Using cognitive dissonance theory, this collective case study examines professional identity tensions in three international preservice teachers from a graduate TESOL program in South Korea (Korea hereafter). Reflective journals, interview transcripts, admission essays as well as participant-produced drawings were analyzed. Additionally, consultations with faculty members, interviews with government officials as well as a review of related documents were used to gain further insight into the interplay between international education and professional identity tensions. It is argued that international students in TESOL experience unique identity tensions associated with institutional, discursive and regulatory forces residing in the host country. Insights obtained from the study provide a better understanding of the support international teacher candidates need from their host institutions and can inform policymaking.