Korean Job Discussion Forums

BTM · Joined: 20 Jan 2003 Location: Back in the saddle.

I tell my wife that I reckon she shouldn't even bother looking for work in this sexist nightmare of a country unless she can get more than the three or four thousand won an hour that most part-time work seems to pay, at least to women. Why bother leaving the house for that?

She's convinced that for a woman of a certain age (ie early thirties), there just aren't any decent jobs out there. I'm inclined to believe her, and although she finished top in her university in her major (Japanese language and lit), she's not that keen to dive back into the hakwon teaching scrum (where I first met her). She's been out of the labour force for a couple of years, since we lived in Australia where she made more than I do here (although to be fair I was making way more than that too!).

So - married guys (who are married to Koreans)! Does your wife work, and if so, what does she do? If so, does she make a decent wage?
Are things really that crap out there for women who aren't fresh outta college?

(I'd ask the women who are married to Korean men, too, but that's not info that would help me, here Wink

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Harpeau · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Location: Coquitlam, BC

My wife is a pianist, piano teacher and is studying advanced jazz piano. The money is okay. She also teaches a bit of English, and does interpretation. She also does the odd sojutherapy.

Cheers!
Harpeau

Brendan · Joined: 25 Apr 2003

A bit of translating here and there. I also hate the idea of her working for 3,000 won an hour and being exploited so I encourage her not to work. I'd rather she upgraded her skills so one day she can make some decent money...

dutchman · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: My backyard

If your wife has a uni degree, hagwon experience and she speaks English get her to teach privates (it's legal). My wife rents a tiny office for 500k a month and teaches 30 hours a week @ 40-50k an hour.

kimcheeking · Guest

wife is quitting her job this week and looking for another one in the import/export field. Basically her compnay in going out of business when teh boss decides to move back to India in Jan/feb next year.

About 2 years back she had an offer to work for 2mil/month but turned it down 'cause she didn't want to commute to kangnam.

Squid · Joined: 25 Jul 2003 Location: Sunny Anyang

A qualified "Yes" that is, at the moment she's full-time "Imshin" with our first child and fit to burst very soon... otherwise she works here in Korea but doesn't like the hours, pay or the bosses.
She's Korean, but having travelled has an appreciation for Western conditions that here would make employers choke on their kimchi.

Needless to say we'll be raising the pup elswhere.

Squid

Homer · Guest

My wife is a fashion designer.

The Den · Joined: 26 Jan 2003

My wife is also in the "privates" business. She is doing fairly well right now. She also won't work for most Koreans. She applied to a hagwon and they offered her 950 000 a month for 6 days a week. She turned them down. In only a month since she has been doing privates she has made more than if she had been working there. On the other hand her friend who just returned from Canada got a job making 1.6 but she has teaching experience. I am still pretty proud of my wife. She has a lot of gumption and does not take crap from anyone. She is often a lot stronger than what I give her credit for.

indiercj · Joined: 30 Jan 2003 Location: Seoul

My future wife is a highschool chemistry teacher. She earns a little less than 30 million a year.

Zyzyfer · Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2003 8:04 pm Post subject:

My partner works for one of the chaebol. It's a reall sucky job; it pays better than this part-time stuff, but I still make more than her, and I'm on the low end of the foreign teacher money stick.

So, BTM...you took your woman overseas, and then she came back and couldn't get a job here? But she could get a job in Australia? Was that easy to secure? And why can't she get a job in Korea now? I hope that age isn't the big factor...

Cthulhu · Joined: 02 Feb 2003

My Wife is a Gangster 2

Gollum · Joined: 04 Sep 2003 Location: Japan

My wife runs a catering business she started from the ground-up. She caters to many famous hotels in Seoul, and makes A LOT of money doing it. Maybe 5 times my salary at the Hakwon.

I was living as a jiggalo, spending her money and not working, so she made me get this job. Plus, the room salon bills were kind of high, and she made me promise that if I wanted to keep doing that, I had to spend my own money.

Well, I now work at the Hakwon, and make about 2.5 a month (no housing). That seems to be enough money to keep me busy at some of the finer establishments at least a few times a month.

My wife doesn't care. As long as I'm "ready to go" when she is, and I wrap the rascal, she's OK.

BTM · Joined: 20 Jan 2003 Location: Back in the saddle.