Once a magnet for foreign English teachers, Korea sees E-2 visa issuances hit six-year low

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

The rise of AI is taking a toll on one of the most common gateways to Korea for many foreigners: teaching English, with a decline in foreigners coming over for such work evidence of a dramatic shift in a country known for underscoring the importance of English education.

The number of E-2 Foreign Language Instructor visas issued totaled 1,286 people in the first quarter of the year, hitting a six-year low as it dropped by 47.47 percent compared to 2020, before the Covid-19 pandemic, when the figure stood at 2,448 in the first three months. The statistics, acquired from the Ministry of Justice by the Korea JoongAng Daily, show that E-2 recipients have nearly halved in a consistently downward trend.

The visa draws on foreigners from the United States, Britain, Australia, New Zealand and several other English-speaking countries.

The rise of online tools powered by AI that let users learn independently has effectively eaten up demand for teachers from cram schools. Improvements in instantaneous translation technology, which is also AI-powered, are shifting people's perceptions, with English skills being seen as less critical in landing a job.

Kim Jae-woo, an English instructor who authored the best-selling book "Kim Jae-woo’s 100 Essential Verbs,” says that AI language tools are having a significant impact on jobs.

“Demand for native English teachers has clearly declined. Tools like ChatGPT are increasingly replacing parts of their role, while apps such as Speak have become widely used among learners."

Kim says the effect is felt most at academies. 

“The shift has taken a toll on offline English academies. Many have shut down, with the market shrinking to about one-10th of its former size. Today, aside from exam-focused institutes, it has become difficult for traditional language schools to survive. Instead, learners are turning to online lectures and mobile apps.”

Demographics play a major role in attitudes toward AI as a tool to learn English, Kim says. 

“The trend differs by generation. Younger people show less demand for English education — not because they are already good at it, but because many stop after achieving practical goals, such as standardized test scores like the Toeic [Test of English for International Communication], and are reluctant to invest further time and resources.”

“By contrast, demand is strongest among people in their 40s to 60s. Many in this group are less familiar with AI tools like ChatGPT, sustaining demand for more traditional forms of learning."

Speak, an AI-powered language-learning app, was Google Play's top app of 2024 in Korea as well as in Hong Kong and Taiwan. There are currently 315,990 active users in Korea as of March of this year.

The app allows the user to converse with an AI chatbot as if they were talking to another human. The ability to learn through conversation without the awkwardness and fear of mistakes makes it an attractive option for young, novice learners. According to Speak, users spoke a total of 3.74 billion lines to their AI tutors last year, a 111 percent increase from 2024.

Duolingo has also started incorporating AI into its courses. "AI plays a central role" in the learning experience, said a Duolingo spokesperson, "making lessons more personalized, varied and enjoyable, and by keeping learners motivated to return."

The app's AI engine processes over 1.25 billion daily exercise responses, and then tailors them to each learner individually.

The spokesperson told the Korea JoongAng Daily that the vast majority of Korean users select English as their primary course.

Gwenna Finikin, president of Tesolanz, the New Zealand branch of the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages certification for English teachers that opens doors to opportunities abroad, told the Korea JoongAng Daily that it was a very real possibility that AI could replace most English teachers. 

"Yes, our roles will change. Many of us may lose our jobs as there is less need for live teachers," said Finikin, "but there will always be some need. Not everything can be taught via AI. At the moment, we, as an organization, are looking at how we can use AI to help us and our learners."

Finikin highlighted the importance of critical thinking, something AI can threaten. "We will need to teach our learners how to use AI in an appropriate way so we grow critically literate people, and not just functionally literate ones who can give prompts."

BY FERGUS GOODALL SMITH, PARK EUN-JEE [[email protected]]