Korean Job Discussion Forums

Public Radio · Joined: 16 Oct 2008 Location: daegu, south korea

i'm working in daegu making 2.1 a month. my hagwon pays my bills for me. each month, after they take out money for bills, i actually receive 1.65 million won. is this normal? it does include my cell phone bill, but it seems a little extreme to me. Any ideas? Please help. thanks

ontheway · Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 10:39 pm Post subject:

Do the bills come to you or directly to the school?

Do you receive an itemized statement of your pay, taxes and other withholding?

If the bills don't come to you, you should just ask to see them. If they're doing everything correctly and honestly, that should be no problem, if you ask politely. You have to be careful. Just by asking you are indicating that you think something is wrong.

Your total withholding of 450,000 could be correct including winter heat and a large phone bill. There's no way for us to know without more info.

Public Radio · Joined: 16 Oct 2008 Location: daegu, south korea

some of the bills come to me, and some come to my school.
i do get an itemized list, but it's handwritten by my director.

130- apartment maintenance fee
45-pension
105-taxes
65-cell
10-apt phone
25-insurance
10-electric
85-gas
10-cable

does this sound normal? it's kinda scary, you know, when the person i'm supposed to go to with problems, my director, is the person i don't trust

kprrok · Joined: 06 Apr 2004 Location: KC

Otherside · Joined: 06 Sep 2007

Public Radio · Joined: 16 Oct 2008 Location: daegu, south korea

so what can i do about it?

i called the english language tax hotline, and they said i'm paying too much in taxes, and i should discuss it with my employer. that's it.

SharkDiver · Joined: 08 Nov 2008

Call the pension office and they can help with that side of things as that is a huge chunk of cash in the end. Ask to see all the bills if you don't trust it. It seems he is screwing you around so if he gets annoyed just remember it is because he is a thief. You gotta get things in order now coz it'll just get worse.

Good luck!

Young FRANKenstein

Arthur Dent · Joined: 28 Mar 2007 Location: Kochu whirld

It is hard to say with any accuracy whether your deductions are honestly represented. They do not seem entirely out of proportion. The only way to know for sure is to ask them to photocopy all of your bills and check them yourself. After all, it is still possible for them to make an actual mistake. Be sure to tell them that it is for your tax purposes. Don't even make any references as to whether they are accurate or not. Just tell them your government requires you to report this information as proof of your employment overseas. Schools vary, but if you are friendly with any of the staff, just ask them to do it for you if possible. No need to bother the boss. They may check with him - or her - but as long as you explain it calmly and properly it shouldn't be a problem.

Have a quiet word with your boss and tell him that according to the tax office you are paying too much in taxes and that someone may have made a mistake. Be sure to say it in a very calm and respectful manner and be sure to make it clear that you have not mentioned his name or the name of the school. Also have the number on your phone and if things get dicey, be prepared to call them then and there. See if he calls your bluff. If things still don't pan out and your next paycheque still seems a litle "off,' start looking for a new school (quietly) and then offer the notice required when you have a job secured.

It is important to remember that you will pay for their "mistakes" and not them.

antoniothegreat · Joined: 28 Aug 2005 Location: Yangpyeong

advice to everyone, always pay your own bills. like the above poster said, it is you taht will pay for any mistakes. if they forget to pay your heating, you are the one sitting in the cold, or without electricity. or if they pay a bill twice, you are the one out of the cash.

always do it yourself.

Big Mac · Joined: 17 Sep 2005

Some aspects of your deductions are definitely screwed up.

Pension should be 4.5 per cent of your monthly salary. The amount you quoted is too low, and makes me suspect he is reporting your earnings to the pension office as much lower than they really are. If this is the case, he is saving himself lots of money and you are losing lots of money because you get both his contributions (also 4.5 per cent) and your own back when you leave Korea. On 2.1 million you should be paying 94,500 Won.

The medical insurance amount is also too low. It should be 2.54 per cent of your monthly salary. They also have a second health insurance amount that they calculate by taking your first medical insurance amount and then taking 4.05 percent of that number. So on 2.1 million won you should be paying 53,340 for the first medical insurance amount and then 2,160 Won for the second amount. I suspect your boss is probably telling the medical insurance office that your salary is the same as what he has told the pension office.

For taxes, you should go to the National Taxation Services website at http://nts.go.kr/eng/help/help_52.asp?top_code=H001&sub_code=HS05&ssub_code=HSE2. This page will tell you exactly what you should be paying for your salary. According to this, you should be paying 35,560 Won on 2.1 million Won. So you are definitely overpaying for that.

All the other amounts look normal, with the exception of the apartment maintenance fee. Unless you're living in a pretty posh apartment building, that fee is way too high. I have paid anywhere from 15,000 to 50,000 for a maintenance fee.

I would ask for clarification on all these things. However, be prepared for a bit of a fight and some strange reactions from your boss. Korean bosses don't like to be questioned on these things, especially when they're doing something they shouldn't be doing...which I would say is definitely happening in your case.

Big Mac · Joined: 17 Sep 2005

Chris_Dixon · Joined: 09 Jan 2008

that maintenace fee isnt that much higher than mine, i live in a highrise apartment with gaurds and cleaners....

Young FRANKenstein · Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 8:04 am Post subject:

antoniothegreat · Joined: 28 Aug 2005 Location: Yangpyeong

the maintanence fee could be right. I was paying about that in a 15 year old crappy place, because it had "security guards." I was quite happy to get out of there.

to add to the story but away from the thread, it had a central heating system that would force your apartment to a certain temperature, so I had no control over the temp, but had to pay the bill anyways. This meant that in winter they programmed it to be 28 degrees, which i couldnt sleep and would sweat all day in. I would open the windows, forcing the heater to do more and ended up paying 150,000 HEATING bills (plus the 150,000 maint.) in winter.

next contract, I told the school just give me a budget and I will find a place.