S. Korea to allow more foreigners to teach English

SEOUL, Dec. 28 (Yonhap) -- The Ministry of Justice said Sunday it will allow
qualified foreigners from countries where English is a national language to teach
the language in public elementary and middle schools as early as next year.
Currently, South Korea permits only foreigners with more than a two-year college
degree from seven countries where English is spoken as a first language to teach
in local schools. The countries include the United States, Britain and Canada.
Easing the rule will allow qualified English teachers from other countries, such
as India and the Philippines, to teach in local public schools, ministry
officials said.
The South Korean government has been in talks with the Indian government to
revise terms of a bilateral trade deal to attract Indian English teachers, the
ministry said.
However, the South Korean government will continue to ban foreign teachers who do
not come from the seven countries from teaching at private tutoring institutions,
according to the ministry.
South Korea is one of the world's most English-obsessed countries.
All elementary school students are required to learn English starting at the age
of nine, and their English study continues through college.
Industry data show South Korea's private English education market to be valued at
about 15 trillion won (US$11.5 billion) a year -- nearly half of the nation's
education budget.
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