Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Hamilcar]

I teach at a university and am currently 64. The university I teach at has a mandatory retirement policy that professors have to retire at the end of the semester that they turn 65. I will finish up my current two-year contract this December, so in theory I should be able to teach another semester before I turn 65.

However, I've heard that some unis dump their foreign hires when they turn 64, claiming that they cannot give them less than a year contract. Anyone with information on this? It seems to me that they can easily give a one- or two-year contract with the stipulation that you must leave early when you violate the uni policy, albeit, turn 65.

[Wad]

I am in a similar situation in that I will be 63 (Dec 2019) when my contract ends at my university (August 2020). So I will have 1 1/2 years till my 65th birthday. Most universities seem to have a policy of allowing foreign professors to only finish out the semester in which the turn 65. But this is not an immigration rule and I'm certain they could extend your contract past 65 if the administration can be convinced you're worth keeping. So I figure my university will offer me a year contract or the full 2 year contract. Somehow I don't think it will be 1 1/2 years but I could be wrong.

The only legal requirement I'm aware of is that you can no longer contribute to the Korean teacher's pension plan after age 65.

I'm not sure how immigration would look at a year contract of which the university will only honor 6 months of it. If it was a year contract then the university would be liable to honor it.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out for you. I'm surprised your university did not mention to you that this would be your last contract. Kind of a dirty trick, especially if you've been in country for 25 years like myself. Hard to just pick up and leave within a couple of months.

Hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Please post here if you get any further information...thanks!

[Hamilcar]

Thanks for your reply, Wad.

I mentioned those other cases but I don't yet know at my university and will probably find out in September when they sent out an email for re-upping. By law, they have to give a month's notice, but what's law and what's practiced are two different things here, in my experience.

I hope I can at least work until I'm 65. I've been in good standing at my university, having won two teaching awards and teaching here over a decade. But I'm quite aware how insignificant those things are to the number-crunchers in admin, especially when you are a non-tenured-track foreigner and the uni is downsizing and more concerned with publishing than teaching.

I'll let you know what happens.

[Wad]

Just a quick add-on, in case you didn't know.

Since you've been at your university for over a decade you knew that you are entitled to take a monthly payout from the Korean teacher's pension plan? It's a much better deal than taking the full lump sum.

I've been contributing since 2005 and when I leave in 2021 I will get about 1,100,000w (indexed) per month for life.

Yes please keep me posted here.