Korean Job Discussion Forums

[pangaea]

I worked in Korea from 2007 to 2008 and I am in the process of looking for another job again. However, I didn't have to do the health check the last time I went to Korea. I am not on drugs and don't have HIV or TB. I assume those are the main things they are looking for. The things I am worried about are my weight and family history. I am overweight and have a family history of diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Yes, yes, I know, red flags and I need to lose weight for health reasons which I know and am working on so please spare me the childish comments about how I need to lose weight. I am looking for a job to start within the next few months and I won't magically be a size 2 by then no matter what I do. The point is that I am reasonably healthy, have been tested several times for diabetes and my results were normal-actually on the low side of normal-and I don't have high blood pressure (unless under a lot of stress which can happen to anyone). My main concern is that I would "fail" the health check simply because of my weight or that I would be automatically rejected because of my family history. Has anyone had any experience with this? Should I just lie and say there are no significant health problems in my family? In this particular case, I don't think they would be asking out of concern for my health. I would normally say lying is wrong but so is discriminating against people because of their size or family history if the person is otherwise healthy and capable. I can't afford to get to Korea for a job only to fail the health check and be sent home.

[smoggy]

First of all, I am diabetic and I wrote that on my health form - no problems. You can get supplies everywhere as Korea has the highest growth rate of any Asian country. Yes, weight loss will help you, and watching your eating habits will be wise. Also, the fact that you succeeded in 1 year and presumably without criminal incident will be to your advantage.

[sarbonn]

I am a diabetic, and as a result, my blood work was kind of nuts when they did the health check in country. It wasn't that big a deal, although I had been off meds for some weeks due to some financial problems before I had arrived in Korea. What WAS the problem was that I discovered quickly that your health is NOT private, and before I knew it, EVERYONE was talking to me about my blood sugar. It was really, really annoying. I'm sure they cared, which is why they wanted to constantly discuss it, but discussing health information with people who know NOTHING about your health situation is one of the more annoying things you can ever go through.

[oldtactics]

You won't fail for being overweight.

[Teddycakes21]

[roadballmint]

At my health check, I don't remember being asked about my family history.

At worst the doctor may make some comment about how you should lose a few kilos. I think the only real dealbreakers in the health check are illegal drugs and contagious diseases: TB, HIV, hepatitis, STD's etc. So just keep saying no to drugs and try not to get TB before you come over You'll be fine.

[anamika]

This may be slightly off topic, but as I learned first hand, you need to make very sure that the hospital specifies exactly what you have passed. Even if you pass all the tests, you can still have a hard time!

I passed my drug test with no problems, but I still experienced a delay of almost two weeks in getting my ARC (it took nearly four weeks total), because the hospital could not be bothered to specify on the form what kind of test(s) I had passed. It simply said (in Korean) 'drug test - passed'. My co-teacher was supposed to call the hospital to tell them to fax the correct info... perhaps it was my fault not double checking with her or the hospital more often, but it took two weeks for someone to cough up this trivial bit of information and send it to immigration...

I'm probably not the only person to have experienced something like this, so be sure to double check that everything is clear on the test results you receive.

[chris_J2]

The medical exam also checks for residual alchohol levels, so I wouldn't advise downing the duty free scotch, the day before your medical.

I was naughty, and had a few nips (less than 20% of the bottle) & was 5% over. I was still accepted. Other posters are correct. They're specifically looking for Aids, TB, hepatitis, excessive alchohol, & illicit drugs.

[Kaypea]

I'm sure you'll be fine


But, the hospital almost wouldn't give me my health check to me because I kept "failing" blood pressue!

On the day I went for the health exam itself, they checked my BP twice, and both times it was nearly 150/90.

When I went back to pick up my health check, they had to do my BP again, and it was high. They told me I had to "take a rest" and then they would check one more time...

At this point, I felt really defeated. I had to go into the bathroom and cry, I felt so hopeless. But, when they tested the BP again, it was normal.

So, if you're worried about the BP, make yourself cry before the exam!

But, it raises a good question: what if I had "failed" BP again?