Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mgafunnell]

I got into ESL in 2004 when I was 30 with South Korea being my first stop. This lasted seven months and ended with an angry mob chasing me out of town in the middle of the brandishing fiery torches and pitchforks, figuratively speaking of course. Since then I have also spent six months in Poland and have been in China since '07. Even though my time in Onam-eup was a disaster it remains the most remarkable adventure of my life.

The reason I'm writing this is to ask about the changes in the place since I left in the spring of '05. Back then:

-soju was 1000 won from the shops and 3000won at most restaurants.
-beer was 2000-2500 won per pint.
-fried chicken was 10000 won per serving.
-cigarettes were 2000-2500 for most brands.
-jokki jokki was a popular chain of pubs among Koreans
-DVD bahngs were everywhere
-jobs were plentiful, mostly hagwons paying 1.8-2.0 mil. per month
-round trip airfare plus free accommodations, usually with an insane roommate.
-Itaewon was constant drunkenness with Gecko's and 3 Alley being its epicenter.
-Hooker Hill had a vast inventory
-everyone still had a "let's be the reds!" t-shirt.
-no starbucks but baskin robbins is was being introduced and people would line up around the corner for it.
-just being a western foreigner was enough to guarantee you would meet local girls.
-Dave's was exactly the same, except it used to have much more traffic
Anyway, how does any of this compare with how it used to be?

[Paddycakes]

The only thing that hasn't changed in 10 years is the forum software on Dave's.

Other than that:

Daves is dead compared to what is was 10 years ago.

The deletion of "The Freaky Waygook" thread basically marked the end of Dave's for many.

There used to be a 100 threads on picking up K-Chicks, how to score with your female boss, you name it.

Now it's much, much more tame. Yawn..


Inflation has hit Korea hard, but wages are literally almost exactly the same as where they were 10 years ago.

Koreans don't seem to care so much about English anymore.

K-chicks don't seem so enamoured with white guys.

The younger K guys are pretty stiff competition now as you're no longer competing against some redneck soju craving hick but rather a fairly metrosexual guy who can speak her language and who probably dresses 10 times better than you, and who may actually have real career prospects.

Korea is generally much more 1st world than 10 years ago. Driving is much saner now.

[Paddycakes]

The sub-set of Korean women who still prefer foreigners is still there, you know, the ones who often feel estranged from the mainstream of Korean society for whatever reason.

But their numbers seem fewer.

Coke was 500 won a can a few years back... now it's like 1200 won per can.

I can go do the doctor now and instead of being prescribed "warm water" for everything from the clap to brain cancer, you may actually get real medical advice now.

Koreans stare less now, but maybe it's because I just stopped caring.

The absolute hate-on for the United States is long gone.

The mindless nationalism seems to be somewhat more subdued thank god. Sometimes you couldn't help but feel embarrassed for them when they'd spew out some of that 'we are special' crap because we use metal chop sticks (and therefore our surgeons are better...) .


Teachers are more likely to be economic and student loan refuges now with the toughish economy back home.

10 years ago the ESL world was a real freak show... but thanks to tougher screening and Koreans who are getting better at identifying the odd balls, a lot of the misfits are no longer getting past the border, but believe, they're still here. Just not as many.

[Zyzyfer]

[Wad]

I arrived in 1994. No cable television and the only TV channel in English was AFKN. You could not buy deodorant anywhere other than in the black markets. I could take a taxi from Yongsan-gu to Itaewon, with my girl, cheaper than the bus. Smokes were about 300 won a pack and could be purchased from outdoor vending machines. Phone cards were also popular for use in telephone booths. Obviously no cellphones or internet. Strangers would constantly approach you in the subway asking you to do privates. The basic exchange rate was 760w/US dollar - 550w/CDN dollar. Two million won was pretty much the standard monthly wage. Interest rates were double digit on savings accounts. You could double your money in a month or two with the black market money lenders. No gas lines in Yongsan-gu. You had to have heating oil delivered for your boiler. Students would give teachers expensive gifts like sweaters and briefcases. Was Korea better in the early 90's? In some ways yeah. But it's a hell of lot more convenient today.

[Otus]

2 mill in 94? I was working around the clock to hit that in 96. 1.2 mill was the average hagwon salary then.

[Cthulhu]

Heh, it was 11 years ago I left Korea after starting in '96. Wad's observations were pretty much what I remember too, except I started with 1.2 million and moved up to 1.7 the first couple years. Didn't see 2 million until 1999 or so. Exchange rate was much better then so the savings was still great--until the crash of '97 that is.

It was a lot of fun in the cowboy times but after returning for a visit in 2012 I agree that things are much more convenient today. And little kids don't yell "Hello!" and run away giggling when you see them in the street.

I still have a "Be the Reds" t-shirt from the 2002 World Cup and wear it at school in Canada from time to time. But even the Korean kids don't recognize it.

[edwardcatflap]

[Wad]

In '94 I went to work for Pagoda in Apkujeong. My base salary was 12,000 won an hour, two (split) shifts of four hours a day (8 hours total). Increase to 13,000 won after 6 months. 14,000 won after a year. Income tax was 3.5%. On top of this they gave me 300,000 won a month for housing. Which in those days pretty much covered it. In '94 there were plenty of privates to go around too if you wanted them. Two million won was hardly difficult to make in a month.

[Weigookin74]