Korean Job Discussion Forums

[CP]

1. It's not that hard to get a criminal check done. Quite easy really, even for us Canadians - I know, I just got mine done with ease and had the embassy in Vancouver notorize it. Just in case I need it.
2. The medical check - how hard is it to give some blood and get an x-ray done? Come on now. It's a doctor's visit - think of it as a physical. Those of you doing drugs here are the ones upset by it.

Those who say they will go to other countries will find it's not much different apart from the criminal check and if that's the only thing you are upset about just suck it up and deal with it. Here's the low down.

TAIWAN - salaries are comparable, they don't give any airfare money, no bonus, no housing at all or allowances. The KICKER - the medical is much more thorough. A blood test, urine test, stool test, xray, measurements, eye test and a doctor interview - it takes a full hour to do. They test for drugs, parasites, disease, pregnancy for women, the whole 9 yards.

JAPAN - their is not a huge market for English teachers in Japan any longer - it's been on the decline for years. Just not as much demand and the market was saturated with English teachers. If you do find a job salaries ar comparable, however cost of living will leave you with nothing.

China - salaries are still low, you also do a full medical for China as well and jobs are just as easy to find as in Korea.

Russia - salaries are low and they require an HIV test done as well.

So, do you think Korea is really out of line with the world? I can't write for every country just the ones I know about.

[South Jeolla Blues]

For those who care to see it, you can see the health checks that are required in the Republic of China (Taiwan):

http://www.teco.org/health.pdf

This comes from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Altanta. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Offices function as Taiwan's unofficial embassies and consulates to the United States. The United States and most countries do not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

Apparently, they also seem to be pretty serious on the issues of drugs. The visa form states: "Drug trafficking is punishable by death according to the criminal laws of the Republic of China".

依據中華民國刑法，販賣、運送毒品者可判處死刑。

[Areut]

[just another day]

great post cp. thats good research.

a lot of these whiners here seriously ruin the image of daves esl

its time for mods to start banning some of these egregious whiners.

[yingwenlaoshi]

The OP is right in a way, I guess. The way the regs were introduced leaves a lot to be desired, but I hardly think they're going to have much effect on the number of teachers coming or going. People are acting like the sky is falling or jumping up and down in joy because they predict that all the hagwons will close and they'll make more money. I just don't see it.

Of course it has some negative consequences for some people right now. Like people that are worried about medicals and/or who have criminal records. How many people is that? Hardly enough to bring down all the hagwons.

I'll admit that it bugged me at first. Bugged me less when they said that people already here can renew without the docs before March 15th. I don't have my CRC and it will take like 6 months to get it. If I were to need it to extend my sojourn, I'd be out of luck and p1ssed off. And I'd be cursing the Korean government for throwing this at me last minute. Then I'd be right to complain, but I'm sure there'd be ways around it. Even if not, I don't see how little old me, and quite of few of us that are here not being able to teach here waiting for docs for a few months if we were wanting to stay have any effects on the industry for the long term. Maybe short term, but the sky is not falling on the private ESL industry. Not by a long shot.

I think the OP may have made a small mistake though. I believe they aren't requiring stool stamples in Taiwan anymore. And the whole procedure may be a little more relaxed than what he's saying. I think.

I, on the other hand, am not going to do a medical just to teach ESL in Korea or any other country. I find it to be a silly thing to do just to teach conversational English. I guess I'd do a drug test, but I don't want anyone poking around anywhere else. That's just me.

[Bryan]

I thought there was a part of the new rules that said you have to go back to your home country to get your visa renewed. Was this scrapped/bad information that I got?

Because that is an unreasonable rule. It costs your employer about $1500, which is a cost of employing you that you will never see now. It takes about a week of your time as well. It also provides no additional safety/employment information that a CRC sent to Korea wouldn't provide.

That would be worth whining about.

[yingwenlaoshi]

[Darkness]

The blood test is for HIV? Don't they give a piss test for drugs?

I'm trying to figure out what I need to get a visa again, and I need a CRC, I havent applied for one yet, and they want me to start March 1st....

Where do you get the medical? IN your home country?

[kimchi_pizza]

Having lived and received medical checks in Japan, Taiwan and Korea and done a CHC in Taiwan and in the process of getting another, I have to say the OP is spot on.

This,...

[yingwenlaoshi]

[Darkness]

The blood test is for HIV? Don't they give a piss test for drugs?

I'm trying to figure out what I need to get a visa again, and I need a CRC, I havent applied for one yet, and they want me to start March 1st....

Where do you get the medical? IN your home country?

[polonius]

[yingwenlaoshi]

[polonius]

[yingwenlaoshi]