Korean Job Discussion Forums

[amyjade]

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I'm leaving on February 20th to Sokcho, Kangwan-do.
Good hakwon, 1.9, 10 days off, 1 week off at Christmas,
50% medical, single room, 30 hours a week,
no weekend work.

Me: First time out of North America, fresh out of University,
23, little saved up, on Premium Assistance (MSP coverage),
no student loans, no VISA debts, no car or assets,
good with people, lots of volunteer experience,
friendly and outgoing.

Wondering about:

Medical Insurance - should i skip out on Korean
insurance. Canadian insurance is cheaper, it is better?
Any good insurance providers out there? I am thinking
of ISIC/Travel cuts....

Tax - as i understand, we are exempt from double
taxation if we are paying Korean tax. File or not file
when I get back?

Money - Korean won is dropping, thus its wise to
transfer funds to Canadian\US. Is it wise to wire
money back home every few months or bring it
with me on the plane (up to $10.000 US i believe)?
Money order? Direct transfers? Or just keep it
in the bank and wire it later?

MSP: So I finally called MSP to check my status.
THey have told me to leave without filling in any
forms but to make sure i come back before the
last day of the 12th month. 1) How do they
track my departure and return date?
Did i just screw myself over by calling the gov?

Lastly, can you suggest a good website with a check list?



Thanks in advance!

Cheers,
AJ

[Lost Seoul]

Here is a good check list you might find useful.

Korean Job Discussion Forum
Posted By: amyjade
Date: Wednesday, 8 January 2003, at 10:10 p.m.
In Response To: things to bring (Jamie)
Packing List &
The Whys and Why Nots
Whether for excitement, adventure, teaching experience, or money, you are moving to Korea for at least a year. You've got the passport, signed the contract, memorized your gate numbers and boarding times, but you haven't even started packing yet because you just don't know where to begin. So let's go through the list of must haves first:
1. Clothing
Bring your favorite clothes, but use discretion. Extremely patriotic (American anyway) T-shirts might anger a few Koreans. If your shorts don't reach your knees, you probably shouldn't bring them. Yes, some Korean women wear very short shorts, but they aren't exactly thought highly of. Tank tops are also a no-no. Your shoulders should be covered. Of course you can see people wearing these kind of clothes...but not at work. Face it...your packing space is limited. Bring mainly clothes you can teach in. However, you can bring the pants that look like they were painted on. Even if you are tall, don't worry much about finding clothes. I'm five eight and a half and the jeans I buy are all way~ too long for me. Shoes are another matter. I'm a size nine and the only shoes I can buy usually are sneakers. Bring your shoes. Be sure to have a couple of pairs that are comfortable enough to stand in for hours on end....because you'll be doing a lot of that.
2. Medicine
If you must take regular medication, check if it's available here before stocking up. I have asthma and was delighted to discover that the inhalers that cost about $50 in the States cost me a grand total of about $4 here. Same brand. I also take Anaprox and it is so much cheaper here. Western medicine is very cheap and sold like candy. You don't need a prescription--just tell the pharmacy what you want and they give it to you. However, you might want to bring some of the over-the-counter products you are used to. A couple bottles of Tums might provide just the thing to reward your stomach with after sampling an exotic or hot dish. Also, if you prefer Kaopectate or Pepto-Bismol, you should bring some with you. I've found that the flu medicine here works wonders (doesn't cure you, but sure gives you a lot of energy), but the cold medication does nothing. Go to your local Wal-Mart or Wal-Greens and look at what's available. If you see anything you've ever taken in the past, buy a bottle or package. Then, later, if you need more, you can just ask a friend or family member to send some. You can get birth control pills easily and no prescription is necessary. It's also cheap...6,000 won for a pack. Be prepared for dirty looks from the guy behind the counter when you ask for it. Learn some brand names before you come. Chances are they'll have it or can give you the generic version.
3. Personal products
Okay, if you insist on tampons, you'd better buy a year's supply. They are available at pharmacies, but they are very expensive and I've never heard anything good said about them in the way of comfort or function. Better bring a year's supply of deodorant, too. It's extremely difficult to find, and once you do find it, the chances of your favorite brand being in stock is one in a million. Also, deodorant is very expensive. (I've seen lady speed stick being sold for about $9.00 for what looked like a sample.) Cosmetics are widely available, but I'd advise to bring what you like to use.
4. Spices
The day I found cinnamon, I did a little dance of joy right there in the supermarket. The only common-to-American-household spices I've found here are salt and pepper. If you like garlic powder, paprika, basil, or anything like that, you'd better bring it with you.
5. Electrical Appliances
If you bring any electrical appliances, keep in mind that you will need to buy a voltage changer. (However many apartments in Seoul have both types of voltage--check before you come but don't count on it. I brought a clock/radio/alarm, a hair dryer, a curling iron, and an iron. They came in handy, but with only two outlets in the voltage changer, they were sometimes a hassle to use. Before you bring your stereo equipment, keep in mind that if it's expensive, you might not want to risk taking it here because it might get damaged on the way here or back.
6. Personal Photos
of you, your family, your pets, your house, state, and country are wonderful to bring. Your students will love seeing pictures of your life back home. Younger students would be especially delighted by your baby pictures. These photos are also great teaching tools. You may have to lock them away from yourself during down times to avoid massive crying sessions. Or is that just me? _
7. Videos
VCRs are the same here (except for the voltage). You will most likely have access to a TV and VCR for the classroom. Many movies are probably too fast-paced for students to follow, but kids will love cartoons. Home movies would also be excellent teaching tools. (If possible, film your house before leaving.) Also, Mr. Bean tapes are excellent for teaching a variety of concepts and ideas for middle school to adult students. You might want to bring a few favorite exercise videos as any you find here would of course be in Korean. However, don't worry about bring videos just so you have something to watch that's in English. Video stores are everywhere and you can rent a copy of an old favorite or a new release for a rather cheap price.
8. Books
You can get fabulous English/Korean and Korean/English dictionaries here at cheaper rates. You can also buy many novels here as well as good books of literature DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU LIVE. In fact, literary classics are dirt cheap here. What you should bring are your favorite teaching training books, a few books for your students, and a few books of easy games and very easy puzzles.
9. Holiday-related items
Halloween is not celebrated here, but if you are teaching children, you will find them eager to embrace the holiday. If you have room, bring a coloring book with a Halloween theme. You can make copies of it or use it to give the kids an idea of what kind of decorations to make. Bring a costume for yourself. You can wear it to school and the local foreign communities usually have some kind of Halloween bash. Another fun holiday to teach them about is St. Patrick's Day. Valentine's day is celebrated here, albeit differently. Only the males get gifts. Females get gifts on the much anticipated "White Day" exactly a month later.
10. Tapes and CDs
Take one or two of your favorites. Leave the rest at home. You can buy all the big name latest releases cheaper here than at home. If there is a certain band or signer you cannot live without, you might want to check with the resident foreign teacher to see if that particular music is available in Korea.
11. Camera, Video Camera
Even if you only have a cheap one, it's better than nothing. If you can afford to upgrade, do so before you come as those kinds of things are very expensive here. You'll want to take many pictures of all the sights you see and places you go. A video camera is invaluable in the classroom. You can use it for many different things.
12. Pets
If you want to bring a pet, small is the general rule. You may not know how small your apartment will be--remember who will have to be cooped up there all day while you teach. Also, check into the roommate situation. They may or may not appreciate sharing their housing with a furry creature. I wouldn't bring a cat. 99% of Koreans greatly fear or hate cats. Finding cat food is difficult and once you do find it, you must pay a lot. I've never seen kitty litter in any reasonable quantity or price range. The biggest package I saw was about 10 cups and it was expensive. With any pet, you must consider that long flight it would have to endure. See the pet section for more information on pet life in Korea and how to bring one.
Well, you are probably bringing a lot of stuff and are worried about having to pay fees at customs. Here's a little trick to get you through no matter how many videos you think you need to bring.
Be sure to talk with the resident foreign teacher of your new school to discover what level your students are and what materials are appropriate and needed.

[jsmac]

Amyjade --

I too am relocating to the Sokcho area (Yangyang, specifically), also on Feb 20, also from Canada. I can't claim to be an expert, but here is what I've discovered about taxes, health care, etc:

You don't have to pay both Korean and canadian tax, but YOU MUST PAY THE CANADIAN TAX RATE as far as CCRA is concerned. This is important because it means that if Korea deducts, say, 5% of your income as taxes, but you fall into a 27% tax bracket in Canada, you would be required to pay the difference -- 22% -- in Canadian taxes upon your return. So what you want to do is either a) declare non-residency status with CCRA (legal), or b) don't declare your income (illegal). The rules about non-residency have changed recently, so check the CCRA website (form NR-73) or ask an accountant about it. Essentially, you need to have some way of showing that you have severed your ties with Canada, at least for the forseeable future. As I understand, CCRA counts every 'link' to Canada (driver's license, phone line, property holdings, permanent address, etc.) and based on this they decide whether or not you are truly a non-resident. NB non-residency does NOT mean renouncing your citizenship, as some people seem to think! If you decide to go through route b and just not declare, there's really no way for the gov't to find out your real earnings unless you tell them.

I have the same dilemma as you re: health care and no one has made a compelling argument either way. BUT -- a friend of mine had to break a contract this year because of pneumonia (actually, because the Korean doctor didn't speak English very well and accidentally told her she had a collapsed lung, long story). If you have a serious health problem, you will probably want to return to Canada, and in that case you should keep up your health care payments, I would think. Also, supplemental trip insurance would make sense in the event that you want to go on vacation outside Korea. I don't know if you Korean med insurance would cover a trip to Thailand, but I doubt it. This supplemental travel insurance is of course only useful if you already have Canadian health coverage. The only down side to keeping up Canadian health care coverage is it would theoretically count against your bid for non-residency status. I'm still mulling this over, but I expect I will play it conservatively and end up with too much health coverage rather than too little. As an Albertan, I don't think I can answer about MSP...

Money: I believe you can wire up to 50% of your cheque home every month and this is what a lot of people do. Large increments are better because it's a rather pricey service. Korea wants you to keep that money in Korea! The won is trading at 765 today, which is significantly better than it was in December, actually, but yes, with regional tension there is a high risk of devaluation. In that case, I plan on wiring home 50% and converting everything else that I don't need to live on into US$ traveller's cheques. Of course, converting ALL of it into traveller's cheques is the preferred method of those who are trying to conceal their income...

I hope this helps.

Cheers,

jsmac
[email protected]

[chronicpride]

Good reply, jsmac. You've done your homework. If I may add one comment re: sending money back home. I'm unsure of the 50% rule, as I have an account with Daegu Bank and they indicated to me and my Korean friend that there is no limit on this. However, if you plan on wiring in increments larger than $1000US, you must provide your school sponsor information and/or tax statements from your school pay.

If you work privates and/or don't have the necessary paperwork on hand at the time of the wire, you are allowed to wire up to $1000US per day. So, technically, if you go back to the bank each day to wire, you can send home an average total of $22000US/ month (22000=22 days of wiring, which is the average amount of business days that banks are open in a month.), so you needn't worry about wiring home.

Also, if you are a non-rezzie, make sure you have your CAD bank account flagged as a non-residency account by your bank. To do this you need to call the toll-free number for your bank and give them your physical living address in Korea (or at least your school's) to prove residency in a foreign country.

Don't worry about converting into traveller's cheques. It's unnecessary and it's a non-interest generating means of storing your money. The 'old wive's tales' of tax avoidance on ESLCafe is not sound advice and is over-rated. Remember, Revenue Canada will tax you on what you 'declare' for world income, not what you earn. I know people that have wired $30,000CAD in one year and only declared $10,000, which they used as a down payment on real estate. Which, as a non-rezzie, you are able to own, as long as the property is held on your behalf by an 'arm's length party' (ie., a property management firm or a friend or relative). But don't take my word for it, if you want real expat taxation advice on what your options are and if you should file the NR73, then seek proper counsel with an accountant or www.expat.ca

[chest rockwell]

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