Volunteer to Teach English to North Korean Defectors

Thanks to the raised awareness of the North Korean defectors issue, several ESL teachers in Korea emailed the Korean to ask for the ways that they can help.

The Korean asked around, and discovered some volunteer opportunities. For most North Korean defectors, one of the most difficult parts of adjusting to the South Korean society is South Korea's pervasive use of English.   Not only are English words liberally used in everyday conversation, English skill is essential to obtain a well-paying job in an export-oriented economy like South Korea. Most North Korean defectors have a difficult time adjusting to this, and require continuous tutoring in English to be fully functional as they live in South Korea.

If you are an ESL teacher in Korea, you can volunteer as an English tutor. There are several charter schools in Seoul specifically designed for North Korea defectors. Most notable among them is the Yeomyung School, whose graduates led the protest in front of the Chinese embassy in Seoul. You can volunteer at these schools as English tutors for those who escaped from North Korea.

If you are interested, email the Korean with your name and contact information. He will pass your information along to those schools through his contacts. The schools will reach out to you, and go from there. Thank you very much for your support.

-EDIT- Thank you for your support. As of December 2012, all the schools that the Korean knows of are completely full.

Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.