Korean Job Discussion Forums

[rayjoy]

I'm here with EPIK in orientation and there have been rumblings of schools telling new teachers: "Sorry, can't find you a house!" Yesterday, my boyfriend and I got our own similar e-mail. They basically said this:

We are having problems finding you an apartment because everyone does not move until the spring. Everything we have found for you near your schools is too small. The larger apartments are too expensive. We found you a larger apartment but it's more than 30 mins away. What do you think?

What are we supposed to think? I asked another couple and they said they did get a two bedroom but I guess it has high utilities. We don't mind paying an extra 200-300k a month for a nice place but seriously, what is the deal?

So we asked what neighborhood the further apartment is in, and what exactly "larger" means. We're tempted to just take the money and get our own place but HOW? I haven't the first clue how to do that, especially since we have all our hours planned for us in orientation.

Is it too much to insist we get the apartment we were originally promised? Are we just being inflexible complainers? I just don't see how a one or two bedroom apartment would be more expensive than two studio apartments. Maybe someone can shed light on this situation.

[Draz]

"More than" 30 minutes means at least 40 minutes. Possibly even an hour. Or even more, since they probably mean a 30 min DRIVE and are you really going to be driving yourself around Busan? I'd say no, it's too far, and see where that gets you.

[rayjoy]

[Draz]

[oskinny1]

[The DON]

That is so wrong! That is just too far to be from your apartment!

There are so many apartments available in Busan. Just go to any apartment rental office and they will have 20-30 apartments each. There are probably 1000+ of these palces in Busan. I just went and visited about 30 apartments this weekend as my buddy is coming in town next week and getting his own apartment.

I think the real reason is that the public schools offer a fixed (lower)budget for their apartments. With inflation going up, the apartment prices have gone up a bit but the housing budget has not. Even before inflation, most public school teacher were given pretty small and older apartments. And if you have any issues like your refrigerator breaks down or you have plumbing problems, be prepared to fix this with your own money.

[TDR]

[rayjoy]

TDR, thank you so much for this very useful information!

An update on our situation: We've been emailing back and forth all day with my boyfriend's school contact (maybe co-teacher). They've told us all they have left are a 40 sq meter studio apartment 20 minutes away. They said anything larger than a studio is too expensive in that area and there are a lot of studios (it's near Pusan National University). Since it seems we have NO CHOICE, we've requested TWO studio apartments in the same building. That way we can use one for sleeping and the other for being awake. Our sleep schedules are too different for it to be a comfortable year in one single room.

Though TDR, I didn't realize there were studios with lofts. I've seen YouTube videos of Busan lofts and they all seem to be two bedrooms. We sent another email to our contact saying we'd be happy with a studio loft, because at least then our sleeping area can be somewhat separate from the rest of the room.

I have to say this situation is so frustrating. I've heard story after story of people being told by schools that their requests are impossible and then magically everything works out. We had a Q & A today with a guy and he said many couples have housing problems at first but they all get sorted out. Well, this one seems perpetually unsolvable. I just can't help but think why would they place us in schools in an area where two-bedroom apartments are so unattainable? Why not just place singles there and then couples can go to a more affordable area (there are couples going to Busan who have gotten 2 bedroom apartments--so it is possible!). I spoke with one of the Busan coordinators and she said "I'll look into it." I'm not holding my breath but gosh--I'll be there in 4 days. I'm ----ed aren't I?

[TDR]

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/151/420515310_8293787802.jpg?v=0

If you go to this link, you will see a picture of what I mean in terms of a loft-style apartment. Three of my friends live in apartments like these and they are all pretty happy with their situation. One friend is single and the other two are each in a relationship and live with their boyfriend/girlfriend.

Unfortunately, in Korea, there is no "why?". It's just the way it is. If that sounds rather bleak, it can be, but you've just gotta roll with the punches. Other couples may have gotten a two bedroom place but it's also possible that their school was just in the right place at the right time.

It's not that any one area of the city has a ton of two bedroom places and other areas exclusively have studios (although I'd bet that there are more studios in the PNU/Kyungsung Uni/Pukyoung Uni areas). It's more mixed up than that and it just depends on which place you go to. I see what you mean in regards to sleeping schedules and I think that it's a decent compromise to have two single room apartments in one building if that's the best they can do. Do not, I repeat, do NOT let them put the two of you in a single studio apartment that is only 40 square meters unless you want to kill each other by the end of the year.

By the way, if it's only 20 minutes from PNU, have they told you where you will be working? Things have a way of working themselves out if you keep your cool and don't blow a gasket at someone. Be firm, keep your cool and doors will open.

-TDR-

[bassexpander]

I highly doubt they'll go for 2 apartments.

Personally, I'd be telling them I'm going elsewhere unless they figure out the housing situation. I've been here a while, though, and have a lot of balls. Sounds to me like they're not looking very hard and want to be cheap.

[rayjoy]

[John Henry]

EPIK has a 400,000 budget for rent. You aren't going to find a lot of decent places for that.

In addition to the things mentioned above, there are some older aparteus being torn down right now, so a lot of people are trying to find new places to live.

[TDR]

[rayjoy]

[Scarlet13]