Writing/Editing/Translating Jobs In Korea
Korea has a number of editing/translating jobs for those who are good with words and have an excellent command of spoken and written English. Being able to speak and understand Korean is an added bonus. There are editing/proofreading jobs for languages other than English too but they’re not as common.
Kind Of Jobs Available
Job opportunities in Korea are not limited to teaching. There are a lot of opportunities for translating/editing/proofreading in Korea.
Government/Private Research Institutes
Government agencies and some private companies operate research institutes in Korea. Many of them employ foreign staff to work as full-time editors. The editors are supposed to provide English support to Korean researchers. The editors proofread correspondence and research publications. They are also required to write speeches, proofread emails, do presentations and occasionally conduct training workshops.
Many of these jobs require English editors. Although since Korea has many multinational companies these days, the editing/proofreading jobs are also being offered for languages other than English.
Public Relations and Advertising Companies
There are several public relations and advertising companies in Korea that hire foreign staff to work as copy editors. The editors are required to edit and proofread ‘Korean style English’. Therefore, it is recommended that you have some knowledge or background in understanding Koreanized English. People who have no clue about ‘Korean style English’ may find it strange and impossible to understand. You will also be required to do presentations and conduct training workshops.
English-language Newspapers/Magazines
The English-language newspapers in Korea also require native-English speakers to edit and write articles. The job requires proofreading articles for daily/weekly newspapers. Editors must also correct the grammatical mistakes and fix the ‘Korean style English’ of the articles.
Online Translating/Blog Writing/Subtitle Editor
There are numerous translating/editing opportunities online. These online Jobs usually require fluent Korean and English speakers. Due to countless Korean students using English sitcoms and news programs, subtitle editor jobs are also
available. If you know how to use subtitle software to add subtitles to English videos based on the script, then you are good to go.
Most often, the subtitles
are for English programs and require English subtitles. However, due to the gaining popularity of K-drama/K-pop overseas, there are subtitle editing jobs for other languages in demand too. You will be required to translate Korean drama/talk shows and news for non-Korean audience.
Editing/Proofreading Textbooks
Yet another option is editing/proofreading English textbooks and standardized test textbooks. You will be asked to proofread and
revise TOEIC/EFL books
and test materials. You will also be required to develop and edit English content
for test preparatory materials. In addition, you will also assist with research related to standardized English proficiency tests.
Job Requirements
Generally, these jobs want candidates with degrees in the humanities, Liberal Arts, Liguistics, Journalism, English Literature, Education and business administration. Bachelors or higher is a must. TESOL/CELTA is preferred but not necessary.
Native English speaker are needed for most of these English editing/proofreading jobs. But for jobs requiring translation/proofreading in languages other than English, this is not a requirement.
Candidates with relevant professional experience in editing ESL/EFL materials or teaching in Korea are preferred. Knowledge of standardized English proficiency tests on is a plus.
Also, as I mentioned above knowledge of ‘Korean style English’ is essential. Aside from making grammatical errors Koreans are notorious for using ‘Korean style English’ which is basically literal translation of Korean phrases to English for example: ‘Happy forever sunshine love’. These kinds of phrases are difficult to understand. As a proofreader you need to understand the gist and then be able to replace and rewrite these sentences in commonly used English.
Working Hours
If you work for Government/private research institutes or English newspapers then the hours can often be long and you may have to work evenings and/or nights. However, if you do online jobs the working hours are extremely flexible. The work can be done on your own time and pace.
Salary And Benefits
Most of the jobs that are for 1 year contracts pay quite well and provide housing. Salary ranges from 2.8 million KRW to 3 million KRW or higher. The wages and benefits package depends upon your qualifications, skills and experience.
For most online jobs the payment is per hour or per job. Wages can be between 50,000 KRW per hour to 90,000 for subtitle/editing jobs and 10,000 KRW-50,000 KRW for a proofreading gig. Payment is also affected by the length, difficulty and the amount of work you have to do.
Visa Sponsorship
Many full time editing/proofreading jobs provide visa sponsorship and assistance. However, others prefer candidates who are already in Korea. Preference is also given to applicants with a valid F-2, F4, F5, or F6 visa. Part-time editing/proofreading/translating gigs usually prefer candidates already in Korea with valid work visas. Online jobs are more flexible but offer comparatively less money.
If writing is your thing or you would like to do something other than teach English while you are in Korea, give editing/proofreading jobs a try!