Question from a reader: finding a job without a recruiter?

Part of the problem is that bypassing the recruiter removes a layer of protection, on both your end and the school's end. If you get a job directly through a school and things go sour, it's difficult to complain to the school's recruiting department because they're, at best, at a conflict of interest. They're paid by the school, so their first interest is to the school, not you. Granted, a recruiter is also paid a fee for their services by the school, but they have an external reputation to worry about. That they're separate from the school gives them a modicum of independence - and possibly a means of action if the schools screws you over. At the very least, they may be able to help you get another job with a different school.

Some recruiters are above reproach, and are worth contacting regarding the jobs they may have available. To limit your search to schools that recruit directly will seriously hamper your efforts to come to Korea, for better or worse. A few recruiters I've heard multiple, unsolicited responses from include Footprints (one of the largest recruiters in Korea) and Say Kimchi Recruiting (which has a native-English-speaking partner and teacher).