Earlier this year, the Korean government established that citizens from countries with trade agreements are now permitted to receive E-2 visas.  The E-2 visa is the most common visa granted to foreign language teachers from English speaking countries (Canada, USA, Australia, UK, New Zealand, South Africa and Ireland).  Teachers are required to have a bachelor degree, submit a criminal record check and pass a health exam.  However, teachers from countries that are not English as a first language, but have trade agreements with Korea, must possess: “both a bachelor degree and teaching license from their native country.” ESL Daily  Further, teachers that do not belong to the above seven major English speaking countries, may only apply to Korean public schools and not private institutions (hakwan).


Joongang Daily Reports:

“The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement signed between Korea and India last Friday has opened a 1.2 billion-strong Indian market. We expect a number of qualified English teachers from India will come here,” said the source.

The ministry will recruit around 100 Indians early next year and if the trial is successful, it could raise the number to 300. The source said there is a high chance that those teachers will be dispatched to regions outside the Seoul metropolitan area where there is a shortage of native English teachers.

Korean schools introduced the so-called English Program in Korea project in 1995 for “globalized education” and set the goal of allocating one native English teacher for conversation with students for every class. Currently, there are 7,088 assistant native English teachers employed but they are from seven English-speaking countries - the United States, Australia, Britain, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. Their monthly salary ranges between 2 million won ($1,700) and 2.5 million won… Joongang Daily

It is unclear whether or not Indian teachers will receive the same contract as the teachers in the past have, and if they will receive the same monthly salary.  However, if the T.A.L.K. program gives any indication of pay difference… expect some changes. 

Related:

Korea loosens E2 Visa Rule for those in the T.A.L.K. Program

Seoul: Newly Elected superintendent of public schools vows: “I will make sure that all schools will have native English teachers”

Korea Teaching Visa Opens Up to Non-Native English Speakers

Korea: E2 Opens Doors, but not too Wide