Teaching English in Korea: Comparing EPIK, GEPIK, and SMOE Programs

Landing a teaching position in a Korean public school is a coveted job in the ESL world. The pay and benefits are quite good and the working conditions are comfortable. The EPIK, GEPIK, and SMOE programs encompass all the public school positions in Korea. However, the locations and benefits are different across the programs.

Let’s say you have decided to work in a Korean public school. The question remains: Which program should you choose? The acronyms themselves may be confusing to you! In this article we’ll review all the important factors you should consider when making the decision to work for EPIK, GEPIK, or SMOE.

What does EPIK, GEPIK, and SMOE stand for?

• Ah, we’ve started with an easy question. Here are what the acronyms stand for:
• EPIK: English Program in Korea
• GEPIK: Gyeonggi English Program in Korea
• SMOE: Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education

Locations for EPIK, GEPIK, and SMOE

Location is perhaps the most significant difference in deciding between the three programs. It’s important to think carefully about which location would work best for you:

EPIK: The EPIK program is the largest program, geographically. It includes all provinces in Korea with the exception of two: Seoul and Gyeonggi. Of course, this is a very wide area. You will want to think carefully about whether you prefer to work/live in an urban or rural location. City locations include Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, Incheon, Gwangju and Ulsan. Rural locations include Gangwon, Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam, Chungbuk, Cheongnam, Jeonbuk, Jeonnam and Jeju island. The EPIK application includes a spot to list your top three location preferences. You will increase your chances of being hired if you are willing to be flexible. If the above locations sound overwhelming to you, don’t worry. It’s best not to over think your preferences. Carefully consider whether or not you want to live in a city or rural location. Beyond that, your experience should be fairly similar.

GEPIK: The GEPIK program is located in Gyeonggi province. Gyeonggi is the most populous province in Korea, with over 22 million residents. With that in mind, most schools are located in fairly populous areas. However, it is also possible to have a more remote teaching location on the outer reaches of Gyeonggi province.

SMOE: All SMOE positions are located within the city of Seoul. With a population of 12 million people, Seoul is one of the largest cities in the world. Depending on your perspective, this may sound either incredibly exciting or incredibly daunting! Keep in mind that landing a position in Seoul is significantly more competitive than either EPIK or GEPIK (we’ll touch more on this later in the article).

Teaching in Seoul

Visit this page for further details on location options for teaching English in Korea.

Salary Comparison

Ah, did you think we would never get to the important part? In short, there are differences in salary, but they aren’t significant. We wouldn’t advise you to base your decision on salary. The important thing to know is that your salary will allow you to live comfortably and save money. However, it is worth looking at the differences in salary for budgeting purposes. This page will give you a brief comparison of public vs. private schools in Korea.

Benefits Comparison

The benefits are essentially the same for EPIK, GEPIK and SOME. They also happen to be very generous! Benefits include full roundtrip airfare to South Korea, housing, signing bonus, training, medical insurance and paid vacation!

Are Acceptance Rates Similar for EPIK, GEPIK, and SMOE?

In a word, “No”. SMOE positions are much more competitive. In fact, SMOE generally only hires people with either a year of teaching experience, or a TEFL certification (or the equivalent). It’s very possible they will soon require both. If you are a recent graduate, EPIK or GEPIK will still consider you for an interview. Either way, you should become TEFL certified. A TEFL certification means you automatically move into a higher pay bracket, so it’s to your benefit to become certified. Of course, your students will also benefit from the extra training provided by a TEFL certification!

The EPIK, GEPIK, and SMOE Application Process

Have you previous applied for any type of government position? If not, be prepared for a rude introduction to both paperwork and inefficiency. You will likely feel overwhelmed and frustrated at times. Our best advice: Stay organized and on top of things from the beginning. This will increase your chances of landing a job and help maintain your sanity. It’s important to keep in mind that all government jobs include a disproportionate amount of bureaucracy. As an American citizen, I can certainly attest to this. Keep in mind that the Korean government is no different. In fact, in my experience I would say they are quite reasonable.

Key Takeaways: Apply for your Criminal Background Check NOW! In some countries, this can take months. This is the #1 reason many people don’t have all their paperwork ready in time for EPIK, GEPIK or SMOE. You will also want to make sure you have an original copy of your degree ready.

Important Note: A 2nd article could be written on the application process alone. There is a LOT of paperwork involved. The above points barely scratch the surface. A recruitment organization is a tremendous help in this regard.

Applying to EPIK, SMOE, and GEPIK at the Same Time

You can apply to all programs at once, but it’s risky. The governmental organizations communicate with each other and they may find out you have applied to multiple programs at the same time. For whatever reason, they look down on this and have rejected people on that basis. With that in mind, it is risky to apply to multiple programs at the same time.

Should I Teach English in Korea?

With all the above in mind, this is the most important question at hand. Only you can make this decision. Teaching abroad can be one of the most transformative experiences of your life. You will learn an incredible amount about a different culture, a new language, and most importantly yourself. However, life abroad is not always easy. Living abroad, especially for the first time, requires patience and understanding. You will almost certainly experience culture shock and go through some significant ups and downs. If you are patient and flexible you will be happy and successful. In sum: You are almost certain to have a great experience, but keep in mind that life will not always be smooth sailing!

Teaching in Korea

How should I apply to EPIK, GEPIK, or SMOE?

The best way to apply for a position with EPIK, GEPIK or SMOE is through a recruiting organization. We recommend Reach To Teach. They have been around a long time, have a very good reputation and offer support throughout your year in Korea. The Reach To Teach website also includes detailed information about EPIK, GEPIK and SMOE.

Note: In the interests of full disclosure, Reach To Teach does advertise on the GO! Teach Abroad website. Please give us feedback on your experience working with this program! You can also research other programs, and private school positions, via the Teaching in Korea page on the Go Teach Abroad website.