Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Goku]

In western countries, status is usually associated and ascribed to several circles of relevance depending on what you pertain too. Example the elite affluent rich stick like glue, the political players form their own clubs, and the religious/good do-ers serve and are appreciated by the general community.

Of course, I think Korea to a large degree mimics this in many ways.

But what other ways is social status affected here?

The obvious I've seen the emphasis on being the eldest male and all that jazz. And of course the ever so important age factor.

I've never really conciously thought about social status being important. But it's started to enter my mind a lot lately... maybe I'm getting old or some shit and thinking of establishing myself here.

Anyways, thoughts, experiences, or insightful anthropology studies??

[sojourner1]

Wealth and a shiny suit says, "I'm a high social status man." I doubt if everyone dressing like this are rich, but it's just a fashion statement for what they're aspiring for in life. A very western concept. It's easy to assume one in a suit is rich with a job in the money and people will judge you as rich if you look good, but it's truly a fashion statement saying, "I aspire to be a successful professional."

As a teacher, you're lower middle class, but more respected than a skilled tradesman making the same as you so it's not all about money. Assuming you're earning about 28 million won a year in your teaching job.

Of course, it's not all about money like it is in America, there's also a pecking order based on other attributes like you mentioned such as age, gender, level of education, marital status, and job position. We used to be more like that in more traditional times, but now we only focus solely on gaining money to be rich, being popular in social circles, and losing weight to look sexy.

There's one way for an ESL teacher to rise to the top and that's by learning the language, getting into a marriage that involves some money in the family, and then operating a successful hagwon together. And staying together since you'll probably lose everything, but the shirt on your back should something go badly wrong.

Another way to rise up would be to be really good at Korean language and get a translator position. Dunno how much it pays nor how respected, but that's a very powerful soft skill to possess. There are no advertisements to my knowledge, but there must be a lucrative niche out there you'd only find by speaking Korean almost fluently.

While you're employable in the scope of English teaching and are eligible to head a company on a business visa requiring a 50,000,000 won deposit, you may find yourself just not developing or progressing in your career as you do the same job with little or no pay raises each year. There are raises in your 2nd and 3rd year, but it tends to stop there, in my understanding of it. Of course, you need to be quite wealthy to start with to hoist yourself up to the higher status business career.

I too want a real international business career, but that's unattainable as the market is quite over saturated with highly experienced bilingual professionals who graduated college years before me when companies were hiring to develop these professionals who have long specialized in the subject of doing business in Asia. Now the global economy is downturning so no companies are hiring to develop new professionals with upward mobility capabilities. Those good jobs are long gone so you just take and do what you can get.

[bobbyhanlon]

in korea (in my humble opinion) it is:
- your university. seoul-dae, ko-dae, yeon-dae (or an elite foreign university)= great to meet you. seongyunkwan, sogang, and a few others= hi. anything else= get out of my face.
- your high school. some are very powerful in fact.
- 'what does your father do?'. in other words, are you a rich kid?
- wild cards: church (like myung-bak), which army unit you served in, your hometown. if someone powerful has one of these in common with you, you're in luck.
- noteable professions: university professors, lawyers, prosecutors, civil servants all get big respect.
this is for men. for women, i think it's 90% about appearance.

as foreigners, we're just not part of the system. that doesn't mean you can't make great friends and business partners though, but just that society in general doesn't know what to make of you, and would probably rather you just went on your way.

[PRagic]

I have always considered the religious/good do-ers to be a royal pain in the arse.

OP, do some searches for Collectivist -vs- Individualist cultures, and Achieved -vs- Ascribed Status. These will help, along with anything you can find on homogeneous cultures.

The long and short of it is that your status is not necessarily dictated by your individual achievements here. This is a tough cookie to swallow for westerners. It's important to know one's place, and that has value in and of itself.

You can try and level the playing field, but at the end of the day you are not Korean and therefore don't figure in to the status system. Power, on the other hand, is different. You can have percieved power based on your position in a large company, with the government, or with a university.

There isn't much reason for concern, though, aside from touching up the occasionally bruised ego. Most people are here to work and bank, and the trappings of status afforded some are not necessary for success.