So you’re excited by the idea of getting paid to live abroad and teach English, but you’re overwhelmed by all of the options. Europe is glamorous, South America is caliente, Japan is from the future, China is fascinating, Thailand is a tropical paradise… so, why choose South Korea? We at Teach Korea Tips believe that Korea’s charm as a fascinating place to live and visit is vastly underrated. For whatever reason, Korea just doesn’t have the same romance in the  imaginations of most Westerners as some of its neighbors, and we think that is a big oversight. Here, in no particular order, are our…

Top 10 Reasons to “Teach Korea”

1. Food Lindsey and I fell hard for the unique blend of spicy, tangy, and savory that is Korean cuisine and now we can’t get enough of it. Some love it, some hate it. But almost everyone agrees on the barbeque.

2. “Jeong” Wikipedia devines ‘jeong’ as, “a combination of compassion, empathy, and bond on a very soulful level.” For Koreans, it is a hard-to-define, but foundational concept that runs through every aspect of life. You’ll find it in simple acts of kindness, such as sharing a snack in the office, to the deep connections you can make with your friends and coworkers.

3. Travel When you move to Korea, Asia becomes your new backyard. Ever dreamed of taking a weekend jaunt to Tokyo or Halong Bay? Well, you can here.

4. Internet Fastest. In. The. World.

5. Culture Korean culture is a living, vibrant part of dialy life that just happens to be thousands of years old. Check out a “pungmul” performance for some awesome drumming and gymastic feats. Plus, whether you love to hate it, or just plain love it, “K-Pop” is here to stay.

6. Health care The Korean health care system is top notch, and cheap! Last year I paid $4 for a visit to the doctor when I had the flu.

7. Your fellow expats Today, there are over 22,000 foreign English teachers living in South Korea. And while moving abroad to teach English is certainly for people who enjoy being pushed outside of their comfort zone, it is nice to have neighbors who share your background and are in the same boat as you.

8. A place to pursue your passions Lindsey and I both have very strong interests, and we were a little apprehensive before we came that we would have to put them on hold while we lived in Korea and work full time. In fact, we found the opposite to be true. Lindsey contributed to couple of great ex-pat publications, Seoul Eats and Groove Magazine, and I played in a folk band (Bridget and the Puppycats) and studied Korean drumming. The truth is that Korea is full of native English speakers who suddenly find themselves with the time and disposable income to follow their bliss. No matter what how obscure your cup of tea may be, there’s a community here pursuing it passionately.

9. English-friendly As I discussed at greater length before, both the people and the infrastructure of Korea a very English-friendly. Getting around your town and getting along with your coworkers are both possible without knowing a word of Korean.

10. Money Korea is simply the best place for new English teachers to make a lot of money and live on a little. I know that’s a big claim to make, but read my post about saving $10,000/year and I think you’ll agree that it’s true.

Is South Korea heaven on Earth? Definitely not. Like anywhere, it’s got its fair share of injustices and frustrating foibles. But it’s a great place to get a job teaching English, and with a positive attitude it can be a deeply rewarding and seriously fun place to live.