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Although it's not strictly necessary, it will make it a lot easier if you get a job first, especially if you want to teach English. For starters take a look at our work permits in South Korea page for more detailed information.
What country are you coming from? Citizens of some countries (EU, UK, USA, RSA) can enter visa-free for 1-3 months, which would give you enough time to look for a job in person before doing a "visa run" back home to apply for a visa.
However, there are lots of placement companies online that will help you find a job before you move. Make sure you check out their testimonials first however, as some are only after a quick buck and will place you in a less-than-ideal school. You'll need to get some paperwork together and probably have a telephonic interview with the school, and then the school and/or the company will send through an offer of employment which you can take to your local Korean embassy to apply for a visa. Check with your local embassy what other paperwork you'll need.
Good luck!
As Gaby mentioned above its not always necessary to have a company to sponsor you for a work permit but it will certainly make matters much easier.Take a look at the Expat arrivals page on Work Permits for South Korea for more details.
It is also best to apply and secure a job before you leave home. Although you could probably look for a job while on your dependency visa and then return to your home to apply for your work permit.
Depending on what sector you are looking for work in - you might also find online job portals or companies that will help you secure a placement before you arrive in Korea.
Best of luck with the move.
You cannot work legally on a dependency visa, so yes, you definitely need a company to sponsor your work visa. Unfortunately, as in other countries where this is the case, this often means that you end up in a Catch-22 situation where you need a job to get a work visa but some employers want you to already have a work visa before they give you a job.
So to answer your question, there's nothing stopping you APPLYING for a job without a visa but as you've already seen, the job specifications might mean the potential employer wants a valid work visa from you first, which means you won't get the job. However, since you will already be in SK on a dependency visa, you'll be at an advantage - the fact that you can be interviewed in person at the company might mean that you can persuade them to help you get a work visa. The problem is the company will probably need to show the SK government that no local is qualified for the job, so it depends on how qualified you are and what your industry is. Also, you have to actually GET your visa at a consulate outside Korea, which means you will need to make an expensive trip home to complete all of this.
Hope that makes sense?
Ideally, you should try to find employment before going to South Korea - that would probably make the whole process much simpler. Have a look at our Working in South Korea page, there's a section on that page about how to find a job there.
We have a Visas for South Korea page which outlines some of the most common visas used to enter the country but there are dozens of categories so this is just a limited overview. The South Korean visa system is quite complex so if you can't find a job before going there it might be a good idea to consult a specialist or immigration lawyer for clarity.
Hope this helps.
Meagan
You haven't said what kind of visa you'd be entering the country on - I assume tourist visa? It's unfortunately not possible to change from a tourist visa to a work permit while in South Korea. Please see Work Permits in South Korea for more information. As far as getting a job goes, the telecommunications sector in South Korea is thriving, so I would think you should be able to find some work - but of course, it's always difficult to say for sure. There's some general information which might be useful to you, as well, on our Working in South Korea page.
Best of luck.
Meagan
As I don't live in South Korea, I'm afraid I can't help with that - I'm part of the Expat Arrivals team so the information I've given you so far comes our own archive of information plus extra research. If you can wait a few years, maybe the answer is to get some experience in your home country first and then try to make a move to South Korea.
Good luck.
Meagan