A teaching contract in South Korea should make the job easier to understand, not create more questions. Before you sign, compare every promise from the interview with the written document and investigate the exact school or branch. The red flags below do not automatically prove that a job is bad, but each one deserves a clear written answer.
Your contract should identify the employing legal entity and the location where you will normally work. “Seoul area” or a franchise name alone is not enough. Ask whether you can be transferred, sent to another branch, or assigned off-site classes—and under what conditions.
A contract may advertise a reasonable number of classes while leaving arrival time, preparation, meetings, events, grading, and breaks unclear. Ask for both the daily workplace schedule and the maximum teaching load.
The contract should state the gross salary, normal pay date, overtime method, and permitted deductions. Request a sample payslip with personal information removed. Be cautious when an employer cannot explain how a normal month, partial month, overtime, or unpaid absence would be calculated.
If housing is provided, confirm the address or expected area, furnishings, utilities, maintenance responsibilities, deposits, and deductions. Ask for recent photos or a live video tour of the actual unit whenever possible. If housing is shared, that should be disclosed before signing.
If a housing allowance is offered instead, check whether it is included in the quoted salary and whether you must arrange a deposit before your first paycheck.
Do not rely on “standard benefits” as an explanation. Ask the employer to identify the planned enrollments and deductions in writing and confirm your individual eligibility with the relevant official agencies. Rules can vary by nationality, visa, employment classification, and other circumstances.
Check whether vacation is stated in working days or calendar days, who selects the dates, how much notice is given, and whether school closures are deducted from your allowance. Also review public holidays, sick leave, emergency leave, and any attendance bonus that could discourage legitimate leave.
Some contracts require repayment of airfare, recruitment costs, housing expenses, training, or other benefits if a teacher leaves early. Any repayment should name the exact item, amount or calculation, and time period. A clause allowing undefined damages or deductions deserves careful scrutiny.
Watch for language allowing unilateral changes to salary, schedule, location, duties, housing, or vacation. Reasonable operational flexibility is different from permission to rewrite the core job after arrival.
Read notice requirements, probation rules, dismissal grounds, and final-pay procedures. Ask what happens to housing and immigration sponsorship if employment ends. Never surrender your passport or original degree to an employer for ongoing storage; provide documents only through legitimate processes and retain your own records.
If the recruiter or director promised a particular age group, branch, schedule, apartment, flight benefit, or start date, ensure it appears in the final contract. Statements such as “we always do that” are not a substitute for written terms.
Speak privately with a current teacher and, if possible, a recent former teacher. Search the exact Korean and English school names, address, director, and branch. Franchises can differ substantially by ownership and management.
Create a one-page summary of salary, total workplace hours, maximum classes, housing costs, benefits, leave, notice, and possible repayments. Email your questions in one organized list and keep the answers. If the employer pressures you to sign before answering reasonable questions, treat that pressure as useful information.
Global School Scout tip: Use Global School Scout to compare school profiles, branch information, teacher feedback, and active South Korea teaching jobs before making a commitment.
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