Over the past two decades, improving teacher quality has been one of the most important educational policy agendas around the world (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], 2005, 2011; Tatto, 2007) due largely to the close link between the quality of the teaching force and the quality of education that students receive (Darling-Hammond, 2000; Rivkin, Hanushek, & Kain, 2005; see also Wayne & Youngs, 2003 for a review). Yet many countries including the United States have suffered from various teacher related issues such as teacher shortage and high turnover rates (Ingersoll & Smith, 2003). By contrast, some countries especially top-performing countries such as Finland, Singapore, South Korea (hereafter Korea) have faced quite opposite issues such as an oversupply of teachers and a low turnover rate (Ingersoll, 2007). The question arises then under what conditions countries face teacher shortage or oversupply. In other words, under what conditions are talented candidates attracted to teaching over other competing professions and remaining in the teaching force? Knowing the answers to these questions could inform policy makers about crafting educational reform that helps improve teacher quality. Yet, little research has investigated specific national contexts where there is an oversupply of teachers and a low turnover rate. Instead, much past research has studied contexts, notably the United States where there is teacher shortage and a high turnover rate, while focusing on identifying factors associated with being a teacher at the individual level (e.g., Hanushek & Pace, 1995; Richardson & Watt, 2016). In this study, we seek to bridge these research issues by studying who becomes a teacher in Korea, using the most recent data from the Graduate Occupational Mobility Survey which annually collects data from 4% (approximately 18,000) of all two- and four-year college graduates in Korea in the calendar year following their graduation. Korea provides an ideal setting for studying this topic because teaching is highly regarded and sought by young talented candidates and a turnover rate among beginning teachers is extremely low in this country. Our analyses show that male candidates are more likely than female candidates to become a teacher, with other things being equal. We also find that higher GPA and college selectivity are significantly associated with the increased likelihood of becoming a teacher. These findings are in sharp contrast with research findings for the US, highlighting the importance of national contexts in understanding who becomes a teacher.

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