EPIK Application Guide: How Korea's Government TEFL Programme Actually Works
Short answer: EPIK asks for a bachelor’s degree in any subject from an accredited university in one of its designated countries. If you do not hold a teaching licence or a degree in Education, Teaching or TESOL, you also need a TEFL, TESOL or CELTA certificate of at least 100 hours. Source: EPIK eligibility rules (checked 6 Oct 2026).
EPIK has no fixed deadline, two intakes a year, and a seven-country nationality rule that trips people up constantly. Here’s the process laid out clearly.
EPIK (English Program in Korea) is run by Korea's National Institute for International Education (NIIED) under the Ministry of Education, working with regional Offices of Education to place teachers directly in public schools. It replaced the older, now-discontinued TaLK programme and absorbed what used to be separate regional schemes like GEPIK and SMOE into one centralized application.
Two intakes a year, no fixed deadline
Unlike JET's single annual cycle, EPIK runs two overlapping intakes: Fall (applications open around February 1, for an August/September/October start) and Spring (applications open around August 1, for a February/March start). Positions close once filled rather than on a fixed date, so applying early in each window genuinely matters.
Who's eligible
- A bachelor's degree in any subject
- Citizenship of one of seven designated countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK, or the US
- English-medium schooling from around age 12 onward
- A TEFL/TESOL/CELTA certificate of at least 100 hours, unless you hold a teaching licence or your degree is in Education, Teaching or TESOL
- A clean national-level criminal background check
What you get
EPIK placements include a furnished apartment (or a housing allowance in its place), flights to and from Korea, health insurance, and around 26 vacation days — on top of a salary in the ₩2.0–3.0 million/month range. Free housing specifically is a genuine structural advantage over Japan or China, where housing allowances rather than provided accommodation are the norm.
The application sequence
- Confirm your nationality and degree meet the seven-country/any-subject baseline.
- Get your TEFL certificate sorted early if you need one (no teaching licence and no Education, Teaching or TESOL degree). This is the step people leave too late.
- Apply directly via the EPIK portal ahead of the Feb 1 (Fall) or Aug 1 (Spring) window opening.
- Complete the national criminal background check and get it apostilled/authenticated in good time. This step alone can take weeks.
If you do not hold a teaching licence or a degree in Education, Teaching or TESOL, EPIK requires a TEFL, TESOL or CELTA certificate of at least 100 hours. Our Level 3, 120-hour course clears the 100-hour bar. See the course page for the current price.
Researched July 2026 from official program pages and named recruiters where cited above. Government programs, visa rules and salary bands change — always confirm current details on the official site before applying.
FAQs
As close to the window opening as possible — Fall applications open around February 1, Spring around August 1, and positions close once filled rather than on a fixed date.
No — TaLK was discontinued in July 2021 and hasn’t been relaunched. EPIK is the centralized government route now.
Only if you do not hold a teaching licence or a degree in Education, Teaching or TESOL. Everyone else needs a TEFL, TESOL or CELTA certificate of at least 100 hours.