ESL Teachers' Associations    

ATEK   (Association for Teachers of English in Korea) is an advocacy and service-providing, including information and support, group for teachers of English in Korea. There are two categories of membership in ATEK: Associate Member and General Member. Anyone can become an Associate Member. Only those teaching on E- and F-series visas may become General Members with the right to vote, hold office, and have access to a General Members-only message board. Membership is free, but donations are accepted. ATEK has formally petitioned the Korean Immigration Service and received written confirmation from a Residence Policy Division official that a foreign teachers association in and of itself does not constitute political activity (foreigners are prohibited from participating in political activity in Korea).

Bucheon Volunteer Group helps organize, coordinate, and facilitate a number of volunteer opportunities in the Bucheon/Seoul/Incheon regions.  There are a number of volunteer opportunities, such as teaching English to underprivlaged kids, mountain cleanup hikes, chat groups, fundraisers, and participants are also encouraged to use the meetup site to organize their own grass roots volunteering activities. 

H.O.P.E.  (Helping Others Prosper through English) is a new non-profit organization, established and run by Canadian teachers who are looking to make a positive impact on the communities where they live.  Our objective is to provide a safe and accessible place for underprivileged children to develop their English skills and equip them for a brighter future in further education, free of charge.  We are constantly in need of more volunteers as the number of children from low income families and orphanages is overwhelming.   
K4E Note: we have been informed that volunteers are required to have had a criminal check, so volunteering with H.O.P.E. may be limited to E2 visa holders.

KOTESOL: Korea Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages is a professional organisation for teachers of English. The organisation's stated main goals are to assist members in their self-development, and improve ELT in Korea. KOTESOL allows teachers to connect with others in the ELT community and find teaching resources in Korea and abroad through KOTESOL publications, conferences and symposia, and chapter meetings and workshops.
KOTESOL has ten chapters throughout the nation. Chapters hold their own monthly meetings/workshops, hold annual conferences and other events, publish newsletters, and provide additional services for their members.
1. Busan-Gyeongnam with  Workshops: Third Saturday of the month
Site: ESS Foreign Language Institute, Nampo-dong, Busan
2. Daegu-Gyeongbuk with  Workshops: First Saturday of the month
Site: Kyungpook National University, Daegu
4. Daejeon-Chungnam with  Workshops: Fourth Saturday of the month
Site: Woosong Language Institute & Sun Moon University (alternating sites)
5. Gangwon with  Workshops: Second Saturday of the month
Site: Sokcho Office of Education
6. Gwangju-Jeonnam with Workshops: Second Saturday of the month
Site: Various university locations in Gwangju
7. North Jeolla with Workshops: Second Saturday of the month
Site: Jeonju University
8. Seoul with Workshops: Third Saturday of the month
Site: Sookmyung Women's University
9. Suwon-Gyeonggi with Workshops: Third Saturday of the month
Site: University of Suwon
10. Jeju with Workshops: Third Saturday of the month
Site: Jeju Foreign Language Learning Center
(check the chapter website to confirm above information is correct - also check K4E's What's Going On for announcements regarding workshops and special events).

KATE: The Korea Association of Teachers of English was initially and remains primarily an association for Korean teachers of English. However, it has, in recent years, opened to foreign nationals (native English speakers). KATE has two membership categories: regular membership and library/institution membership. The regular membership is open to specialists in teaching English, such as teachers, teacher trainers,
researchers, and administrators. Libraries, publishing companies, and other institutions constitute
the library/institution members. The annual membership fee is 30,000 won for regular membership and 100,000 won for library/institution membership. New members pay an initiation (admission) fee of 30,000 won. For overseas members the initiation fee is 50,000 won as is the annual membership fee. Check the website for contact details since the contacts are the board members. While the language of communication is, to a large extent, Korean guest speakers at conferences etc are often English-speaking experts.

K4E Note: We do our best to provide complete and accurate information. Should any of the above information be inaccurate or should you be aware of other associations that should be listed here, please let us know at info@korea4expats.com.