Volunteering Opportunities In South Korea

One of the best ways of traveling and embracing the culture of your destination is by choosing to volunteer in a country, and this can often prove to be one of the most rewarding methods of combining valuable work with your passion for travel. There are a variety of different ways in which you can support projects in South Korea with your time and effort, but as the country is well developed, many of the traditional volunteering roles are different in this relatively wealthy country. While it is perfectly possible for visitors to find work in South Korea, volunteering in the country can often prove to be even more enriching and positive for the international traveler.

Education Projects In South Korea

Although South Korea is one of the most advanced and developed countries in Asia, there are still a variety of charities and non-government organizations that look for volunteers to help with educational projects in the country. These projects can include work such as tutoring children from underprivileged backgrounds through to helping with activities and learning opportunities for disabled children. Volunteering in educational projects does not mean that you will have to be directly teaching young people, although there are opportunities in this line of work too should you be keen to gain teaching experience or have particular skills or knowledge to share with your pupils.

Community Development Projects

The community plays a very important role in life in South Korea, but there are plenty of projects where you can offer your services as a volunteer to help support others who may not have the same opportunities as other people within the country. One project that is active in South Korea is a charitable project to build homes for people who have lost their own homes because of natural disasters, or for low income families who otherwise would not be able to afford their own homes. 

Other charitable projects allow volunteers to work with certain groups, with several orphanages around the country that will ask volunteers to help with caring for and providing activities for the children in these institutions. There are also projects across the country that ask volunteers to help with caring for the elderly who have no family of their own to care for them. These projects can often prove to be some of the most valuable and interesting placements that offer volunteers the chance to make a real difference in people's lives.

Teaching English As A Volunteer 

Teaching English is a career for many people who move to Korea, but if you are looking to volunteer as opposed to work in the country, there are plenty of volunteering opportunities available. This can include taking classes that will help underprivileged children and young people to learn English, through to a home stay experience where you will live with a local family in exchange for providing a certain amount of tuition for their children every week. 

Conservation And Arts Projects

If you are interested in the natural heritage of South Korea or supporting the culture and arts of the country, there are a variety of different volunteering placements that you can take. Many projects will focus on maintaining the natural habitats in certain areas of the country, such as in coastal areas that can be affected by oil and chemical pollution, through to maintaining the integrity of the mountain areas of the country. For those who have a passion for music, there are also projects that go into orphanages and youth clubs to provide musical tuition to the children there, along with a variety of other cultural programs. 

What To Expect During Your Volunteering Project

Volunteering can be a hugely satisfying and positive experience, but it is well worth researching the organization you will be volunteering with before starting your placement. If the organization is providing you with accommodation during your placement, then check to make sure the room or apartment is appropriate for you, while it is also appropriate to discuss the kind of support you can expect during your period of volunteering. It is important that you are confident in what you will be doing and how much of your time you will need to dedicate to your volunteering work, so make sure that you are asking the right questions.

Preparing For Your Volunteering Placement

Being able to speak Korean to a basic level is certainly a good place to start if you are preparing for your placement, and in some cases it may be essential in order to help you to carry out your duties. If you are being asked to raise a certain amount of funds for the charity before you can start your placement, make sure you carry out the right checks to make sure the organization is legitimate before you part with any money. Most importantly, stoke your enthusiasm for the work you will be undertaking, and be ready to approach the placement with optimism and a positive outlook.