Korean Job Discussion Forums

[winterfall]

I've been curious about this for awhile. FT's have a horrible reputation in Korea. Thanks to all the bad apples. We're seen as mercenary, alcoholics, that spend all of our waking hours stoned.

But, so many Koreans seem to have favorable opinions about the foreign teachers here. At least with what they do.

So my question is:

Does the general public in Korea support the: SMOE, EPIK, and GEPIK programs?

Sorry hagwon teachers, you don't count. Private businesses and tax payer funded projects are different.

[Moldy Rutabaga]

My hunch is that most Koreans do not differentiate or care. We are foreign teachers. The majority are not particularly interested either way, and simply have a negative stereotype of us from media or from personal experience.

[eamo]

Most Koreans either never think about the role of foreign teachers in their society or they might give a scant opinion depending on if there's a media story about FT's that month.

Generally, we are not on the radar of most Koreans.

[TheUrbanMyth]

I agree with the above two posters. Just because we may be the centers of our own little universes doesn't mean most Koreans think the same way.


With certain netizens though...that may be another story.

[winterfall]

Really? All the Koreans I've met seem to understand that the only reason we have jobs is because the KETs didn't do theirs.

[Fishead soup]

We are much more low profile than the US military. Then again we are not sitting on a huge potentually expensive piece of real estate in Seoul.
We are also not covered under the SOFA. The Koreans who send there kids to hogwans obviously support us.

[Old Gil]

[TheUrbanMyth]

[Fishead soup]

[Jane]

I think Koreans are more preoccupied with the thoughts of whether we like spicy food and if we can use chopsticks, then to form an opinion. Oh, and staring at our arm hair too.

[TheUrbanMyth]

[curlygirl]

[fermentation]

What do you mean by support? Its hard for me to tell because while I know many people who like hanging out with foreigners, half of them seem to be more interesting in learning English rather than being real friends. I also know quite a few people who have you all deported if they were in charge. As for me, I don't like the Hagwon industry, but I do appreciate the fact I can meet people in Korea who don't look the same, act the same, and actually have thoughts of their own.

[crosbystillsstash]

They support me well financially. That's enough.

[youtuber]

Koreans like us working for them and teaching English.

They don't want us to make a life here for the long-term.