income depending on their EPIK ELI level.

**National Pension Scheme - 50% of your compulsory contributions paid by your employer
(1) National Pension Scheme
Pursuant to the Korean National Pension Corporation Act, 50% of your compulsory pension contributions will be paid by your host POE.
Current compulsory pension contributions total approximately 9% of your salary and are payable monthly. Half of this amount, about 4.5%, will be paid by your host POE, with the remaining amount being deducted from your monthly salary.
(2) National Pension Scheme Refunds
At present, only EPIK ELIs holding American or Canadian citizenship are eligible for a lump-sum pension refund upon successfully completing their contract and departing Korea. Information and documentation to apply for this refund can be found on the Korean National Pension Service website.
EPIK ELIs from countries other than the USA and Canada are only entitled to receive pension benefits in the case of retirement or tragedy. More information about pension benefits and refunds can be found on the Korean National Pension Service.

***Severance Pay - Equal to approximately one month’s salary/year
All EPIK ELIs, regardless of level, who successfully complete a one-year contract will be entitled to receive severance pay. Severance pay is equal to approximately one month’s salary.

*** VACATION & PAID LEAVES

l        A total of 14 working days will be provided as official vacation days, to be taken 7 days during each semester with agreement from your employer.

l        15 Paid sick leave per year

l        Employees will be off during all Korean national holidays.

l        An additional paid two-week vacation will be provided between contracts for renewing members.

***Free Furnished Housing Provided - Single studio-type housing
Free furnished housing or a rent subsidy will be provided by the host POE.
A leased house/apartment/studio-type room as well as basic household goods will be provided by the host POE. Basic household goods include: a bed, a table and chairs, a wardrobe, a gas stove, a refrigerator, a washing machine, a microwave oven, and a TV set.
Utilities are not provided for and are the responsibility of the EPIK ELI.
Due to variations in housing costs in different regions of Korea, the size and location of the supplied housing can vary from POE to POE.
If housing is unavailable, a monthly rent subsidy of 300,000 KRW will be provided in lieu of free furnished housing.

Airfare Reimbursement - One-way to Korea and One-way from Korea
During the 10-day orientation, all EPIK ELIs, regardless of level, will be provided with reimbursement for the cost of direct, one-way, economy-class airfare from their place of permanent residence to Korea. Reimbursement for return travel to their place of permanent residence is provided by way of a lump-sum payment upon successful completion of the contract.
Before the end of the 10-day orientation, the cost of airfare from your place of permanent residence to Korea will be reimbursed by the EPIK office. To be eligible for an airfare reimbursement during orientation, the following items must be submitted: the passenger’s copy of your original flight ticket, the original purchase receipt from your travel agent or provider, and your original boarding pass(es).
To prevent early termination of contracts, incoming airfare reimbursement is issued in the form of a loan from the employer to the EPIK ELI.
This loan is in the amount of the actual purchase price of a direct, one-way, economy-class ticket from EPIK ELIs’ place of permanent residence to Incheon International Airport. Upon successful completion of the contract, the loan is waived. Flight itineraries that include unnecessary stopovers may not be eligible for reimbursement.
In the event that the contract is terminated with six (6) months of its implementation, including renewal contracts, regardless of course or grounds, the EPIK ELI will repay the above-mentioned loan to the EPIK office immediately

***Roundtrip Tickets
For those EPIK ELIs who purchase direct, roundtrip, economy-class tickets, 50% of the actual purchase price will be reimbursed before the end of orientation and the remaining 50% will be reimbursed upon the successful completion of the contract. To be eligible for an airfare reimbursement during orientation, the following items must be submitted: the passenger’s copy of your original flight ticket, the original purchase receipt from your travel agent or provider, and your original boarding pass(es).

EPIK ELIs Hired in Korea
For those EPIK ELIs who apply and are hired in Korea, airfare reimbursement is based on the actual purchase price of a direct, one-way, economy-class ticket from either Fukuoka or Osaka, Japan to Incheon International Airport.
However, for those EPIK ELIs who apply from within Korea but then return to their permanent residence, airfare reimbursement will be based on the actual purchase price of a direct, one-way, economy-class ticket from their permanent residence to Incheon International Airport. Flight itineraries that include unnecessary stopovers may not be eligible for reimbursement.
Upon successful completion of your contract, you may need to travel to a destination other than your place of permanent residence. If this is the case, your host POE may be able to reimburse you for your flight provided that the cost of this flight is equal to or less than the cost of a direct, one-way, economy-class ticket to your place of permanent residence. Arrangements for this reimbursement must be made in advance between you and your host POE.
For renewing ELIs, roundtrip airfare to their place of permanent residence will be provided upon successful completion and renewal of your contract. If you need to travel to a destination other than your place of permanent residence, your host POE may be able to reimburse you for your flight provided that the cost of this flight is equal to or less than the cost of a direct, one-way, economy-class ticket to your place of permanent residence. Arrangements for this reimbursement must be made in advance between Employee and Employer.

**Compulsory government Medical Insurance - 50% of your premiums paid by your employer
Pursuant to the National Medical Insurance Act, 50% of your medical insurance premiums will be paid by your host POE.
Current medical insurance premiums total approximately 4.31% of your salary and are payable monthly. Half of this amount, about 2.1%, will be paid by your host POE, with the remaining amount being deducted from your monthly salary. This medical insurance will allow you to receive medical attention and prescription medicines at a fraction of their original cost.
In the event that EPIK ELIs have dependents living with them in Korea, their host POE will continue to pay 50% of their medical insurance premiums for both the ELI and his/her dependents.

When you renew your contract with a same POE:

• An additional paid two-week vacation will be provided between contracts for renewing members.
• Round trip airfare for visiting their home country (not exceeding two weeks) will be provided for employees who renew their contract.
• Teachers complete the 1 year contract will be entitled to receive severance pay one month equivalent.
   
• All first level ELIs renewing after two years of service with the same employer as first level ELI will be entitled to special allowance of 200,000 Korean won per month.

 

CONTRACT FOR 2008 ENGLISH PROGRAM IN KOREA

 

This Employment Contract (hereinafter this “Contract”) is made by and entered into between the Superintendent of _______________________ Provincial Office of Education, the Republic of Korea (hereinafter “Employer”), and the native English speaker (Name) ________________________________ (hereinafter “Employee”) a(an) ___________________ citizen residing at _____________________.

 

Article 1 (Purpose) This contract is made for the purpose of setting forth the terms and conditions of employment for native English speakers who participate in the English Program in Korea.

 

 

Article 2 (Status of Employment) Employee shall be hired pursuant to this Contract as a [□ 1+ level Guest English Teacher(GET)  /  □ 1st GET  /  □ 2+ level GET  /  □ 2nd level GET /  □ 3rd level GET].

 

 

Article 3 (Duties) ELIs shall perform the following duties: 

   1. To assist Korean teachers with their English class(es) and/or jointly conduct English class(es);

   2. To prepare teaching materials for English class(es);

   3. To assist with the development of teaching materials related to English language education;

   4. To assist with activities related to English language education and other extracurricular activities within the place of employment;

5. To conduct English conversational class(es)/course(s) for Korean teachers and students, and

   6. To perform other duties as designated by Employer including various English programs during the vacation.

 

 

Article 4 (Supervision) 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 Employer.

 

 

Article 5 (Term of Employment) ① The Term of Employment shall commence on March 01, 2008 and end on February 28, 2009.

    ② This employment period is not continuance and should not be considered as continuance of any former employment in other city/province. Hence, Employer shall hire Employee as a new ELI, commencing on March 01, 2007.

 

 

Article 6 (Resignation) ① Employee shall perform the duties set forth under Article 3 hereof during the Term of Employment set forth under Article 5 hereof.

  ② However, if Employee should desire to resign from the English Program In Korea and thereby terminate this Contract, he/she must give Employer a thirty (30) day prior written notice of resignation stating a date of and a reason for resignation.

  ③ In the case of Employee's resignation, the airfare for the return flight shall be borne by Employee, and his/her visa shall be cancelled.

 

 

Article 7 (Work Place) ① Employee shall work at a Work Place as designated by Employer, and the Work Place may be a school, Provincial Office of Education, training center, or any other educational institute located in _______________ City/Province.

  ② Employer may designate multiple Work Places for Employee.

  ③ Employer may designate Employee to work at a Provincial Office of Education, training center or other educational institute during the vacation. In this case, Employee shall not claim for any additional pay.

 

  

Article 8 (Work Hours) ① Employee shall work eight (8) hours per day (including lunch hour) for five (5) calendar days per week from Monday to Friday and shall not work on Saturdays, Sundays and any national holidays of the Republic of Korea.

  ② 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 Employer as he/she deems appropriate.

  ③ Actual class instruction hours of Employee shall not exceed twenty-two(22) hours per week. If, however, Employee's actual weekly class instruction hours exceed twenty-two(22) hours due to supplementary class instruction, Employee shall be entitled to a supplementary class instruction pay.

  ④ Employer may require Employee to work overtime in addition to normal Work Days and Work Hours.  In this case, overtime pay will be provided.

  ⑤ In the case of payment pursuant to the foregoing ③ ④, Employee shall be paid for the supplementary class instruction hours and overtime at the rate applicable to Korean teachers.

 

 

Article 9 (Salary) ① Employee shall be paid the total amount of _______________ Korean Won (KRW) per month. However, the Korean income tax, medical insurance premium and the national pension contribution, as required under Korean law, shall be withheld each month from Employee's salary.

  ② Employee's salary shall be paid on the 25th 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.

  ③ When Employee has not worked a full month, salary for that month shall be paid on a pro rata basis either from the first day or until the last day of work.

  ④ If Employee should be absent from work without having obtained a prior approval, Employee's salary for that month shall be lessened by the amount calculated on a pro rata basis for the number of unauthorized absent days.

  ⑤ Employee shall not claim, against Employer, any compensation and/or payment other than those provided for in this Contract.