May 14, 2026
SEOUL – The Education Ministry has said its planned crackdown on unauthorized international schools will not affect foreign teachers, but a lack of legal clarity and the results of past crackdowns means skepticism remains.
Foreign instructors on E-2 visas will not be directly targeted in the Education Ministry’s regulatory move against some 200 unapproved or unregistered educational facilities, the ministry told The Korea Herald on Tuesday.
“If we inspect international schools registered as private academies and find that teachers have been teaching subjects other than foreign languages, that will of course be an issue,” a ministry official said. “But the instructors themselves will not be adversely affected. Penalties will be directed at the private academies that ran the operations.”
But the sanctions could have visa implications which fall outside the ministry’s authority. It did not mention any coordination with the Justice Ministry, which governs immigration issues.
The Justice Ministry did not respond as of press time to questions on how teachers at affected schools would be treated.
The ministry said on April 29 that it would launch a crackdown on unapproved educational facilities, including international schools operating in a legal gray zone, amid concerns that some students are being kept outside the formal public education system.
Unauthorized international schools often operate like full-fledged schools while being registered as private academies. Many hire foreign faculty on E-2 visas, which permit holders to teach foreign languages, but not other subjects.
In practice, however, instructors at such schools often teach subjects such as math, science or social studies as part of a foreign curriculum.
The ministry said such schools will be ordered to take corrective action, with noncompliance potentially leading to complaints or police investigations under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
The ministry’s announcement has left some foreign teachers at targeted international schools anxious of being caught up in the probe.
“I need advice on the safest exit strategy as a teacher teaching on an E-2 visa at one of the targeted international schools,” one online post read.
Others recalled previous crackdowns, including a 2017 probe into the Canadian British Columbia International School, in which 14 Canadian teachers were ordered to leave the country for teaching subjects other than foreign languages on E-2 visas.
“It seems like we might be on the verge of another crackdown,” one commenter wrote. “Anyone teaching at one of these places, I hope you know the risk you are taking and the potential repercussions if caught.”
“If you have any pets, please have their vaccinations and paperwork updated so you can take them home with you if your school gets raided,” another wrote.
Despite the Education Ministry’s assurance that “there will be no measures against instructors, such as departure orders,” some teachers remain skeptical.
Schools sponsor E-2 visas, so it is unclear what will happen if they are no longer able to as a result of the probe.
And for many longtime foreign teachers in Korea, memories linger of previous probes into individual schools that resulted in instructors being ordered to leave the country for teaching subjects outside the scope of their E-2 visas.
Kwon Kyu-bo, senior partner at Majung Law Firm, said teachers at unauthorized schools should prepare carefully ahead of the ministry’s inspections.
“Violating the terms of an E-2 visa can leave individual teachers subject to criminal punishment or departure orders,” Kwon told The Korea Herald.
However, Kwon noted that in many precedent cases, individual teachers were acquitted even when their employers were found guilty of illegally hiring them.
She said that if teachers can show they had no intent to violate the terms of their visas, prosecutors may decide not to indict them. Even if they are indicted, they may still be acquitted in court.
“For criminal punishment to be imposed, it must be established that the instructor knew they were engaging in activities outside the scope of their visa,” Kwon explained.
Kwon said teachers may have a stronger case if their employer misled them, for example, by telling them they were allowed to teach other subjects because the classes were conducted in English.
She cited a 2022 case at the Busan District Court’s Western Branch, in which an instructor who taught art, music and social studies on an E-2 visa at an unapproved international school was acquitted.
“The court ruled that there was no intent to violate visa terms,” Kwon said. “It said the instructor could have been teaching English while using art as a medium.”
Kwon advised teachers to ask their employers to clarify in writing why they were assigned to teach subjects other than English and what explanation the school had provided about the legality of such assignments.
She also said teachers should collect text messages, emails and other documentation exchanged with the school about why they were assigned to teach subjects other than English.
Kwon added that teachers may want to seek legal counsel before the ministry begins its inspections.