“I Need to Be Prepared”: EFL Teachers in Korea and GenAI's Influence on Their Professional Identities

ABSTRACT The proliferation of generative artificial intelligent (GenAI) models and tools are revolutionizing how existing practices are transformed across multiple industries, including English language education. Simultaneously, the capabilities of these models are shaping how teachers reevaluate their roles as educators, especially in high‐stakes testing environments (e.g., competitive college entrance exams). This qualitative case study examines five English as a Foreign Language (EFL) educators in South Korea and their perspectives toward GenAI and its influence on their professional identities. This study analyzed semi‐structured interviews with EFL teachers through Norton's concept of social identity and Roger's Diffusion of Innovation theory. This research aims to examine the stages in which EFL teachers adopt emerging technology, how it influences their teaching practices, and how they define their jobs in this new, emerging digital landscape. The importance of this research is from the perceived supportive role the EFL teachers play within the sociocultural context of the classroom in the face of high‐stakes testing environments. The adoption of emerging technology does not diminish the emotional responsibility that human educators provide over the machine.