My experience as a past EPIK Teacher in Busan! | EPIK Q&A

Just some questions I've gotten asked online and in real life. Sorry if the order is super random. I noticed more people are watching my EPIK videos again.
If you have any more questions then please leave them down below.
Have a nice day! :)
#epik #faq #korea

[@kristinalin4565]

Editor Here: Let us know if your question was answered! If you have a video request, please let us know. Stay safe out there!

[@LissetteLissie]

I would like to know if people older than 40 get hired. I know age limit is 62 but I never hear anything about older teachers. I'm waiting for my kids to finish college to join EPIK. Will there be anyone at all like me? I'm going either way but I'd still like to know. Thank you.

[@kristinalin4565]

@@LissetteLissie I did see a few older people during orientation, so it's not unheard of :) A lot of the people are fresh from college and some were in their late 20s to mid 30s

[@LissetteLissie]

@@kristinalin4565 Thank you for responding. I just hope I'll be able to make some friends.

[@ProfessorBubs]

Yay

[@JenniferGonzalez-bi1tq]

Hahaha thank you so much 😊

[@meiakemi8973]

For in class hours, does it have to be from TEFL or any teaching in class hrs? Like for example if someone were to have worked as a tutor before or at a place that tutors people (ex. Kumon or Oxford), would those hrs count as in class teaching hrs as well or no?

[@kristinalin4565]

No, those hours don't count. They have to be hours from the actual tefl/tesol course.

[@annabour]

When you say bring a grand to Korea, do you mean cash? Or is a credit card okay?

[@kristinalin4565]

@@annabour Like make sure you have money in your bank account at home to pay for food and needs because you don’t get paid until the end of your first month working. You don’t need to specifically bring cash on you. Lots of places Tran’s credit card in Korea, but some small business like restaurants might be cash/won only.

[@joeybuczynski7581]

how do i get my documents and fingerprints together and notarized and annoited

[@kristinalin4565]

Hello! It would really depend on your country. There are specific documents needed from your embassy (for the visa) that is also needed from EPIK. Make sure you have a copy of all your documents for your records before you submit it to the embassy and EPIK, because you won’t get them back.

[@lisas5842]

How often do EPIK teachers get paid? (Once a month or every 2 weeks like here in the States?) Approximately how much do they get paid when converted from won to US dollars? Does the school set you up with bank accounts or do you have to go and open one yourself? Can you get direct deposit for paydays or does the school give you a check? Also, when do teachers get their reimbursement for plane fare going to and from South Korea? Will the amount show up in their first paycheck or do EPIK teachers have to submit a receipt of their plane ticket costs for reimbursement first? I’m thinking about applying, but want to do some research first to make sure it’s a financially feasible option! 👍

[@kristinalin4565]

You get paid once a month, I believe the 25th or the 26th of every month. It’s about $1.8K USD or 2 million Korean won for your first year of teaching. The school doesn’t set it up for you unless you ask for help and you should ask for help. The paycheck is direct deposit. You get your plane reimbursement either 1 month into teaching or 6 months into teaching, this depends on which province you teach in. You don’t need to submit a receipt, it is a set amount. So I recommend trying to get the cheaper option when purchasing your ticket, so you may pocket the extra money left over. Let me know if you have any more questions 😊

[@lisas5842]

@Kristina Lin Thank you for your responses! It’s super helpful! 🙌💯 For clarification, since we only get paid 1x a month, did you mean the $1.8K USD/2 million KRW salary amount is paid MONTHLY or is that the annual amount we have to survive on for the entire year? Do I fill out my ARC during orientation or do I have to go on my own? How long did you have to wait to receive your ARC? Do I have to wait until I receive my ARC before I can open a Korean bank account? What docs do I need to bring to open a bank account? Also, for taxes, did you show your school a tax exemption certificate (Form 6616 from the IRS - special tax treaty status) so you didn’t have to pay Korean taxes while living/working abroad? Any recommendations you have that EPIK teachers should do when it comes to filing their annual tax returns (i.e. living/working abroad, but still a U.S. citizen). Trying to make sure I don’t miss out doing anything important while I’m out living my best life in South Korea 🤗🇰🇷

[@lisas5842]

@Kristina Lin P.S. Thanks so much for being so patient and answering all my questions. I truly appreciate your help for prospective EPIK teachers! ❤️

[@kristinalin4565]

@@lisas5842 $1,800 USD/month or 2 million won/month. Orientation will start the ARC process with you and make sure you have your photos. If you don’t, they’ll have you take a taxi out and take photos with a photographer at your expense. Our province coordinator set an appointment date for all of us to go in. If yours doesn’t, you must ask your co teacher to help you. I don’t remember how long, but my card got sent to my school. You need that card to create a bank account unless you’re lucky and the bank teller doesn’t care. You will also need some other paperwork, such as proof of employment from the school. Your co teacher should help you. If you live in the US, I would file paperwork (I forgot the exact tax form), but it allows you to not have to pay taxes in Korea for the first 2 years you teach. It may be the same for other countries, but I would check. I file my taxes with an accountant recommended by a friend.

[@lisas5842]

@@kristinalin4565 Thanks so much for answering my Q’s! 🤗 You’re an angel! 😇 Now I feel confident I can totally make my EPIK dream a reality. I’ve already got my Bachelor’s degree, so just need get my TEFL certification. Which TEFL course did you enroll in? Do you have any good TEFL course recommendations that are affordable (and preferably online to allow flexibility for work)?

[@katrina1899]

I’ve been thinking of trying to be a English teacher in Korea but I have a lisp, do you think it would be a problem?

[@kristinalin4565]

I'm honestly not sure, but I don't think it hurts to try.

[@pebetsemothapo3038]

What cult experience??

[@kristinalin4565]

So usually in the city, there will be people asking to talk to you about Christianity. And they usually target foreigners cause they're lonely. College kids are more aggressive than the older people. They'll ask if you want to be friends and talk about religion or say they want to do a language exchange. They try to get you to believe in their beliefs, and to join their church. Many people I've hung out with have had those people try to talk to them as well.

[@Hando3000]

@@kristinalin4565true, but that's only the bad part about korea. There are way more fun cultural experiences.

[@kcs40]

You never answered my question