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November 20, 2025
Contract extension is a common step for many TEFL teachers in South Korea, but it’s not always straightforward. There’s more to renewing your contract than just saying yes, and some factors might not be immediately obvious.
Ben offers honest insights into what influenced his contract renewal, what changed between year one and year two, and what advice he’d give to anyone considering staying longer.
After completing my degree and TEFL certificate, I spent three years teaching in South Korea, at two different public schools.
In my first year, I was offered a contract extension, which was common practice at the time.I cannot speak for hagwons (private language institutions), but I’ve heard of circumstances where contracts were renewed.
In other cases, contracts were terminated for varied reasons, mostly due to budget constraints or unfavourable working conditions.
I’ve heard that some schools are closing down due to declining birth rates, which could impact contract renewals and hiring practices. But the government is taking steps to address this.
Read more: 4 Ways To Work & Live In South Korea As A Foreigner
A mix of factors could lead to contract extensions. Factors possibly affecting contract renewal include:
Resilience is another factor – being isolated from your mother tongue, social network, or family means adapting to a dynamic, yet different, environment.
Read more: How To Deal With Culture Shock
Around the third term of my first year, the school asked if I was interested in renewing my contract. Our relationship was good, and extending my contract was not an issue. My school completed all the paperwork.
It took around 12 weeks from agreeing to renew to signing the new contract. The school staff were generally very efficient.
In the third term of my second year, the school was aware that I was not interested in renewing, as I had already expressed my interest in returning to South Africa the following year.
I always kept communication open and the school sensed that I was ready for a change. I had already expressed my interest in returning to South Africa the following year — I was seeking a change in tempo and a new opportunity, and had been accepted into a postgraduate university programme at Stellenbosch University.
Renewing meant I received an E2 visa extension and could stay in the country for another year—my school completed the administration process.
I left Korea and returned to Cape Town for most of 2010. Then I decided to return to Korea. I repeated the application process, which included getting a new visa.
As time passed, the assistance from my co-worker decreased slightly, as I was expected to be more familiar with the processes and teaching expectations.
Over time, I grew familiar with and understood the school’s culture. And I received a slightly higher salary the longer I taught in Korea. So, renewing your contract has advantages.
Ask about any future developments at the school: learning more about investments in English education may motivate teachers to renew.
For example, the construction of English labs at schools generally means better working conditions for foreign English teachers.
There may be opportunity costs of re-signing from a school. It will also depend on your personality and expectations.
Some teachers prefer hagwons, because of their location or teaching times; others prefer public schools because salaries are more secure and holidays can be longer.
I was interested in getting a larger apartment during my second year and managed to get the school to complete the administrative process for me.
Had I not asked, I wouldn’t have known that it was possible. This influenced my decision to renew my contract, as it helped to improve my lived experience and quality of life.
Read more: Discover The EPIK Programme: Your Gateway To Teaching English In South Korea
My English teacher network grew, resulting in me spending less time with my co-worker. This somewhat affected my working relationship (and overall experience) as we couldn’t dedicate much time to lesson planning or me gaining additional insights around the school or teaching experience.
At Jangil Elementary, the pace at which I was expected to teach was generally relaxed, yet quite productive. But I eventually became restless.
As a younger professional, I was interested in exploring other sectors within the humanities, such as journalism.
I also had more free time than I anticipated, which initially seemed great, but later developed into slight boredom.
I had established a good relationship with my colleagues and enjoyed working with my students. I quickly became skilled at teaching, so the job became easier with time.
Despite my progress, I was still unfamiliar with the Korean language and alphabet, so I couldn’t communicate as effectively as I wanted to. This, unfortunately, increased the disconnect between me and the other teachers, which later affected my level of enthusiasm.
Read more: How To Learn The Local Language
With time, you become better equipped to understand the cost of living and your spending habits.
Being at a countryside school allowed me to save money more diligently, as I was not spending as much as if I’d lived closer to Seoul, where there are more English-speaking expats and high-end social attractions.
I lived in a large three-bedroom flat with sweeping views of my town, beautiful sunrises and sunsets, and a spacious living room. This meant I lived comfortably and often invited friends over for dinner or discussions, creating meaning and memories in the process.
Christmas and Boxing Day are two examples of times when close friends came over, which at the time, added much value to my life and deepened my overall experience in Korea.
Ultimately, you need to bridge the cultural gap between yourself and the school, which may take some time. It may be difficult due to factors such as the school’s size, personality clashes, and your commitment to the role, but it’s important to try!
Since teaching jobs are attainable, even for teachers who don’t have a teaching degree, it’s essential to extract marketable value from the one-year contract.
Qualities such as character building, resilience, humility, a sense of duty, developing student confidence, creating lasting friendships, learning more about a wonderful culture and yourself are all possible through teaching English in Korea.
However, you must approach the job with an open mind.
I would suggest not staying at the same school or in the same town, depending on your personal circumstances. This way, you get to know the schooling system and possibly grow your teaching network.
Teaching beyond Gyeonggi Province (despite the allure of living near Seoul) may also be a valuable opportunity to test oneself and gain a more comprehensive experience of Korea.
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