Korean Job Discussion Forums

[KYC]

HO-LY. that's some cahoots they planned there! I know you just here, but that's a serious issue and in no way should you back down. If you let this slide, who knows what else they'll try down the road. Get the housing allowance...period!

My contract says 500,000 for housing allowance but actually my rent is 700,000 a month but my school doesn't make me shell out an extra 200,000 or anything. They were the one that found this place anyway. Man, the things some public schools try...never ceases to amaze me.

[marlow]

[Korussian]

Thanks for your comments folks. I've got a short summary & confusing update:

1. Girlfriend tells me her school wants to split cost of our apartment or offer her a new one.
2. I ask my wrangler about it and he magically has "heard" this, but repeats over and over that this is her problem to take up with her school.
3. I tell wrangler anyway that I do not accept for my school to split the cost of my apartment with another school. My contract says my school will provide an apartment, not get me embroiled with some other school and their admin.
4. Wrangler tells me the principal agrees with me and the cost splitting is off. My school calls her school and says "the deal is off"
4. Girlfriend has another meeting with her principal, who tells her all they ever wanted to do was give her the 400,000 won and not worry about apartmenty things. It was my school that's getting them to split the cost and by extension give my girlfriend less housing allowance.
5. My school calls her school again just as my girlfriend is leaving.

It is her principal who seemed to be concerned about our unmarriedness, but her school says they don't care about ponying up the money. That makes sense, since hers is a public school (money from GEPIK) and mine is a private school (?partial? money from GEPIK?). At the same time, I'll bet my school wouldn't mind paying only half the monthly rent all year.

Let's see what comes up tomorrow...

[spliff]

Frankly, i don't understand the problem. Ur GF just started at GEPIKer's Did she not tell them she wanted the housing allowance instead of the apt? WTF r they trying to pull. Just tell ur GF to tell her school that she wants the HA deal. Where she chooses to live and w/ who is NONE OF THEIR BIZZ. PERIOD!!

The only problem I see is if she said she wanted an apt and got one and then changed her mind and said she wanted the HA, now that dog don't hunt as well as it shouldn't. Just my 2 cents!

[Korussian]

You're right Spliff, I don't see the problem either. She told them from the beginning that she didn't need an apartment and that she expects the housing allowance. She never changed her mind.

[spliff]

No worries, just tell her to get on the horn to Winese the GEPIK liaison and she'll sort the school out on the matter. But, it seems the problem may have already been sorted if they're gonna cough up the dosh. Probably just testing her out on if they could get away w/ paying her less money. Anyhow, the only problem I can see now is if ur school says they don't want her living in ur apt which is actually the schools. If anyone asks you just tell them ur living alone and change the lock on the door so no one can enter ur apt and scope things out. And, I guess if they ask here where she's living she could just say she prefers it not to be known for personal/safety reasons.

[rayjoy]

Well it seems like this is mostly getting figured out on your end but here's what happened to me:

I repeatedly insisted I wanted couples housing, which wasn't in my CONTRACT, but every single EPIK ad out there said couples get 2 bedroom apartments.

We get to EPIK orientation, they say they can't find us anything, there's only single room apartments in our area. We're like, why would you put us in an area with only single room apartments?

We do what everyone tells us to do: hold strong. We send emails at orientation to Busan several times a day throughout orientation saying NO we don't want to live 40 minutes away NO we don't want a one-room apartment, we want to live within walking distance and in at least a one bedroom apartment.

They say, oh we found you an apartment for 500K, but you have to pay 100K for it. We're like, uh, no, the apartment budget is 400K EACH, you should be getting us an apartment that's about 800K! They said, no, you either get:
Two 400K apartments
One 400K apartment plus 300K living allowance
One 400K apartment that's "couples style" and no living allowance

That makes no ----ing sense!! There are no 400K "couples style apartments"!!!!

We get to Busan and they actually got my boyfriend a one-room studio within walking distance of his schools. It's a 20-minute bus ride from mine. We tried to insist on something bigger and they were like, it's too late, the deposit is already paid. So now we share and get the 300K.

Honestly, I don't know how this could have turned out differently. We put our feet down. We INSISTED on a place big enough for two. They wouldn't pony it up.

That said, the Busan coordinator at the EPIK orientation probably asked us twice if we were married, didn't even seem aware that we were a couple. In hindsight, I would've told them we were engaged, or even married, how could they find out? I HIGHLY doubt they would pull this sh-- if we were married.

Though I am kind of wanting to utilize the extra seven days off "to get married." That way I get 7 extra vacation days and probably a bigger apartment if I stay next year because I will be "married."

[cdninkorea]

[jellobean]

[Monkey82]

Sorry to jump in, but I have a quick question. I'm currently trying to get a job at a public school. I'm married, but my spouse won't be teaching. Will I still be eligible for couple's housing? I'd just like to figure it out now as opposed to later. Thanks!

[prideofidaho]

^
you should be. I know of people who've been married with kids, thus being the breadwinner. School set up couple's housing.

[Tjames426]

Contracts in Korea are fluid things governed by circumstance, emergencies, and situations.

Sounds like either you or your girlfriends contractual living arrangements have been changed by your own decision and choice. Thus, the school recognizes your change in living arrangements and is adjusting to them.

Why would the school pay for something you do not need? Sounds like you are trying to rip off the School by getting something free.

I'm still wondering why the School should pay a second housing allowance when another apartment is not needed.

[Draz]

[Korussian]

It turns out things are much more complicated than the "living in sin" part that I first attributed this to. So complicated, in fact, that I don't actually know anything about anything.

After over an hour discussing it with my administration, and an additional half-hour with my co-teacher, the result is:

We may or may not have to move
It may or may not be soon
Our rent may or may not go up
This may or may not have something to do with my girlfriend
Our water tank replacement fee may or may not have something to do with it
The key money may or may not be kept by the landlord
The province may or may not want the school to keep the key money instead of giving it to the landlord
My contract may or may not be honored in full

I'm just going to wait and see.

[prideofidaho]

woah...man that blows.
It's too bad there isn't a housing fairy to sort it out ahead of time prior to your arrival....the woo of provided housing is more of a fling.

From one sinner to another, I hope things are sorted out.