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bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
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 Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 4:10 pm Post subject: Found this site after Chris Neil Pedophile story? Read this. |
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A lot of people may have read the story about Chris Neil in newspapers, the Canadian man sought as an international pedophile. You may be intrigued by what sounds like an easy job. If you are considering coming here to work, please read this, and other threads, about what life is often like for people who come to teach here. It can be better. It can be worse. I've experienced both ends of the spectrum:
Some of us come here searching for something new. Others come here just to travel and take a year off from life back home. Still others are career teachers who love teaching and living in another country.
This country is also flooded with economic refugees from Canada, America, Australia, New Zealand, and Britain. Many of these people graduated with Bachelor degrees, but can't find jobs which pay enough to cover their loan payments and high costs of living.
As Nick Garrison wrote,
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| "There are a lot of Canadians teaching English in Seoul. No one seems to know how many. The Canadian embassy admits that it has no idea. The Korean government does not know, since many teachers are in the country on tourist visas, as I was." |
Source: http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/19/29/News/feature.html
We're not all perverts and crazy people, and life here is not as easy as it might sound. It's difficult to work here, as Koreans can tend to be very dishonest in business dealings. That's why the average stay (sorry I can't quote where I read this) for an expat is something like 9 months before they say, "screw this" and take off. If you can learn to deal with it, you can do OK. Many of the people on this board have managed to get along quite well. Many more are just enduring life here, and using this board to vent steam built-up at work or from life here in general.
Teaching in Korea is a study in contrasts. Evening academies are willing -- without meeting you -- to offer a plane ticket from Toronto, and $2,200 US a month (or more) plus paid housing to come here and teach. From day one, you're treated like a celebrity. No sooner than you arrive, people are smiling, bowing, trying to talk to you, telling you how beautiful or handsome you are -- kids are dying just to say, "hello" to you because you are a foreigner. Attractive people seem interested in you. It's a really great feeling, although somewhat awkward.
Suddenly, reality kicks in. That apartment you were offered may (not in every case, but in many) turn out to be smaller than advertised, or a roach-infested hole. A month or two later, you may discover that your boss isn't paying you, or that he considers your contract to be fluid and not something he needs to follow. He has decided to make you teach an extra hour each day. You also become upset because he tells you you only teach 50 minutes out of every hour, so he will only pay you for 50 minutes of the hour -- that's why your first check is a few hundred dollars less than was advertised. Stress and anger sets in. You become sick, want to go to the hospital, and learn your boss is also dragging his feet getting you health care. You look at your pay, and realize he's deducting the health care charge, but still hasn't gotten you the required documents. Your tax is also high. You research it and learn that it's supposed to be 3.3 percent. Your boss is pocketing the rest.
You go to your embassy and find they are unwilling to help you because you were already warned about teaching here:
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| "Unfortunately some American citizens come to Korea under contract, with promises of generous salaries, bonuses and other amenities, only to find themselves in tenuous situations, often lacking funds to return to the U.S. The Embassy, by regulation, cannot enter into any case, conduct an investigation, nor act as a lawyer in legal or contractual mishaps experienced by U.S. citizens. We can neither investigate nor certify employers. It is up to each individual to evaluate potential employers before signing a contract." |
Source: http://travel.state.gov/travel/living/teaching/teaching_1240.html
And for Canadians:
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| "Canadian government offices are not permitted to become involved in any case, conduct an investigation, or act as lawyers or mediators in any personal, legal or contractual conflicts experienced by Canadian citizens. They cannot investigate, certify or vouch for prospective employers. It is up to each individual to evaluate any employment offer before signing a contract." |
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/main/pubs/korea-en.asp
They do offer you a list of Korean lawyers, but you learn it will cost you something like $500 US to get them to take on your case, and several thousand more to actually do anything. Please pay in advance.
About this time, your boss starts to complain that your teaching isn't up to his expectations because little Won Bin, the kid who is constantly laughing and trying to poke you and everyone else in the butt during class, complained to his mother that you "aren't a good teacher."
You begin to get stress from teaching at that entry-level academy job, working on your feet from 5 to 7 hours per day with little or no break, and start to feel like Korea isn't so grand. You may begin to miss your family, and even Tinbits from Tim Hortons. You're also beginning to grow disgusted with your dating prospects in a country full of beautiful people who seem to want to meet you just to get a chance to practice English.
You want to go home, but you might not have enough money to do it, and those loans are still waiting for you. You go to the bank to deposit your first check, and learn that Koreans don't trust foreigners, so they won't allow you an account until you've worked here for three months (you later learn, after you've been screwed-over, there goes any chance of proving to the Korean Labor Board that your boss paid you less than the amount stated in your contract, because he paid you in cash and there is no trail -- your word against his).
I wouldn't be doing this post justice without also mentioning that, in a land where anti-discrimination laws have been passed, foreigners are no longer allowed international bank cards because the country's government officials don't like us sending our money back home. Government banking regulations are also confusing, and banks like mine (Woori Bank) limit me to sending home a maximum of 10 million won (about $11,000 US) home every year.
Let's say you're one of the unlucky ones -- fed-up and ready to go home. You'd like to give two weeks notice, but Korean law states you must give one month notice. Perhaps you haven't been paid for a month or two, and you don't trust your employer to pay you anything else if you do stay. What do you do?
So you decide to stay and fight, in hopes of getting your due wages. You finally meet with the Korean Labor Board in an attempt to reclaim the last two months of back pay your boss owes you after he illegally fired you yesterday. You are in a hurry, because you have to exit the country or be fined for overstay. Then they lay it on you that it will take a month for them to process your claim and get him to pay, and that you need to be here to argue your side next month. Good luck staying in country, because immigration won't allow you another job because your visa is tied to the first. They won't let you work elsewhere legally, unless you get a "Letter of Release" from the same boss you're trying to get back-pay from.
Of course, you can leave Korea, pay $500 for a flight to Japan and return on a tourist visa. Then you can live in a hotel for a month, and hope you'll get something after scrounging jobless and trying to teach illegally to recoup the cost. Nevermind that you'll be fined up to $5,000 if you are caught teaching illegally, or jailed until you or someone in your family pays.
Now you know why most Canadians would rather teach illegally here than deal with all of the crap. If they work here on a tourist visa, then they can get paid hourly (usually in advance) for teaching children at $40 to $50 per hour in their homes. They can find their own apartment, and make a lot more money. Americans would do it, too, but the visa agreement with the USA only allows for something like a 1 month stay. That can be extended for up to three months before they have to leave, but they need to appear at immigration and cite a reason. It's not feasible.
If you aren't afraid of all challenges, we invite you to consider coming here to teach.
_________________
Last edited by bassexpander on Wed Oct 17, 2007 5:13 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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The_Conservative
Joined: 15 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 4:40 pm Post subject: |
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A number of people are probably going to say something along these lines. "Well...HE'S still there, and so are a lot of other people...how bad can it be? Methinks there's another side to the story...maybe he's trying to keep others away from his slice of the pie." 
Thing is, if you are trying to advise people against a course of action...it helps if you aren't up to your neck engaging in said course of action. |
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Bibbitybop
Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 4:50 pm Post subject: |
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Bassexpander, great, great post. This should be a FAQ in itself.
I'm on my second contract, but I'm also working for a public school that respects me and the contract, so I don't have to deal with a lot of the BS that comes with working for a hogwan.
I'm enjoying my life in Korea. I retain my western ideals and western friends while learning to be a bit Korean in my day-to-day life. The Koreans I know personally are some of the most genuine, helpful people in the world. Will I stay for a 3rd year? I don't know yet, but I'm open to the opportunity. I still have a lot to see in Korea and having 2 months of paid vacation a year allows me to see parts of Asia and the world I wouldn't have the time or money to see working a regular teaching job in my home country.
I still get frustrated with the backwardness, xenophobia and illogical reasoning of some Koreans and the most of the Korean media, but when I go out on the street, it doesn't cause me any direct personal problems. I've learned to laugh at Korean hypocrisy and when that fails, a simple "f off" works fine, whether it's said in my head about the society in general or whether it's said aloud to the rude person on the street. I can leave Korea anytime, but most Koreans can't. Simply having that option lets me know I have a better situation and I shouldn't get too upset with them. |
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bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
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| Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 4:58 pm Post subject: |
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| The_Conservative wrote: |
A number of people are probably going to say something along these lines. "Well...HE'S still there, and so are a lot of other people...how bad can it be? Methinks there's another side to the story...maybe he's trying to keep others away from his slice of the pie."
Thing is, if you are trying to advise people against a course of action...it helps if you aren't up to your neck engaging in said course of action. |
Point noted. I didn't want this to scare people away -- only make them think. I love working here. Being away from family isn't great, but I've started a new family on my own, as well.
I wanted to add more along those lines, but I'm in the middle of giving tests, and will have to add more later today during a break.
In my own defense:
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| If you are considering coming here to work, please read this, and other threads, about what life is often like for people who come to teach here. It can be better. It can be worse. |
| Quote: |
| Many of the people on this board have managed to get along quite well. |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 5:28 pm Post subject: |
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| Great thread idea. No doubt some Canadians (with no ill intentions) will read about his employment here and think, hey - I could do that job. Well, it can be a great job if you get established at a good school and go about it the right way. However, it's an employment land-mine over here, and even if you do end up at a good school you might have a *lot* of trouble if you've never taught before and know no Korean. It's not as easy as some might make it sound. |
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bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
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| Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 8:31 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the comments.
I am writing a book about my experiences here, along with advice of how to get a good job.
Nobody is going to buy it |
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PGF
Joined: 27 Nov 2006
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| Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 9:07 am Post subject: |
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| bassexpander wrote: |
Thanks for the comments.
I am writing a book about my experiences here, along with advice of how to get a good job.
Nobody is going to buy it |
i'll be the first not to buy it |
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bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
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| Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 2:53 pm Post subject: |
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| PGF wrote: |
| bassexpander wrote: |
Thanks for the comments.
I am writing a book about my experiences here, along with advice of how to get a good job.
Nobody is going to buy it |
i'll be the first not to buy it |
That's OK. Your money is no good here. |
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ED209
Joined: 17 Oct 2006
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| Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 4:07 pm Post subject: |
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Isn't it the case you can open a bank account when you arrive but you have no ATM card and have to go to the counter to withdraw money?
Also, you can quit whenever you want, the law isn't going to force you to work in a job you hate. The problem arises from signing contracts which require 30 to 60 days notice, so breaking the contract and the general money pinching nature of employers in this country would mean financial consequences for the employee. I would add that even given 2 months notice doesn't help and often creates a 2 month period of resentment from the employer. In other words you can quit but don't expect to get your last pay check. |
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bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
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| Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 4:13 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="ED209"]Isn't it the case you can open a bank account when you arrive but you have no ATM card and have to go to the counter to withdraw money?
[quote]
Is that what they're allowing people to do now?
I heard that they won't allow new accounts for three months. |
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Young FRANKenstein
Joined: 02 Oct 2006
Location: Castle Frankenstein (that's FRONKensteen)
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| Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 4:42 pm Post subject: |
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| ED209 wrote: |
| Also, you can quit whenever you want, the law isn't going to force you to work in a job you hate. The problem arises from signing contracts which require 30 to 60 days notice, so breaking the contract and the general money pinching nature of employers in this country would mean financial consequences for the employee. I would add that even given 2 months notice doesn't help and often creates a 2 month period of resentment from the employer. In other words you can quit but don't expect to get your last pay check. |
The other problem is that even after you have been screwed out of your last paycheque, the boss will refuse to give you a LOR and you can't get another job for several months. |
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ddeubel
Joined: 20 Jul 2005
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| Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 4:46 pm Post subject: |
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All I can say is that you and the good ol' boy Georgie Porgie have more in common than just puddin' and pie in the sky.
Fearmongering. Oh yeah and something else which I'll refrain from adding for fear of....... Reminds me of this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFZz6ICzpjI
Have you ever taught anywhere else in the world? Do you have any idea how restrictive the job markets are and how difficult it is in many places in this world, to teach EFL?
DD |
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bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
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| Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 4:48 pm Post subject: |
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| A recruiter speaks? |
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wylies99
Joined: 13 May 2006
Location: I'm one cool cat!
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| Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 12:47 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
This country is also flooded with economic refugees from Canada, America, Australia, New Zealand, and Britain. Many of these people graduated with Bachelor degrees, but can't find jobs which pay enough to cover their loan payments and high costs of living.
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Also, MANY come from Canada WITH fake diplomas and teach illegally.  That's a big part of the problem in the ESL field. |
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Pak Yu Man
Joined: 02 Jun 2005
Location: The Ida galaxy
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| Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 3:09 am Post subject: |
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| So only the Canadians do this? Nobody else has fake degrees. No other nationalities? |
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