Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Ethinie]

Hey I was just wondering if anyone had any advice on the Jungchul School in Changwon or Changwon itself.

Also is it advisable to accept a position in a small school (thats only been open for a year and a half) or is it better to go for something more established?


Would be very grateful for anyone's opinions. This Korea business is a minefield!

[K-in-C]

Hi Ethinie,

I don't know anything about the school you mentioned but as for Chang'won, it is a beautiful city. There are about 500,000 people here. The city is surrounded by mountains. There is a man made lake downtown. Everything you need, pretty much, you can get here and if you can not you can always head for Busan. Busan is about forty minutes from here.

Good luckand PM me if you have anymore questions about the city and I'll try to help you out.

Regards,

K-in-C

[just because]

Obseoyo

[Lost Seoul]

Here are some previous posts about the Jung Chul hagwons:

Not sure if the Changwon branch is mentioned but even if it isn't it may give you some idea of how the franchise is run in general. Ask for the EMail addresses of the other foreign teachers at the institute and ask them what its like. Ask many questions, seek many opinions, then, finally, trust your own instincts.

=======================================
http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=113960
Jung Chul East Suwon Campus- Beware
Posted By: Been There Tried That
Date: Sunday, 24 March 2002, at 7:12 p.m.
Be careful of this one if you see it advertised. The school advertisement that I believed listed all sorts of goodies like Korean lessons, teacher sightseeing trips and happiness. The only teacher trip I got was a trip to the local bars in walking distance of the campus. The Korean lessons were so erratic that it became imposible to continue them. I wasn't happy.
The contract when you read it sounds really wonderful. They promise you will be paid in a timely manner (I had to remind them to pay me and even then got paid late more often then not.) They promise that if you don't like your apartment they will give you another. (I requested a new one for six months without luck.) They also promised a letter of release. (I'm still waiting.)
They found deductions from my pay when I finally quit that aren't listed in the contract. Like many Korean contracts you might as well use it to heat your freezing cold apartment.
I won't bother going through the weekly power trips and goofups that happened, just take it for granted they are there.
There are alot of good places out there that value their staff, try one of them and leave this one alone.
=======================================
http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=123299
Re: Jung Cheol English School and Doksan
Posted By: Tannis
Date: Wednesday, 8 May 2002, at 11:10 p.m.
In Response To: Jung Cheol English School and Doksan (Marilynn)
If you're referring to the one in Dukso, stay the Hell away from this school!!!!!!!!! The Principal is a slave driver and will cheat you out of money any chance she can get. My former room-mate and I are currently in the middle of a contract dispute with them and they are trying to screw us out of everything. They just got two new foreign teachers last week and they just up and left in the middle of the night. They'll want you working until 10pm, but they won't tell you that until you arrive. They're full of empty promises. Oh by the way, they just switched schools this past month; they're an Ewha school now. I advise you to look elsewhere.
=======================================
http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=128790
Re: Does Interlab-Jung-Chul
Posted By: Emily - [email protected]
Date: Saturday, 8 June 2002, at 7:04 p.m.
In Response To: Does Interlab-Jung-Chul (Inquirer)
Stay away from Jung Chul Interlab.
=======================================
http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=129013
Re: Does Interlab-Jung-Chul
Posted By: FA
Date: Monday, 10 June 2002, at 2:45 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Does Interlab-Jung-Chul (Emily)
For real. Steering away from that chain will definitely save you a big-time hassle.
=======================================
http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=129395
Re: Oxford school in Goyang and Jung Chul in Masan
Posted By: Forget about Jung Chul
Date: Wednesday, 12 June 2002, at 1:39 a.m.
In Response To: Oxford school in Goyang and Jung Chul in Masan (Dahlia)
Do not bother with jung chul, no matter what city you're in. They're the bargain basement school of Korea.
Their books are ridiculous. They're basically a system without a curriculum.
=======================================
http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=131523
Jung-Chul, Ulsan Bangojin
Posted By: Stephen - [email protected]
Date: Sunday, 23 June 2002, at 7:48 p.m.
This is a posting to warn all teachers about Jung-Chul in Ulsan Bangojin. DO NOT GET A JOB AT THIS SCHOOL. The Director and his wife are the worst directors ever seen in Ulsan. I worked at this school for 3 months and got paid only 700,000W. Luckly I took them to the labour board and had them investigated, and now they are owing me money. I am not sure if he has found a new teacher but if you are looking for a new job dont go to him. He seems like a nice guy at first but he WILL screw you big time. Anyways if you have questions please feel free to email me and ask.
Steve
=======================================
http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=132215
Re: Jung chul Language School in Suji
Posted By: Tell All
Date: Thursday, 27 June 2002, at 1:29 p.m.
In Response To: Jung chul Language School in Suji (Rob)
Avoid it! They also use a recruiter under UEC and the contract is terrible!
=======================================
http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=135305
Stay away from Chungsong!
Posted By: Sam Sherman - [email protected]
Date: Friday, 12 July 2002, at 9:00 p.m.
The Jung Chul Interlab hogwan in Chungsong, South Korea is an absolute hell hole. I was only there two weeks before I took off and hid out in Seoul until I could get back home to New Zealand. The students are monsters and the Korean teachers didn't give me any training or help whatsoever. They were very rude and uncomuncative and didn't care in the least about the problems I was having. They and my agent just said: 'You don't really have to teach anything, just be a presance in the classroom.' I told them I'm not a babysitter but they just didn't listen. They expected me to instantly know everything about their teaching methods, their customs and their language! I was just thrown into a classroom and told to start teaching! And it was my first day! My contract stated that I would have a flat to myself, but in the first week I was there they said a Korean teacher would be moving in with me! I said that's not what my contract says and again they just didn't care about anything I had to say. They couldn't care less about their native speakers. I met one guy from Australia who had been there for a year and they treated him terribly, so rude and disrespectful, even though he had put in a year of dedicated teaching. He had a very zen attitude about it but the strain on him still showed. Poor guy. I couldn't handle that place, the rudness, the disrespect, the disregard for the terms of the contract, and they didn't even care about the education of their students! They just wanted a babysitter, not a professional teacher. Stay away from Chungsong and Sachung! For your sanity's sake!
Sam.
=======================================
http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=136343
JungChul English Junior - BE AWARE!
Posted By: Alyssa G. Hamilton [email protected]
Date: Wednesday, 17 July 2002, at 7:12 p.m.
ATTENTION: DO NOT TEACH OR DEAL WITH ANY AND ALL JUNGCHUL ENGLISH JUNIOR OPERATIONS IN SOUTH KOREA! I am now employed at one and it is a total nightmare. The place is totally abusive, corrupt, and very dangerous. The owners make threats, harass, annoy, intimidate, and cause most teachers to leave within days. They also do not pay teachers.
Call me at the school for more information on this fraud operation. I am leaving soon on a midnite run but I can advise you while I am still here. Their recruiter is out of Canada. Do not trust the man.
031-970-9553
=======================================
http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=132710133049
Suwon JJC-Beware!
Posted By: Mr. X
Date: Friday, 19 July 2002, at 9:14 p.m.
In Response To: JungChul English Junior - BE AWARE! (Alyssa G. Hamilton)
I see your phne prefix is 031, so you are in my area. I worked for JJC in Suwon in Omokchun-dong. The lady who runs the place (Eun-ju Lee) is psycho! When you first meet her, she seems nice but very quickly things turn around. This place can't keep teachers Korean or foreign, there is alot of stress in the air at all times and no-one likes it there. Needless to say, no-one stays very long.
Her family sneaks into your house and goes thru things, goes thru your mail,etc.. as well as flat out lies about pay, etc.. Miss Lee lies out of reflex--like she has somekind of pathological condition! She threatened to go to immigration to say one teacher threatened to kill her because she got pissed at him. Another teacher who flew from South Africa and paid his own way was recruited by her online and fired for being "black." within 2 hours of arriving in Seoul! (His mother was 1/2 Hindu and his father was Dutch.)
In short, this is a hell to avoid at all costs! They are seeking a new teacher now, so beware of this place unless you like aggrivation, loss of privacy and lied to ALL the time about everything!
=======================================
http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=132710133032
Little World/ Jung Chul
Posted By: one of many
Date: Friday, 19 July 2002, at 7:27 p.m.
I want to warn any foreign teacher who might be recruited for Little World/ Jung Chul near Yatap station in Bundag. This is not to be confused with other Jung Chuls in Nam Bundang or Sohyeon-dong, Bundang. In approximately seven months appoximately 25 staff members have left this hagwon. This includes foreign and Korean English teachers, supervisors, bus drivers and cleaners/cooks... The director treats everyone as dirt. Of nine foreign teachers only two of us got E-2 visas. He threatened not to pay the foreign teachers, tried to keep 20% of our pay until we finsished our contract, if we had one and almost never payed on time unless he was threatened. He refused to give the Korean teachers a copy of their contract. The man is nothing short of a pig. I will post further but please stay away at this school. If you don't trust this post and you apply for a job there please ask to speak to a foreign teacher. You will find there aren't any or they have just started. Anyone should do this at any hagwon.
================================================
http://www.eslcafe.com/jobinfo/asia/sefer.cgi?display:1009446391-10093.txt
Avoid the Jeungchul Institutes
Jeungchul franchises are widely known as successful schools throughout Korea for over 30 years, but each franchise owner is not necessarily experienced in any business. It was my misfortune to accept a recruiter's benevolent offer to begin work at a "good" Jeunchul School, which owner would pay me 2.2 million won monthly, starting the date of my arrival. Perhaps you can guess where this story is quickly leading. After relocating to Seoul, I found that the school was only midway under construction. The owners had never directed or managed an English school before, and they refused to pay me upon the date of arrival. I waited a full month before the school opened to three students. The director hired three other teachers. All were Korean, who did not speak English well, but used cd roms to review lessons before they taught. I was used only as a commercial vehicle . . . my MA diploma was framed and beautifully displayed in the reception area. Korean parents were led to my office to take a look at me, and then I was treated like a work horse. No one cared at all about my knowledge; they were only going for the anglo-American look. After my second paycheck was "forgotten," I stole away into the night - literally - and accepted a position teaching college for a western university. Happy endings at last.
Patricia Love, 12/27/01
[email protected]
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A.
Posted: December 27, 2001
================================================
http://www.eslcafe.com/jobinfo/asia/sefer.cgi?display:1024575412-11053.txt
Cheju Jung Chul-Beware
Michael H.Linahan
6/20/2002
[email protected]
South Korea.
I want to say that my experience started off well and went down hill after the first 16 months. I really like Korea and still work there today. My boss wasn"t what she made her self out to be, and in the end her true colors showed. I worked at Jung Chul Inter Lab on Jejudo for two years. I worked as the only Western teacher for almost eighteen months. I did this without missing one sick day or being late or asking for extra time off. I went above and beyond what I had to and in the end it was all for not. My boss in the end was all about money and used me when she could. She cheated me out of one years severance and had me leave the same day my replacement was coming.
I could list more things, but why, everything you need to know is listed. In my opinion she is a thief and a liar. So please avoid this school at all costs.
Posted: June 20, 2002
================================================
http://koreablacklist.tripod.com/1/id4.html
Jung-Chul- I am writing to you today to report serious labor law violations, threats, harassment and assault at Jung Chul English Junior located in Haengshin-dong. This place is the worst possible nightmare. I heard many complaints since arriving here about other Jung Chul English Junior schools as well. I recently complained about some labor law violations to the owner of this school. Her name is Sunny. She is very unstable. They have since refused or delayed paying me 4 times. I was slapped in the face a few days ago, and I had a cup of hot tea thrown in my face. I went to the police department located a few doors down from the school. If a person complains or asks a question about something they perceive as being illegal or wrong, based on labor law, the first thing the school does is write you up for poor performance. Then they tell other Korean teachers that work there, that you are a bad teacher etc.
If that does not work, they harass you, add tons of work to the schedule. They break the contract all the time, and then when I said I would leave Sunny said she would have people come beat me up and that they would fix things so I could not leave South Korea.
When the police came to Jung Chul Sunny lied to them and told them nothing was wrong and that I was simply a bad teacher. I have since called the US Embassy and hired a South Korean lawyer who is taking legal action against them. I also have them on audio tape making threats to me. Other teachers wanted to quit and the owner of the school said she would call every other school in the area and say they were bad teachers and that they should not hire them.
Please get this on the Korean Black List ASAP to protect others.
Thank you very much. Your Web site may save many from abuse and trouble.
================================================
http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?read=132710136573
Jung Chul/ little world Yatap
Posted By: One of many (61.77.115.133)
Date: Sunday, 4 August 2002, at 5:00 p.m.
I am an ex teacher and recently left this hagwon. The director and his wife are little Ghengis Khans who have no respect for any of their staff. Infact the go out of their way to disrespect their staff. Since they opened on December 3rd they have lost over 26 staff. This includes foreign and Korean teachers, supervisors, bus drivers... after 8 (and counting) foreign teachers still only two have been given E-2 visas. The director promised to install a telephone and cable television in the foreign teachers' apartment above the school and then told a Korean staff member that the foreign teaachers are fools if they think he's going to pay for their entertainment. This is after the two foreign teachers said they would pay for the cable istallation and monthly charge (both very cheap). For the first 7 moths the director tried to cheat the teachers by under-paying them and tehn giving them endless different excuses as to why they didn't get paid the correct amount. He tried to take 20% of our salary and to keep it for an undisclosed period of time incase we ran away. Several different foreign teachers made physical protests to force the director to pay the full amount on time. The director and his wife have no concerns for the safety of their students. The kindergarten students have not been supervised on the buses as required under law. The director stands by when other staff are trying to prevent students from running out onto the street. He is simply one of the worst people I've met in my life. His wife is one of the others. She has only ever been nice to one of the foreign teachers. She bought him a cell phone, took him out to brunch and dinner, offered him money for shopping. Her feelings towards him were obvious. All this under her husbands nose.
Please don't even consider working at this hagwon. As with all hagwons you should ask to speak to other foreign teachers. Also ask those foreign teachers how long they have been there!
================================================
http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?read=132710136573
Re: Jung Chul/ little world Yatap
Posted By: jake1234 - [email protected] (61.36.148.54)
Date: Sunday, 4 August 2002, at 8:33 p.m.
In Response To: Jung Chul/ little world Yatap (One of many)
All this is true. Verified by a friend of mine who recently left this school. You're better off somewhere else.
================================================
Re: Don't go there!!!!
Posted By: N/A
Date: Wednesday, 18 September 2002, at 8:32 p.m.
In Response To: Don't go there!!!! (former teacher)
I can't write my name because I am still working here. But In this school JONG CHUL in Ilsan, korea, they don't pay the holidays and there is a lot of breaks between classes, so from morning to evening you work and you don't get paid right. and the director always ignores the forigners. 2 teachers out of 3, have quit so far!! ...
================================================
http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?read=132710144536
working at jung chul gangseo
Posted By: caro - [email protected]
Date: Monday, 30 September 2002, at 7:40 p.m.
if any one has looked at the post for jung chul in gangseo, seoul, please email me before you decide to sign up. i am the current teacher and would like to fill you in on what it is really like to work for "bright" myung. any questions you have i would be more than willing to answer.
cheers

=================================================

http://www.koreanesl.com/forumdsp.asp?ser=6320
Henry Kim
E-Mail Address
Henry29kr#yahoo.com
Title
Don't work at Jung-Chul next to Kangnam station - 2002/12/26

Don't work at the Jung-Chul next to Kangnam station. They claim they have a new staff and that they've changed but they haven't.

They will cheat you. They will not pay you want they promise and you wont get payed on time. They have cheated numerous teachers by unjustly black listing teachers at immigration so that they cannot work in Korea and they've threatened Teachers.

If you need to know more don't hesitate to contact me. The story goes on.

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=210&highlight=
necktie
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 2
Location: korea
Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2003 11:27 am Post subject: BEWARE JJC SUWON-OMOKCHUN-DONG near Suwon Women's College!!!
I friend of mine who I used to work with got fired after 10 1/2 months, because "he was a bad teacher." By the psycho lady who owns the school, Junior Jung Chul Language School (JJC) in Omokchun-dong. The psycho in question is named Lee, Eun-ju and is BAD news.


I worked there for 2 months, and she asked me to recruit a teacher. I said OK and screened many people as well as made world wide phone calls on her behalf. I found a guy from South Africa who not only had been teaching computers for 4 years but had ESL certification. He sent his picture and he was a bit dark, but Miss Lee approved him. He came over on a ticket he purchased himself, and was fired the day he arrived because he was "too black." His father was Dutch and his mother was Indian (from India). She blamed me for this fiasco. I also got stiffed for the phone calls I made for her.

She hired the next guy (who was fired today) last March right before I quit. Not only does this *beep* chronically lie about things, but she was deducting insane things from my pay as well as making accusations that weren't true. Like when I hired the "black guy, I knew he was black and was only trying to hurt her business." I saw the writing on the wall and bailed about 2 months into the contract.

To top all this off, Korean teachers come and go like flies from this place. There was a Kindergarten, but not now because the 3 Korean Kindergarten teachers she had quit because they got tired of her *beep*. She tried to cut the other teachers salary from 1.9 million to 1.5 million a month as well, which is very illegal--and she blamed hiim for the Korean teachers quitting as well.

I could go on about this place but I think you get the message. She's recruiting for another teacher now, and can be very nice when you first meet her. But claws and fangs come out quickly once you sign the contract tho. Beware! If you have any questions, contact me at:

[email protected]
_________________
NECKTIE!!!!!!


http://englishspectrum.com/jsboard/read.php?table=news_blackbook&no=300
Jung Chul- Kyoha
Name: Just Left
Date: 2002-10-25 15:05:35
Stay away from this school. If you like all the time fighting and competition at work, go there.
================================================
http://koreablacklist.tripod.com/1/id4.html
Another one for Jung-Chul-
Hi there, I am writing this after reading the article written in regarding the Jung Chul school located in Haenshindong on your Hagwon Black List. My first year in Korea I was working for a Jung Chul school loated in Sangwangshimni -Seoul. When i first arrived my apartment was not ready so I had to sleep on the floor of one of the other foreign teachers at the school. One week later when i moved into my apartment and having to deal with no hot water for the following 2 weeks, the apartment was utterly filthy. This pretty much set the precedence for the rest of the year. Aside from having to live in filth, the school itself is also utterly filthy. On a number of occasions I have seen kids spilling Duk-Buki on the walls amongst other things and the Korean Teachers merely laughing at this display of grossness. Aside from the usual hassles of having to barter every pay-day for normal pay and over-time, my boss liked to use the method of divide and rule. None of the Korean teachers were genuinely interested in the foreign teachers and would often talk and laugh about us openly in Korean. This also went for the "monthly meetings" that we had to endure. These 1-2 hour meetings were conducted entirely in Korean. Upon reaching my 11and a half months of teaching at the school, I had some personal problems which bore absolutely no effect on my teaching abilities and capibility to teach at the school. My boss took this opportunity to not pay me all of the 1 month severence pay. And what he paid me, he took 10% off for stress and hurt. This was almost laughable considering what I had to endure while teaching at that school. I set up a meeting with some Korean friends and him to try and retrieve this money. After 1 hour of heated discussion in Korean, My boss parted with a mere 1.2 million won. This i feel I was lucky to get due to the assistance of my Korean friends. The hours and general conditions at this school are okay, but the enviornment and atmosphere of this school is incredibly dismal and depressing. If you are looking for a interesting and fun experience while teaching in Korea, dont teach there.

http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?noframes;read=132710160525
Korean Job Discussion Forum
Re: Jung Chul: are they reputable?
Posted By: Lou Provart <[email protected]>
Date: Tuesday, 4 February 2003, at 9:28 p.m.
In Response To: Jung Chul: are they reputable? (Melanie)
HI Melanie!
I came across from the UK 3 weeks ago now to teach at a JungChul School in Seoul - so far I have had a wikid time! Really good set up - and if you are in it for the experience, this is certainly a good place to come!
As for the syllabus - dead easy! No prep! Great! Feel free to e-mail me if you have any other questions!
Ciao!
Lou (Barmy Army!)
http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?noframes;read=132710160418
Korean Job Discussion Forum
Re: Jung Chul: are they reputable?
Posted By: Anda
Date: Sunday, 2 February 2003, at 4:44 p.m.
In Response To: Jung Chul: are they reputable? (Melanie)
I once interviewed with them and was put off by the teaching material that they wanted me to follow. Teaching for a chain hogwan is a one by one thing.
http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?noframes;read=132710160411
Korean Job Discussion Forum
Re: Jung Chul: are they reputable?
Posted By: ex employee <[email protected]>
Date: Friday, 31 January 2003, at 2:00 p.m.
In Response To: Jung Chul: are they reputable? (Melanie)
Jung Chul is a good school, I worked at a Jung Chul hagwon last year and had no dramas, the only negative I could see with my school was the accommodation wasn't very nice but the school was great, they have all the books you need and lessons so there is nil planning and they are pretty much a good chain. I investigated them thoroughly before I went and found that there were few complaints about this chain. If you want more info email me.
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=1738
Dazed and Confused

Joined: 11 Jan 2003
Posts: 17

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2003 8:58 am Post subject:


I worked at a jung chul a long time ago. Although I don't know anything about the branch you've been offered a contract with I do know about the "program" they use.

First of all it is the most mind numbing program on the planet. I swear you'll fall asleep while teaching. It's nothing but rote memorization and it doesn't teach anything. There's a CD rom you use and you just push buttons on the computer to make the kids repeat, repeat, repeat, and repeat.

Secondly, the dialogues are idiotic. Even the kids think so.

The only good thing about Jung Chul is if you're an inexperienced teacher and you don't really care about teaching just making good money for what is essentially babysitting then this is the place for you.
=================================================

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=1657
Zandie

Joined: 14 Jan 2003
Posts: 25
Location: Korea
Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2003 8:42 pm
Post subject: Jung Chul

I work for a Jung Chul school near Changwon. I imagine most branches are different. The chain is currently printing books that are all in English, but so far only have the first 2 books of Level 1 and 2 available. (Well that is all we have at our school so far).

The Korean teachers do a lot of button pushing on their computer remote controls - but as the foreign teacher I doubt you'd be expected to use the computer. After all, as a native speaker you're the real thing.

However at my school, they expect me to use the books for at least part of the lesson and so long as I make a token effort with the book, I can then teach whatever I like - which are usually activities related to whatever they're learning from the book, but in my own teaching style.

The amount of teaching I have had to base on their books during lessons has varied throughout my year here. At first I didn't have to use the Jung Chul books at all, but then the director' wife worried that the students wouldn't bother bringing their books to my classes (and stop buying the books??). So they said I had to start teaching only from the books. The books are OK - not the greatest as they get a bit boring after a while, so I came up with the current compromise.

Whatever school you go to, you should discuss in depth how the director expects you to teach, what with.........blah blah blah. BUT expect the director to change their mind a few times. The owners of most hogwans are usually business people - not educators. So have a clear idea of how you want to teach and seem(!) confident about it.

================================================
http://www.englishspectrum.com/form2.php3?table=news_blackbook
No.211 : Jung Chul interlab, Yul-Lyang dong, Cheongju
Name: kiwi Date: 2003-09-23 08:13:50
View: 6
Please don't take a job at this school.

All the teachers have been very unhappy there - since I have left (in March) I know
that the three new teachers there already want to leave.
The Korean staff are complete bitches, they laugh at you if you try to speak to them
(none of them can speak English to save themselves) and if you have a problem
they go "ooohh".
The boss - Mr Hwang - is totally two-faced. Things he has done -
1) Stolen tax money from teachers. He has been reported to the tax dept so
obviously just bribed them or something. He takes 7.5% tax and if you ask for a tax
return he will just ignore you. The tax dept say they have no record of him paying
tax for foreign teachers. This is theft.
2) Takes money from your pay without permission (against the "contract"). I was
sick for 2 days and he took pay from me to pay the replacement teacher (at 20,000
an hour). This is also theft.
3) If you have a request for something he will basically ignore it until you give up.
One of the guys had something wrong with his cable tv and was asking about it for
about 5 months. It never got fixed before he left.
4) If you want to take one of your 5 day vacations that the contract says you are
entitled to you must give one months notice (okay) but then he will not let you take
the vacation.
Basically everything is a drama. The kids at the school are a pack of absolute little
shits who have been taught by the management and Korean teachers that foreigners
are sub-human and everything they say or do is to be ignored. Because of this the
kids are impossible to control and will pretty much ignore you in class.
Please don't work at this school.
I would like to see this horrible hagwon closed down.

====================================
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?p=120872#120872

deatr

Joined: 01 Oct 2003
Posts: 1

Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2003 1:55 am Post subject: blacklist....Jung Chul Samcheonpo (Sacheon City)

I want to warn anyone who is considering teaching in Korea, to keep well away from the Samcheonpo (Sacheon City) Jung Chul school. I have never been treated so badely in my life and dont want anyone to have to go through what I went through.

The town itself is awesome...really really nice, and the teaching system employed by Jung Chul English School is great...easy to teach, and the kids learn heaps. But Samsa Campus in Samcheonpo has, to put it bluntly, an extremely selfish, money orientated, inconsiderate b**** as the director, and I would certainly not consider teaching at this school.

For unavoidable reasons I had to leave the school after 6 months of teaching. The whole time I was there I worked really hard, did my best, and all the kids loved me. I gave two months notice, but she still took $3000 from me....ridiculous to say the least! ....part of which she claimed was to pay for a part time relieving teacher between when I left and when she found a new teacher...even though I gave her two months notice!!!

She had no interperson skills at all and failed to communicate with me on several occasions. I was not paid several hours of overtime, was made to teach more students than stipulated in my contract, made to work several Saturdays, including long weekends, and the apartment I was to stay in was far from what I was promised....with holes in the ceiling and walls, no heating in winter (or cooling...except for one small fan) and in the oldest apartment that could be found....if anyone wants to check them out I have photos, so let me know.

On my last day...actually and since the time I notified her I was leaving, I was ignored at work and on occassions when she did want to speak to me, it was only to pass rude and angry comments, or to make some other ridiculous claim that I owed her more money...originally she wanted $4000, and demanded that I must stay regardless of how long it would take to find a replacement teacher, even though this went completely against what was stated in my contract. She even told me about a week before I left that she never wanted to speak to me again.

I was the first english teacher at the school, which may have had something to do with her lack of ability at communicating and at accepting other cultures (I was told I should wear makeup like all the korean girls, get a new handbag and shoes! and told to get my hair cut short, wear different clothes...really I could go on!). Unfortunately I probably wont be the last one to get sucked into her evil web, but hopefully this will warn any of you out there considering going to this school...NOT TO!!!

oh, and one more thing...I have nothing against religions at all, or religious people, but I do have a problem when it is forced upon me, and this is what my director tried to do....which may have caused half the problem. When I kindly refused her attempts to get me to come to church with he. It seemed she had assumed that any person who did not believe in Jesus was a bad person, me being the ultimate bad person because I didnt join in her conversations about how great Jesus was, or go to church.
=======================================
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=10464

visviva

Joined: 03 Feb 2003
Posts: 23

Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2003 5:16 pm
Post subject:

Thanks, deatr, for posting here and letting other teachers know about the situation at your school.

There are a lot of Jung Chul hagwons in Korea. I happen to be teaching at one right now, and I must say my experience has been pretty good (so far). I'm not terribly fond of the Jung Chul program itself, but I don't have to teach it here, so that's fine.

Like other big franchises, each school is separately managed, and therefore a separate case.

[rbalsom]

I worked at that Jung Chul for one year. Beware!

When I first went there we were paying 7% taxes on everything, including overtime, without paying th National Pension Plan. The taxes were subsequently reduced to 3.5%, though I don't know what they are now. There was also a dispute about overtime, and again I don't know the rate now.

Further, we were offered health insurance in our contracts, and once the contracts were signed we were told that we couldn't get it. We were given some flimsy excuse. I know a person who recently left there and this situation hasn't changed.

Finally, if you decide to work there, get a certified copy of your degree. Do not give him the original as he will hold it hostage. Two friends from New Zealand gave copies and he wanted them to send to New Zealand for the originals. Again he gave a flimsy excuse. They refused.

I ended up going to the Korean Labout Board with him over taxes and the national pension plan. I can and did get the taxes refunded. Likewise, my friends went to the Korean Labour Board about taxes, and they also got refunds.

Good luck and beware.

[VanIslander]

witch with a b, witch with a b, witch with a b.

I'm sure all the complaints are valid.

But remember that some posts are about the great places too. It's unfortunate that those who had good experiences are less motivated to post.

For every ten complaints, there is one compliment: I think JungChul is great, at least at my academy, and that of a nearby academy. It's a franchise operation of independent businesspeople who are joined only by a common set of books and c.d.s that aren't great, but are structured and flexible enough to allow foreign teachers to introduce some outside material. MAYBE I'm in an exceptional situation, but what's the odds that the two JungChul schools I know of are the only good ones... bloody unlikely.

My advice, take each school and director on it's own terms, on a case-by-case basis. Find out THAT particular location's reputation. It's not a corporate chain with a common philosophy, no, they're franchises joined by common teaching materials - period.

I'm signing my second year contract this week and hope they have no trouble replacing me when I eventually leave this wonderful place someday, sentiments shared by teachers down the road at the next JungChul.

Talk to past teachers at the specific hogwan you apply to, if you want a true sense of how a director runs things at that place.

And it seems like the posts about the Changwon JungChul's director have not been positive.

[aveguard]

I am very upset that people say dont ever teach for this hakwon ....every school is so different depending on the director of the school. I teach for a Jung Chul and the directors are lovely people, I have a fairly big apartment and they genuinely care for their employees...If you have any questions about my job you may pm me .... right now they are also looking for another teacher ...

[ttompatz]

[frankhenry]

Pass it up! Keep looking!

[oneofthesarahs]

I also work at a great JungChul. There's something about the method that seems to work, but your experience is going to vary depending on the management, of course.

[chickyabroad]

I've never worked for Jung Chul, but if the one you're being offered a job at is the one near where I work in Changwon (and I'd assume there's only one Jung Chul in Changwon), you might also want to consider that it's not in the downtown area at all. The neighborhood is about a 5-6k won cab ride to downtown. There are plenty of buses, but if you're going out at night, the buses don't run very late.

The good part is the train station is walking distance away, and the Changwon and one of the Masan bus stations are pretty close as well, so getting to Busan or anywhere else is easy.

Just something to think about. I'm not even the type to go out every weekend, but if I had known that the neighborhood was so far out of the downtown area, I probably wouldn't have taken the job.

[VanIslander]

Since this thread has been rejuvenated I might as well update my situation:

[just because]