Korean Job Discussion Forums

jangsalgida · Joined: 11 Jan 2006

Do you have to work on Election Day(December 19th)? I believe my contract states that I don't work on National Holidays, so why does my adult Hagwon say we must work?

sojourner1 · Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 7:53 pm Post subject:

No, our children's hagwon is closed next Wednesday, but a Korean friend is going to adult hagwon at 6:30AM as he always does on weekdays. He will go to adult English hagwon on Christmas week days too. I told him he should take a break.

marlow · Joined: 06 Feb 2005

Bibbitybop · Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Location: Seoul

It's not a national holiday, even though banks and gov't offices are closed.

spliff · Joined: 19 Jan 2004 Location: Khon Kaen, Thailand

nomad-ish

thegadfly · Joined: 01 Feb 2003

I was told (not claiming this is the definitive word or anything) that many public schools are closed because they are polling locations, that Korean employers must give all employees that can vote (Koreans only, I would imagine) enough time off to go and vote, so morning and early afternoon businesses are closed...evening jobs (like my hakwon) can legally continue as usual, but of course, may choose to close.

...just the way I heard it Razz

JoelCosmeJr · Joined: 01 Mar 2006

normaly, hagwons do not close on this day, it is up to the director. some hagwons are even open on dec 25.

PGF · Joined: 27 Nov 2006

aaabank · Joined: 27 Feb 2007

If a hagwon closes, it is a loss of the potential for money. Hagwons are in business for money. This doesn't surprise me one iota that hagwons are open on the 19th or even the 25th for that matter. Some of these bast@rds don't give one d@mn about their students. They are in it for the money. I'm very happy that I am at a public school and not in hagwon h$ll.

nomad-ish · Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2007 12:02 am Post subject:

ernie · Joined: 05 Aug 2006 Location: asdfghjk

how long does it take to vote? 15 minutes?

i understand that they take a day off because big companies won't let employees take 15 minutes off to vote, but wouldn't it be more democratic to reform the ridiculous corporate attitude in this country?

dutchschultz · Joined: 01 Feb 2004

Some Koreans need the day off in order to vote because of where they are registered. For example, students living in Seoul must travel back to their parents' house in order to vote.

While it's not red on the calendar, it is a national holiday. Most everybody I know from hakwon to private and public university teachers has the day off. I also heard that there will be a Parliamentary election in April, so for some of us we'll get that day off also.

ardis · Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Location: Seoul