Can Koreans detect English accents?

Travel Info
Koreans are learning English as a second language. However, can they tell if someone is from Canada, the USA, the UK, Australia, South Africa, etc just from the sound of their voice?

Travel Tips

I think it depends on the level of the student. Younger/beginner students would be able to tell a difference, but not pinpoint the country.

My best student was able to not only point out that I was from the States, but she knew I wasn't from a northern state. Her last teacher had been from Wisconsin and I'm from South Carolina. She said I spoke differently, more slowly. They can also pick up the difference between American accents and Canadian accents pretty well. They tend to blend Irish, Scottish, Welsh accents into a "UK" category.

A lot of my students have also told me that they prefer having American or Canadian teachers because they're "easier to understand". According to the kids South African and Irish teachers are the hardest to understand. Source(s): ESL teacher in Korea
Other Travel Tips

Not everyone can notice from what English speaking nation. Some people of the same nation have a thicker accent than their fellow citizens. Some that are noticeable are comparing New Zealand and Australia; Scottish and British.

It depends if they are trying to discern their accents.

Some hide it well.
Most will probably not be able to name the country, but they will definitely notice a difference. We have several nationalities that teach English at our church, and the students can definitely tell that there is something different.
Our church's English program
I am korean learning english. YEs I can I can detect brummie accent, scouser accent, cockney accent, yorkshire accent, devonshire accent, Lancastrian accent, sussex accent, cambridge accent, geordie accent, manc accent, hampshire accent, dorset accent, birmingham accent, welsh accent, scottish accent, nothern ireland accent, suffolk accent, norfolk accent, etc. however, I can't tell if someone is from canada or USA. don't American and canadian have same accent?and I never heard south african accent before.
im sure they can tell about more prominent countries with more distinguishable accents, IE. British accents. But South Africa is kind of obscure so they may not even know that there is such a country as south africa.