The South Korean English education sector is constantly being pulled in different directions by an array of ideological shifts that are both local and global in origin. Although the ideological complexes that interact to create these shifts impact the actions ELT practitioners, they are often left unarticulated in ELT discourses. To better appreciate ideologies surrounding the English language in South Korea, this presentation discusses the beliefs of foreign and South Korean teachers of English who work in private academies. In-depth data was collected through the medium of bio questionnaires, narrative frames, and interviews. Results reveal how both sets of teachers were influenced by a complex of unacknowledged ideologies that included Confucianism, neoliberalism, and globalization. When interpreted through the notions of capital, investment, and identity, findings reveal further implications related to English language teaching practices, students’ developing language identities, and possible changes in the future linguistic policy in the South Korean context.