If you plan on bringing a pet into Korea then please make sure to tell your Gone2Korea coordinator in advance (when you apply is preferred).
As of this semester the EPIK and SMOE public school programs strongly discourage all teachers from bringing cats and dogs into Korea from abroad. The reason being is that some apartments in Korea do not allow pets in the building and some education offices simply don’t want pets in the apartments they’re leasing in case the animal damages the unit or the furnishings.
Bringing pets to work for a private school really depends on the employer and the apartment lease. Schools obviously prefer teachers that aren’t coming with pets but some schools are willing to consider it if they really like the teacher and they’re leasing an apartment in a building that allows tenants to own pets. Note: Private schools that are located in the smaller cities and rural areas are more inclined to make offers to people who need to bring their pet.
Please think before you decide to bring a pet into Korea. Korea is a densely populated country and park space and areas to let your pets run (dogs specifically) are quite limited. Likewise, apartments in Korea are quite small and in many cases they’re not suitable for dogs. Furthermore, if you plan on doing any weekend travelling then having a pet will severely limit your options. Bringing pets onto trains, subways, in taxis, into motel/hotel lobbies and rooms, etc. is problematic at best, impossible at worst, and having a cat or dog WILL make things quite difficult.
Transporting pets from your home country into South Korea
