Education Volunteering in South Korea

It was a wonderful experience to discover the country and its people from a different perspective. The connections I made were very warm and welcoming, and the support on site was close to perfect. The learning went both ways: not only the children, but I myself learned as well. I picked up some Korean and, above all, gained rich insights into Korean culture through them. I sincerely hope to repeat this experience in the future. For the children, it would be beneficial if the program could run longer than one or two weeks, as they need time to build trust and truly settle in. The team in Korea was easy to reach at all times and well prepared to answer any questions. I always felt very well informed and supported—almost as if close friends had been waiting for me on site. Thank you very much for that; it truly could not have been better. The temple stay felt like a home away from home. Even though the rooms were small and simple, they were more than sufficient. The location was excellent. At times, however, I would have appreciated having a quiet space to retreat to beyond the sleeping area. As I had a single room, this was at least partially possible. For those staying longer, though, having a dedicated quiet space separate from the shared areas would be very beneficial.

I volunteered for a month (from September 28th to October 25th, 2025). Every Monday, we would meet up in the lobby to plan our English lesson materials for the rest of the week. After preparing everything, we would have lunch together with the guide. We usually took our time for lunch because we had to be at the location around 3 p.m. Once we arrived at the location, we would introduce ourselves to the children and start the lesson. We had two-hour lessons, with a 10-minute break in between. We usually finished class at 5 p.m. Then the assigned guide would go back to our accommodation with us, making sure we didn't get lost. Every day, we went to different schools. We worked from Monday to Friday. We met in the lobby at 12pm, every day. Sometimes, the volunteering organization would propose some trips to the Korean countryside to see more of Korea, meet other people, and help people. I took part in two trips: one to harvest chili peppers for the farmers and one to harvest apples. I had so much fun and interacted with locals. Unforgettable memories. Local team was friendly and kind. I had so much fun with them. As for food, I couldn't be any happier. It was so good. Accommodation was okay. I was in a dorm if 6 person. It was sometimes challenging but bearable for a month.

I found the supervisors per Email and on site to be very friendly and helpful. Jin, in particular, assisted me greatly. The children were very sweet and open to learning. I also felt secure because we were told what and how to teach. Seoul is a great city, and I would definitely like to return. The accommodation was very clean and very well located. It was close to the train and only a few minutes' walk from Hongdae Center. And as I said, the team on site was very nice and helpful. Especially JIN! I would have liked it better if we had spent more time with the children. And if we had seen one class regularly, we could have built up a little rapport with the children. Or rather, the children would have felt more comfortable because they knew us.

Involvement Volunteers International responded to this reviewOctober 10, 2025

Thank you for your thoughtful review! We're so glad you enjoyed your time in Seoul and felt supported by the team—especially Jin! We appreciate your feedback about spending more time with the children and will take it on board.

I really enjoyed the service—teaching English to students and everything that came with it! I loved connecting with locals and learning about their culture. Huge shout out to Chang-Mo, Heeju, Yuri, Annabel, and Amy—they were amazing group leaders and made the whole experience even better!!!!!!!!

Rustic Pathways responded to this reviewAugust 13, 2025

Hi Ray! Thanks so much for your kind words about our program and your leaders. They're pretty great! And the trip wouldn't have been the same without you. Thanks so much for exploring Korea with us. See you next summer?

Initially, I was scared to go on this trip. Even once we got there I was still nervous. As soon as I met the group leaders and one of the students, I felt right at home. Everyone was so nice, and I genuinely had the best time ever. I loved being immersed in the Korean culture.

Rustic Pathways responded to this reviewAugust 13, 2025

Hey Victoria! Traveling abroad to a new country is always a little nerve-wracking, even for adults. But we're proud you took that huge step and decided to travel despite being a little scared! We're thrilled you had a great time. We bet now you feel like you can take on anything, right? We hope to see you again next summer on a new adventure!

This was my first conservation trip and now I'm hooked! Staff was great, work was rewarding. Made friends from everywhere! If you want to learn and make a difference, do this! I had never travelled by myself and now I want to do my next trip

Rustic Pathways responded to this reviewNovember 05, 2024

Emma! We're so proud of you for traveling alone, that's not easy, even for adults. But look at the rewards! You did amazing work, contributed to conservation efforts, and made new friends! We can't wait for you to join us again soon.

Teaching kids was real awesome! They were so excited to learn English from a native language speaker. A meaningful and impactful experience overall! I will definitely be doing it again, and would highly recommend this program.

Rustic Pathways responded to this reviewNovember 05, 2024

Hey Liam! We're so happy that you joined us in South Korea, and that you enjoyed working with children. We know it's such a treat for them to learn from a native speaker. Hopefully you join us on another trip soon!

Great time volunteering at the school! Staff and kids were so welcoming. Be ready to be flexible with schedules. Overall, the program is really good. If you love working with kids abroad, check this out!

Rustic Pathways responded to this reviewNovember 02, 2024

Hey Charlotte! We're so glad you were able to travel with us, and that you enjoyed your volunteering experience! We hope you travel with us again soon!

These past 3 months in Korea have been a dream. I’ll be real the whole waiting through covid thing wasn’t easy, but actually landing in Korea was a literal dream come true. My interest in Korea kinda grew exponentially over the past few years after watching about every Korean drama I could set my eyes on (I know… basic) but I quickly felt like it was the place for me. My internship there confirmed this. I come from a fashion/design background and my host company basically couldn’t have been any more perfect, working alongside young Korean fashion designers was such good experience for me and my future. I learnt so much and took so much inspiration, that in itself I think is super valuable. Work aside, I probably don’t have to say how amazing Seoul is. I think I had a bit too much fun and a bit too much food (at least if I’m listening to my waistline). Also now I think back to it I’m super grateful Meiji arranged the accommodation for me, I just don't have the patience for that especially in a language I don’t speak. So basically if you haven't got it by now, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS. I literally can't thank Meiji enough lol I feel like it’s going to be real hard to match this experience.

I'll start by saying that if you have the means to intern abroad then you should simply do it, there is truly no other experience like it. That said, do I recommend Meiji Internships as an internship provider? All I can say is that they made everything nice and simple for me and were there every step of the way. It can be very intimidating to find accommodation on your own, especially in an Asian country where you don't even speak the language, so for me it was really a no brainer to seek for help. Since I wanted to do my internship in Korea it just made sense for me to go with Meiji instead of other providers because they specialize in Asian countries and that just made it seem like they would know better than companies that aren't specialized in any particular region. From the beginning it was clear that they knew what they were doing, they were always polite, friendly and made sure to tailor my internship experience to my needs, I'm very happy with the company I was assigned to and more than just working I had a GREAT time in Seoul.

My two months helping homeless children and supporting them with educational activities was a very intense, yet rewarding experience for me. Initially, I wanted to engage in other social projects with animals and street dogs in Korea. Meiji recommended me to consider this type of volunteer internship as it is becoming a social problem in Korea and it would give me a good insight in how I could develop my skills for helping others. I really felt that my communicational and organisational skills improved tremendously, not to mention of all the great Korean & international friends I made during my time. I booked my own accommodation as I went with the placement package. If I could change anything I would have booked my accommodation with Meiji. The other Meiji intern I met had a really good time there and made a lot of friends. The sharehouse that I found by myself was not the cleanest and quite far away from my internship placement.