Korean Job Discussion Forums

[airbear]

Hi!

I spent a few years teaching in S. Korea a couple years back. Now I'm finishing up my master's degree in international journalism and I'd like to work as a reporter or editor in Seoul. I'm curious if anyone knows anything about this. What jobs are out there? Are they easy to come by? Where do I even begin looking?

Thanks!
Erin

[ttompatz]

[PRagic]

You'd be a shoe-in for a 100K+ a year editor job at a financial house. Also, some of the larger investment banks and think tanks hire foreign editors. There are also Korean editions of most internationally selling magaizes here, in addition to a handful of English language dailies.

Where to start? Put your resume in with a headhunter in Seoul. Send your resume around to the big finacial houses and banks.

Another possibly lucrative avenue would be to look into PR firms in Seoul. There are some large, international private firms (e.g Edelman), and most of the big chaebol companies maintain their own in-house PR departments.

Also you could probably get a job in a journalism program at a Korean university, and then work the other possibilities on 'the outside'.

Good luck. Let us know how things pan out.

[bassexpander]

100,000 a year? Maybe I should switch my MA from TESOL to Journalism. That's what my BA is in. Ha.

[PRagic]

A buddy of mine with similar qualifications makes well over 100K as an editor here. Also know a guy with a physics degree making about 100K; they hired him because he got into editing when they weren't too picky and got a fews years of experience under his belt, plus the house covers a lot of science/tech stuff.

You never know. I don't think the entry-level jobs pay what they used to any more, but it's still a viable field of employment.

[Smee]

Interesting thread, I was wondering the same thing.

[airbear]

Thanks for the suggestions! Anyone know of any good head hunters?

In response to the first question posted, I want to work for a Korean company. Does anyone know of any specific companies I might speak to?

Foreign correspondence would be awesome, but there are about three foreign correspondent positions left in the whole world, it seems...

[PRagic]

It seems that all the headhunters advertise in the English language dailies. Use them all...it's free!

If you are looking for PR jobs with Korean firms, go for the biggest ones out there: LG, SAMSUNG, HYUNDAI, SK...but read a few books on PR before you start if you already haven't; they need the help.

Another option that I didn't think of before is working for a big university here. As they are hiring more and more foreign profs and trying to make more international connections, the big schools are creating PR offices and Offices of International Relations. Might be interesting work.

[Hatcher]

I know lots of financial editors in Seoul and they make good moaney - about 5 mill a month, but not 100K a year, particularly after the FX rate dropped. just do a search for job ads for Hyundai and Samsung Fin editors, and you will see what they make.
As for the physics guy, he is lucky because, again, I know several and they dont make that kind of money. I know some who do but they work hard. Look at the ad on eslcafe for Lee Mock Law Firm....

[PRagic]

True. I know a bunch of the editors only making 5-6 million/month. The guys making over 100 a year are the ones who got in before the positions were more widespread. They have the magic 5+ years of experience. The financial houses don't want to mess about with inexperienced editors anymore. They still hire and train, but most of the bigger houses have experienced people in there making bigger coin.

[Oliver]

Interesting thread! Do you need to speak/write Korean before you can work as a foreign correspondent?

Cheers,

Ollie