Foreigners will no longer need bachelor's degrees to teach language at hagwons

Foreigners who want to teach online foreign language classes at hagwons, or cram schools, will no longer be subject to stricter education requirements than Koreans.

A student watches an online lecture. [ETOOS]

Foreigners who want to teach online foreign language classes at hagwons, or cram schools, will no longer be subject to stricter education requirements than Koreans.

The Act on the Establishment and Operation of Private Teaching Institutes and Extracurricular Lessons will be amended within the fourth quarter of this year, according to Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho at a task force meeting on Wednesday.

The amendment will allow foreigners who graduated from a vocational university — those with a two or three-year curriculum — and those enrolled in their junior year or above at a four-year university to become online foreign language instructors at hagwons.

The change will not apply to foreigners who teach in-person classes at hagwons.

The current act subjects foreigners to a stricter education requirement than Koreans, as they can qualify to become language instructors only if they have bachelor's degrees or above.

In contrast, Koreans can become hagwon instructors if they have associate's degrees or are enrolled in their junior year or above at a four-year university.

In 2021, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea said it is discriminatory to subject foreigners to a stricter minimum education requirement than Koreans.

The Ministry of Education said that foreigners faced stricter standards because hagwon instructors need a certain level of Korean fluency to offer quality education.

BY LEE TAE-HEE [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]