Help train Koreans for cross-cultural ministry overseas through conversational English.

The Missionary Training Institute partners with WEC to offer trainee missionaries their first cross-cultural experience through learning English in their home country, before working with multi-cultural teams abroad.

Based in Yeosu, a coastal city south of Seoul, MTI runs a community-based, English language programme staffed by international volunteer teachers.

The students are expected to speak in English at all times and to participate fully in the life of the college and the local church. The curriculum is intensive but flexible, built around the students' needs.

Besides conversational English, you'll have openings to teach Bible study methods, practical mission issues, IT, handicrafts, sports and games, cross-cultural and interpersonal skills, or whatever is appropriate, to help prepare Koreans for cross-cultural mission in international teams.

Qualities & Gifts Sought

TESOL/ESL teaching qualifications are desirable, but not essential. What is essential is a love for God and His people and a willingness to serve.

You must have natural English fluency, and good teaching ability.

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About Teaching English

Fluency in English provides students with a vital skill. By teaching English as a foreign language you can take opportunities to build relationships with students, which may open doors to share the gospel.

Use your TEFL or TESOL training on a short-term mission experience with WEC. Have an opportunity to travel and experience a new culture. Every year there are opportunities in Brazil and Korea to teach our trainee missionaries. 

Here are some stories from Brazil:

Jacquie taught English in Guinea-Bissau on a short term mission with WEC. Read Jacquie's story.

About Korea, Republic of

South Korea is a sovereign state in East Asia constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. South Koreans lead a distinctive urban lifestyle, with half of the population living in high-rises  concentrated in Seoul with 25 million residents.

South Korea occupies the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is mountainous and  surrounded by the Yellow Sea to the west, and the Sea of Japan to the east. Its southern tip lies on the Korea Strait and the East China Sea.

South Korea has four general regions: an eastern region of high mountain ranges and narrow coastal plains; a western region of broad coastal plains, river basins, and rolling hills; a southwestern region of mountains and valleys; and a southeastern region dominated by the Nakdong River.

South Korea’s terrain is mostly mountainous, most of which is not arable. Lowlands, located primarily in the west and southeast, make up only 30% of the total land area.

Jeju Island, the largest island off the coast of South Korea is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a natural wonder of the world.

Ancient Korean and Medieval history

The earliest neolithic Korean pottery dates to 8000 BC, with three kingdoms flourishing in the 1st century BC.

Koreans developed improved versions of many advanced innovations such as the printing press, which used to print and publish the Jikji, the world's oldest printed paper book in 1377.

1950

On 25 June 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea, sparking the Korean War which continued until 1953. The Soviet Union and China backed North Korea. Both sides were almost pushed to the brink of extinction. There were massive losses among Korean civilians in both the north and the south. The war eventually reached a stalemate. The 1953 armistice split the peninsula along a demilitarized zone. No peace treaty was ever signed, resulting in the two countries remaining technically at war. Over 1.2 million people died during the Korean War.

[See Wikipedia for a fuller history]  

North Korea

Both North and South Korea claim complete sovereignty over the entire peninsula and outlying islands. Despite mutual animosity, reconciliation efforts have continued since the initial separation.  

Despite the efforts at reconciliation, the progress was complicated by North Korean missile tests (1993 to date).    

South Korea today

South Korea has a rich and vibrant culture and has 12 World Heritage Sites.

South Korea is a technologically advanced developed country driven by a highly educated and skilled workforce, having the world’s 8th highest household income, the highest in Asia. Globally, it ranks highly in personal safety, job security, ease of doing business and healthcare quality, with the world’s 3rd highest life expectancy and a highly efficient healthcare system.        

Climate  

South Korea tends to have a humid climate. Winters can be extremely cold with the minimum temperature dropping below −20 °C (−4 °F) in the inland region of the country: in Seoul, the average January temperature range is −7 to 1 °C (19 to 34 °F), and the average August temperature range is 22 to 30 °C (72 to 86 °F)..  

Education

South Korea is one of the top-performing countries in reading literacy, maths and sciences and has one of the world’s most highly educated labour forces. Education is a national obsession.  

Higher education is a serious issue in South Korea society, where it is viewed as one of the fundamental cornerstones of South Korean life. Education is regarded with a high priority for South Korean families and academic success is often a source of pride. South Koreans view education as the main propeller of social mobility for themselves and their family as a gateway to the middle class. Graduating from a top university is the ultimate marker of prestige, high socioeconomic status, promising marriage prospects, and a respectable career path.  

An average South Korean child’s life revolves around education as pressure to succeed academically is deeply ingrained in South Korean children from an early age. Not having a university degree is often looked down upon by others.  

Cuisine

Korean cuisine is largely based on rice, noodles, tofu, vegetables, fish and meats. Traditional Korean meals are noted for the numerous side dishes (banchan), which accompany steam-cooked short-grain rice. Kimchi, a fermented, usually spicy vegetable dish is commonly served at every meal, and is one of the best known Korean dishes.  

Korea is unique among Asian countries in its use of metal chopsticks.    

[Source: Wikipedia. Read more here]  

South Korea has 31 people groups and 25% of them are unreached.  

The largest religion is the unreligious at 30.5%. Christians number 30.1% and of these 16.4% are evangelicals. Buddhist number 25% and ethnic religions number 9.6%.  

[Source: Joshua Project]  

Pray with us for:
-continued blessing on the Korean church and its remarkable commitment to fervent prayer and a world mission vision 
-youth to be compelled by a genuine Christian faith rather than the expectations and offerings of the world
-perseverance as a formidable missions-sending nation and the flexibility and cultural sensitivity to be effective abroad
[Source: Prayercast and Operation World, 2010] 

You can also pray using Operation World’s online resources  

Watch the Prayercast prayer video for South Korea.

WEC in South Korea

God has raised up an amazing missions sending church in Korea, and almost all WEC teams around the world have Koreans working with them. 

WEC in Korea is committed to training, sending and caring for Christian workers from Korea, partnering with churches, and mobilising prayer for the nations.  One of our partners is the Missionary Training Institute in Yeosu, where there are opportunities to teach English.

There are also opportunities to reach out to immigrant communities in South Korea.

If you are Korean check out our WEC Korea website