Korean Job Discussion Forums

[RJjr]

How much extra do you guys in Seoul ask for in your salary when you don't use an apartment provided by your school?

[phoneboothface]

600 last time I did full time. I had a little experience then. Don't newbies get 4 to 6 and superpimps get like 700+?

Cue e-bragging.

[valkerie]

It is probably more a case of what you are given than what you can ask for.

Last year I worked in Gangnam and the allowance was 300.000. Madness as the place the school provided (in Sadang) would have been a lot more.

I did find a place for that money however.

I guess it depends where you live. Seoul prices being higher then around 500 a month should prob be minimum.

[PRagic]

Yup, unless the rules of the game have changed, it depends on individual school policy. Some places offer a take-it-or-leave it housing option; take it if you want, or don't, but you won't receive an allowance.

Some places offer a choice, or offer a choice after you live in their housing for at least one year. A LOT of places still offer only 300,000 as an allowance, which is a laugh, especially in Seoul.

So make housing a priority when you're job shopping. In general, you'll most likely find that you don't have a lot of room for negiation in this, especially if you have only a BA, if you have a non-education/ESL related degree, and if you have no experience to boot.

[broken76]

300,000 for housing allowance is still pretty standard. Yes, the school can be saving money but if they are already in a lease getting out of the lease and getting rid of the furniture costs money. So in most cases schools really want you to use the housing that is provided.
It's easier for a business to stick with the same system, if the previous teacher had housing and the next one takes an allowance the school has to pay money for it. If the teacher after that needs housing then more money needs to go into it. In the long run its a loss for the school so they give a low allowance to turn off teachers from getting their own place.

[moosehead]

I've received between 400-500,000 and always look at that aspect along w/the salary.

there are still some who only offer 300,000, I think p.s. does? in which case there's not much you can negotiate, it's already set as the same for everyone.

I think you have to look at the overall package, tho, like vaca, holidays, working time, etc., and of course salary rather than just at the housing amount and of course how far is the commute?

good luck. definitely worth it to have your own place.

[espoir]

Under the new 2009 EPIK contract its up to 400kwon now, from 300kwon last year.

[Otherside]