English Education Assistant in South Korea
Live and work in Korea without a degree, on a Working Holiday Visa. Not classroom teaching — you assist at private Hagwons with English conversation, 1-on-1 tutoring, class prep, and informal sessions with kids. No degree, no TEFL required. ₩1.2M–₩1.4M/month.
Change your life — and others' — through teaching abroad.
Bring meaning and fulfilment by helping Korean kids find confidence in English in informal, conversation-led settings. You'll grow in ways you never expected.
"The Education Assistant program is for teachers who want Korea but don't have a degree.
It's not the standard TEFL classroom. You're assisting at private Hagwons — running English conversation sessions, doing 1-on-1 tutoring, helping with class prep, sitting in informal small groups. No 30-kid public school chaos. No standing alone in front of a class.
For the right person, it's the gentlest entry into a country with one of the highest ceilings in TEFL — and you can transition to a full TEFL Heaven Korea contract once you have a degree."
What's included in the Education Assistant program
Everything you need to live and work in Korea without a degree.
Guaranteed placement at a private Hagwon
You'll be placed at a private school as an English Education Assistant — assisting, tutoring, and chatting in English. Not classroom teaching.
Working Holiday (H-1) Visa support
Apply yourself with our guidance. 1-year visa, no visa trip needed. We walk you through the paperwork step by step.
3-day in-country culture orientation
Korean lessons, cooking class, Hanbok experience, palace tour, culture sessions. You meet your cohort and the country before you start.
4 nights' arrival accommodation included
Shared room at our partner guesthouse, included in the program fee. We help you find your long-term place ($300–$450/mo rent).
What your first weeks look like
Mapped out so you know exactly what you're walking into.
Online prep
40-hour Korean culture course before you fly. You arrive already knowing the basics of Korean etiquette and Hagwon expectations.
In-country orientation
Korean language class, cooking class, Hanbok experience, palace tour, culture sessions. 4 nights' shared accommodation included.
Move in & start at the Hagwon
Find your apartment with our help. Start at your placement Hagwon — assisting with English conversation, 1-on-1 tutoring, class prep.
6-month placement
25 hours/week max (visa rule). Mon–Fri 12:00–17:00 or 13:00–18:00 typical. 1 paid day off per month from your second month. Weekends + Korean holidays off.
Everything we include in your Education Assistant program
We handle the friction so you can focus on the work.
Thousands of people sent abroad
Here are some of their stories — straight from teachers who lived it.
Sound like your kind of place?
Tell us you're interested and we'll send the full program PDF.
Why the Education Assistant route
The Education Assistant program is Korea without a degree. The Working Holiday Visa is one of the only legal routes for non-degree applicants to live and work in Korea, and the Hagwon-assistant role is its sweet spot — informal, conversational, and gives you the immersion most teachers want without the classroom pressure.
What being an Education Assistant is really like
This is not regular classroom teaching. You're assisting at a private Hagwon — helping with English conversation, 1-on-1 tutoring, social media help, class prep, and chatting with kids in English. The kids are typically aged 4 to 16.
Hours are 25 a week max (Working Holiday visa rule, Canadians excepted). Typical schedule: Mon–Fri, 12:00–17:00 or 13:00–18:00. You get 1 paid day off per month from your second month, plus weekends and Korean public holidays.
You're placed at a private Hagwon, usually around Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Ulsan, Daejeon, Sejong, or Gwangju. Tax is just 6% — among the lowest in our network.
Cities we place Education Assistants in
Hagwons across Korea — usually around major cities.
Seoul, Gyeonggi-do. Most placements. Mega-city energy, English-speaking expat scene if you want it.
Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, Ulsan, Sejong, Gwangju. Smaller foreigner communities, lower rent, more authentic immersion.
Some placements in smaller cities and satellite towns. Where you'll learn the most Korean and feel most embedded.
This could be you in a few months.
We'll walk you through every step — visa, flights, accommodation, and arrival.
What it really costs to live in Korea as an Education Assistant
Honest numbers on what assistants spend and what they save.
You pay rent yourself (no school-provided housing on Working Holiday). Deposits typically $2,000–$3,500, refunded when you leave.
Korean BBQ, kimbap, conbini dinners. Eating Korean is cheap; importing Western food adds up fast.
T-money card, KTX trains, taxis. Korea's transit is among the world's best.
Modest savings — Working Holiday is more about the year than the salary. Tax is just 6%.
We tell you this upfront — the ones who plan for it love their first year.
Working Holiday means you pay your own housing. Unlike the standard Teach South Korea program (which gives you a free apartment), Education Assistants find their own place. That's why you need a bigger cash buffer at arrival.
We recommend bringing $3,500–$4,500 USD to cover you until your first paycheck — including the housing deposit ($2,000–$3,500). The visa is your responsibility to apply for; we walk you through it.
US applicants must be in college or within 1 year of graduating, with proof. Other countries have higher age caps (Canada/UK 35, several others 34, Japan 25). Health requirements are similar to other Korea programs but more relaxed.
What life is really like as an Education Assistant
Education Assistants get the shorter workday and the bigger life. Mon–Fri 13:00–18:00 leaves your mornings free — the gym, Korean classes, walking the city, weekend planning. You're not exhausted at 9pm the way TEFL classroom teachers can be.
Weekends mean Seoul nightlife, Busan beaches, Jeju Island, snow trips to Pyeongchang, Korean BBQ + soju with your cohort. The Working Holiday visa gives you the lifestyle most TEFL teachers wish they had — and the door's open to transition to a full Teach Korea contract once you have a degree.
The Education Assistant program is the program for people who want Korea but don't have a degree yet. It's the back door into one of the highest-ceiling TEFL markets in the world. Six months as an Assistant, then come back with a degree and we'll place you on the full Teach Korea program.
"It's 11:30 on a Tuesday morning. You're finishing a 40-minute run along the Han River, sun warm, the city already loud below. You shower, grab coffee, walk 8 minutes to your Hagwon for the 13:00 start. The first hour is a small conversation group — three teenagers practising "what did you do this weekend." By 18:00 you're free. By 19:00 you're at a 김밥천국 with two other Assistants from your cohort, planning the KTX to Busan for Saturday."
A Tuesday in month fourTEFL Heaven vs doing it alone
An honest look at your options for living and working in Korea without a degree.
- ✕No Hagwon placement
- ✕No visa support (you'd self-apply blind)
- ✕No cultural orientation
- ✕No employer contacts
- ✕Arrival in Korea = on your own
- ✕Support when things go wrong: none
- ✕Not available — assistant roles need in-person matching
- ✕No live cultural orientation
- ✕No visa support
- ✕No Hagwon contacts
- ✕No in-country team
- ✕Generic forum advice only
- ✓Guaranteed Hagwon placement
- ✓3-day in-country culture orientation
- ✓Full Working Holiday visa guidance
- ✓Airport pickup + 4 nights' arrival accommodation
- ✓Long-term housing help
- ✓17 years of in-country experience behind you
What you get that arranging this yourself can't give you
Hagwons hire Working Holiday assistants through trusted networks, not from cold outreach. Our partners have been placing assistants for years; that's why we can guarantee placement. Behind the program: a family-run global network built since 2007, with placements across Czechia, Japan, Spain, Vietnam, Mexico and more.
If the Education Assistant year is your first step into TEFL, we've already got your next move planned — including transitioning to the full Teach South Korea program once you have a degree.
Education Assistants tend to be…
✓ This fits
20–30 (some countries up to 35), no degree, fluent in English. Want Korea but don't have a degree yet. Curious about the country, comfortable with informal teaching settings, fine with paying your own rent. Open to using this as a stepping stone to a full Teach Korea contract later. No TEFL needed (but it helps).
✗ Pick a different program
You have a degree (pick the Teach South Korea program — much higher salary, free housing). You want the family-living setup (pick the Companion program). You want a classroom-leading role with full responsibility. You're over the age cap for your country.
2026 start dates
Education Assistant intakes run roughly monthly. Apply 3 months ahead — Hagwon matching takes time, and the Working Holiday visa is your responsibility to apply for.
Hagwon matching takes 6–8 weeks · book May 18 or earlier dates fill
Hagwon matching takes 6–8 weeks after signup. Tell us when you want to land in Korea and we'll work backwards through visa and matching timelines.
FAQ
Do I need a degree or TEFL?
No — a high school diploma is enough. TEFL/TESOL is not required (but it helps). What matters is fluent English and the temperament to assist at a Hagwon. US applicants must be in college or within 1 year of graduating, with proof.
How is this different from the Teach South Korea program?
Teach Korea = full classroom teacher, requires a Bachelor's degree, ₩2.2M–₩2.6M/mo + free apartment + flight reimbursement + 13th-month bonus. Education Assistant = no degree, ₩1.2M–₩1.4M/mo, you pay your own housing, informal settings (conversation, tutoring, class prep). Working Holiday visa instead of E-2.
What does my day-to-day look like?
25 hours/week max (visa rule, Canadians excepted). Mon–Fri, typically 12:00–17:00 or 13:00–18:00. You're assisting — English conversation groups, 1-on-1 tutoring, class prep, social media help. Not standing alone in front of 30 kids.
How does the Working Holiday Visa work?
You apply yourself with our guidance. 1-year visa, no visa trip needed. Eligible from one of 25 countries with bilateral agreements (USA, UK, Canada, Australia, NZ, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, etc.). Age caps vary by country — Canada/UK 20–35, several others 20–34, Japan 20–25.
Where will I live?
You pay your own rent (no school-provided housing on Working Holiday). Apartment $300–$450/mo, deposit $2,000–$3,500 (refunded when you leave). We help you find your long-term place after the 4 nights' arrival accommodation.
How much will I save?
$100–$300/month. Working Holiday is about the year, not the salary. Tax is just 6%. The trade-off vs Teach Korea is much lower savings — but no degree required.
Can I bring a partner, kids, or pets?
No — the Education Assistant program is single-applicant only.
Are tattoos okay?
Small visible tattoos may be okay — case by case. Tell us at signup.
Can I extend or transition to the full Teach Korea program?
Yes — 6 months is renewable. Many Assistants transition to the full Teach South Korea program once they complete a degree (or arrive having one). The pathway is clean and we handle it.
What's not included?
Flights, medical insurance, long-term housing (you pay rent + deposit), visa fees, daily living costs. We'll send you a full itemised breakdown when you enquire.
The Education Assistant Program PDF
When you enquire, we'll send you the full English Education Assistant program PDF — start dates, what's included, Hagwon matching process, Working Holiday visa checklist, and a sample week. Sent straight to your inbox.
Send me the Education Assistant details →Our team handles Education Assistant enquiries
Replies within 24 hours — usually same day. We'll be honest about whether the no-degree route fits, and what realistic earnings look like over 6 months.
Let's get you placed in a Korean Hagwon.
We'll walk you through the next steps — start date, visa, flights, and Hagwon matching. Takes about 10 minutes.
No pressure, no commitment — we'll just answer your questions.
— Mike Maitland, Bangkok