This study was conducted on 1,016 self-contained classroom teachers, special school teachers, and school administrators in order to derive the current state and improvement plans of the operation of the qualification for secondary special education teachers in Korea. The results of the study are as follows. First, the number of qualification subjects of the respondents was 37 in total, followed by Korean, English, physical education, and social studies. Of the 37 subjects, seven were subjects of the basic curriculum, and there were Korean language, math, physical education, science, art, music, and occupation. Of the respondents, 47% had qualification subjects which is not of basic curriculum subjects. Second, Secondary special education teachers considered subject teaching method more important than subject content. Third, regarding the management plan of 38 credits for obtaining qualifications, all 38 credits should be completed at the department of special education or some credits should be completed as credits related to the basic curriculum. Fourth, regarding the classification of secondary special education teacher qualifications, the opinions on qualification classification by school courses such as kindergarten, elementary, and middle school were the most regardless of disability type, as in the current situation. This study is significant in that it proposed an improvement plan based on the demands of the educational field for secondary special education teachers.