Korean Job Discussion Forums

[kiboy6]

My wife and I are applying for Pusan EPIK positions for September. We've just been told that this year Pusan will be providing NO couples apartments for EPIKers.

If we're adventerous and prepared for some significant hassles need this be a dealbreaker in terms of us hoping to teach PS in Pusan?

Pusan was the only location choice we put down on our application.

How feasible would it be for us to use the housing allowance instead? Would we have to make a prior "tourist trip" to arrange everything, and then leave and re-enter on our EPIK E2? If so would we have to go all the way back to the UK or would a visa-run to Japan work?

If arriving in Korea a couple of weeks early is possible, just how much of a headache is finding our own place likely to be? I know about the key-money issue and should be able to borrow enough to get around that.

Thanks a lot in advance for any advice

[Milwaukiedave]

I can't speak to what the exact housing market is in Pusan, but my wife and I rented an apartment in Seoul last year for the first time. We started looking in early July and moved in to the apartment in mid-August. I suppose it's possible to find something sooner, but you pretty much have to have the neighborhood you want narrowed down and be in contact with a real-estate agent (in which case you better either speak Korean or have someone who can interpret). Also you should try to haggle a bit on the realtor's fee, we were able to get it a little lower.

[kiboy6]

Sounds like you were already in Korea though. Is it feasible if we're waiting for our first E2 with EPIK and not even in Korea yet?

[Milwaukiedave]

Yes, we were. I'm not sure if it would be or not. Also you would need to find a fully furnished place or plan on buying all of your own furnishings. It seems like an aweful lot of work to do on an E-2. The major difference for me is that I'm married to a Korean and will likely stay here for a longer period of time. I'm not trying to talk you out of it, I'm just saying I think your taking a bigger risk.

[valkerie]

U could stay in a love hotel for a while (many will reduce the rate for a block booking). Some are quite nice and have a sep flooor for non standard customers

That wd work if u can find some kind of serviced apartment deal or a sublet. I guess it depends too on how much your combined housing allownaces are and if the school(s) will provide key money. (Latter esp. important if u want to find a place to rent yourself).

[John_ESL_White]

will the school pay the key money? Do you have 5-20K for key money if the school won't pay? You can find a very small officetel (studio) in Pusan for $200/month with 3-5K key money, if you want to live in a shoebox.

Or, you can live in a larger villa (studio) for $300/mo, for 6-10K key money.

I recommend you make a friend through this site who lives in Pusan and has a korean gfriend or wife before you come over. Then have the friend find a place for you.

You can get a cheap place in a day, no doubt. But, do you want to be stuck in a cheap place for a year?

[moosehead]

IMO (only) just take the housing offered and use your first year to get to know where you are, where you want to be, and if you want to even be there (in Pusan) at all.

no matter what country you're from, K's cities are going to be difficult to adjust to when it comes to finding your way around. the streets are not on grid systems but all over the place with housing and businesses mixed together, not separate zones.

Pusan has a number of places you might be interested in but they are all over the place - i.e., the bus terminal is at one end of town, the train station at the other. museums in one place, art centers another, beaches another.

K is difficult to adjust to - it's best to not add additional stress on yourself - or your relationship - while adjusting. you can use one place for storage and/or self time and do sleep-overs.

just sayin' ok?

[kiboy6]

Thanks for all the advice guys...yeah, we could think about just taking 1 single apartment plus pocketing the extra housing allowance, or having two single apartments.

Only problem with that is we are both quite homebody types, so we really want to like where we live. Would not just be a place for sleeping as i know it is for many.

So, with that in mind we may still be prepared to take on the challenge ofthe housing allowance route.

EPIK housing allowance 2009 = 400000KRW. That times two, plus a little bit extra would give us a budget of around 1000000 KRW rent per month. Anyone able to chip in with what that might get you (furnished /unfurnished) in Pusan?

I'm not too worried about key money - confident I'd be able to borrow the amount needed without too much hassle.

And does anyone have any idea of the practicalities of turning up a week or two before beginning of EPIK contract to do that? (see question in my OP)

Thanks so much

[moosehead]

something else to consider - you may be able to put up the key money but you realize you also need to negotiate leases (in K), and any kinds of problems which will arise - and they WILL arise, w/o a doubt.

one of the facts of finding your own place means your school is no longer under any obligation to assist you with housing concerns such as utility payments, LL disputes, neighbors, any number of things that can happen.

it's not going to be like, well, we'll just move if the LL isn't cooperative - what about your key money then??

again, I think you are taking a HUGE risk to try and do this w/o first finding out what you are getting into -

[kiboy6]

Thanks Moosehead - I'm sure that's sound advice. We certainly wouldn't even consider if we couldn't find a kind Korean speaker to help us out.


I'll see what EPIK say when I have my interview. All this is presuming they don't just cancel our interviews because of this new development (with Busan being the only location choice we put down.)

Anyone think that could actually be a possibility?

[greedy_bones]

I would rent a goshwon/goshitel or two for a month while looking for an apartment. You can have a korean speaking coworker go with you to one of the thousands of realtors and look around. Not too sure about Pusan, but you should be able to find a decent apartment for 1,000,000/month.

[cruisemonkey]

Who is telling you no couples housing is availabe?... is this coming from the BMOE or your recruiter?

I find it difficult to believe.

[kiboy6]

[cruisemonkey]

If you have never been to K-land and manage to successfully negotiate the 'minefield' of renting here, you will still have to clear 'unexploded ordinance' - a plethora of cultural assumptions (on your part and the landlord's). It's not impossible; however, it is fraught with 'booby traps' of which you are probably unaware.

If couples housing in Busan is truly difficult to obtain (by the BMOE), this hints at a 'difficult' housing market in which the renter holds all the cards. If not, there is a reason the recruiter/BMOE is being deceptive.


Beware!

[kiboy6]

Yeah, it's not something to be taken lighlty and we'll definitely be-very-ware if we do proceed down that path.

I think the only possible thing to consider would be greedy-bones' suggestion of staying in a goshitel for a month and then seeing if a co-teacher /someone at the school might be amenable to helping us out.

If that didn't work out do you think we would still have single EPIK housing as a worst-case fallback option? Or once you decline that at the start of your contract have you burnt that bridge?