Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Real Reality]

Starting Salary for College Graduates to Top W26 Mil.
The starting annual salary for college graduates for big companies will rise by 5.3 percent to 26.12 million next year. A survey by online recruiter Jobkorea showed new university graduates can expect to receive on average 26 million won in annual starting salary next year. The starting salaries for companies in retail business, food and beverage, construction, steel and machinery industry were relatively low with 23.20 million, 23.43 million, 25.25 million, and 24.83 million won respectively. Electronics companies also were below the average, with 23 million won for new college graduates.
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/biz/200312/kt2003123017152911910.htm

And, just think most of them graduated from high quality, internationally recognized universities in Korea. How many universities in Korea are noted in international rankings? How many Korean universities are ranked in the top 100 of any international ranking?

Asiaweek Ranking (somewhat old and limited to Asia, Austalia, and New Zealand)
http://www.asiaweek.com/asiaweek/features/universities2000/schools/multi.overall.html
Ranking of MBA-Programs (from Pforzheim University)
http://intl.fh-pforzheim.de/mba/ranking.html
International Ranking (Business Schools)
http://www.bschool.com/intlsbys.html

Does your experience and education really count for much in Korea?

In a country where education is priority number one, the biggest reason for leaving for university is the growing perception that even the very best schools in Korea are just not making the grade. "Education in the States is just plain better," said Hwang. "Seoul National University is number one here, but it isn't even top 50 in the world." Hwang, like most other Korean students studying abroad, is pursuing a career in the sciences and seeks better funded research facilities and more globally prominent professors in their respective fields. An American education is seen as the best way to get a leg up on the competition for high paying jobs in banking and corporate management.
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2003/12/27/200312270041.asp

Uneducated collegians
One out of four applicants accepted to Seoul National University based only on College Scholastic Ability Test grades this year failed either the English-language ability test or the mathematic skills test that the university requires.
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200312/28/200312282250457939900090109011.html

Yun Jong-yong, chief executive of Samsung Electronics, the quality of the country's workforce: We need workers who are creative, flexible and proficient in English. The language of the information era is English. I think top universities in Korea, such as Seoul National University, must introduce lectures in English. As futurist John Naisbitt puts it, education is to teach how to learn. But education in Korea fails to perform that function. We have to have the sense of crisis that without changes in education, Korea may fail.
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200312/17/200312170153286679900090509051.html

[Deconstructor]

I spent more than a year in Korea a few years back. My high school and middle school students worked their a**** off to make the grade. Some of them attended my hugwon class at nine in the evening and at times broke into tears about the fact that they had no lives outside the classroom.
I also had university students who told me that they essentially did nothing at the university and for many women it was an opportunity to find a mate. (I don't know how true this is.) In any case, I think Koreans spend too much time preparing for what amounts to almost nothing. I think this is where education fails in Korea.

[TheUrbanMyth]