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kelhal08
Joined: 25 Jan 2010
Location: South Florida, US
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 Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 11:49 am Post subject: Still worth going? |
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I am not currently in South Korea so I am only seeing what the US media wants me to (blown out of proportion or not) about the increasing tensions between the Koreas. I have a job lined up in August but I am getting nervous. I was wondering what people already there thought of the situation and if you guys plan on hightailing it out of there asap? Or do you think it will just blow over per usual?
I searched for a forum like this but I didn't see one so sorry if another one is floating around somewhere. |
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Nemo
Joined: 28 May 2006
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| Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 1:13 pm Post subject: |
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Try reading this thread.
Hope this helps. |
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fergalreid
Joined: 02 Apr 2010
Location: Dublin, Ireland
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| Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 1:52 pm Post subject: |
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If you're applying to SMOE, you definitely shouldn't come. I say this with no self interest whatsoever  |
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sallymonster
Joined: 06 Feb 2010
Location: Seattle area
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carleverson
Joined: 04 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 5:00 pm Post subject: |
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| You shouldn't come. |
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World Traveler
Joined: 29 May 2009
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| Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 5:46 pm Post subject: |
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| The South Korean currency lost a lot of its value lately. Keep in mind that the good money you read about is no longer here. Despite what you read on a recruiting website, 1,000 Won does not equal $1. |
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kelhal08
Joined: 25 Jan 2010
Location: South Florida, US
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| Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 6:55 pm Post subject: |
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| sallymonster wrote: |
| What city/area are you going to? |
I'd be in Jeollabuk-do. |
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chellovek
Joined: 29 Feb 2008
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| Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 6:59 pm Post subject: |
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| kelhal08 wrote: |
| sallymonster wrote: |
| What city/area are you going to? |
I'd be in Jeollabuk-do. |
Ach there's nothing for North Korea to bomb there, and I'm sure the US and South Korea will have turned back any invasion long before they reach as far south as that. |
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Globutron
Joined: 13 Feb 2010
Location: England/Anyang
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| Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 7:11 pm Post subject: |
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I'm having the time of my life. Really, really so. I would on half the wages, too. If it's not all about an extra few pennies to you, I'd come. No point leaving it due to a low risk of war. You could be sitting there forever in a bunker on the off-chance China attack USA (or wherever you are) and when it never comes you've wasted a lot of time.
Point is, it'll be a life experience regardless |
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air76
Joined: 13 Nov 2007
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| Posted: Mon May 31, 2010 2:43 am Post subject: |
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| World Traveler wrote: |
| The South Korean currency lost a lot of its value lately. Keep in mind that the good money you read about is no longer here. Despite what you read on a recruiting website, 1,000 Won does not equal $1. |
A lot is a relative term...it's been so long since 1000 won equaled 1 dollar that it isn't even worth whining about any more. If anything we should be happy that it keeps bouncing between 1110 and 1200 won instead of being up near 1500. Even if you want to talk about losing 10-15% versus a 1000:1 exchange rate...so you'll save $13,500 in a year as opposed to $15,000? Korea is still a very lucrative option...all you've got to do is be smart when you send your money out of the country and maybe tighten your belt a bit if you want to save more.
I can think of 1,000 reasons for why I don't want to stay in Korea, but the exchange rate is not one of them.
Sure, we'd all like to have the exchange rate equal more of our home currency and the opposite to be true when we are traveling on our home currency....but a 10-15% drop is not great enough to jump ship, especially when all you need to do is hold on to your savings and send home a lump when the needle tips the other way. |
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allovertheplace
Joined: 02 Aug 2009
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| Posted: Mon May 31, 2010 4:12 am Post subject: |
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| air76 wrote: |
| World Traveler wrote: |
| The South Korean currency lost a lot of its value lately. Keep in mind that the good money you read about is no longer here. Despite what you read on a recruiting website, 1,000 Won does not equal $1. |
A lot is a relative term...it's been so long since 1000 won equaled 1 dollar that it isn't even worth whining about any more. If anything we should be happy that it keeps bouncing between 1110 and 1200 won instead of being up near 1500. Even if you want to talk about losing 10-15% versus a 1000:1 exchange rate...so you'll save $13,500 in a year as opposed to $15,000? Korea is still a very lucrative option...all you've got to do is be smart when you send your money out of the country and maybe tighten your belt a bit if you want to save more.
I can think of 1,000 reasons for why I don't want to stay in Korea, but the exchange rate is not one of them.
Sure, we'd all like to have the exchange rate equal more of our home currency and the opposite to be true when we are traveling on our home currency....but a 10-15% drop is not great enough to jump ship, especially when all you need to do is hold on to your savings and send home a lump when the needle tips the other way. |
Sometimes, are Im taking it the op is american, you dont have the option to keep all your money here and send it home in a lumpsome. I had bills at home to pay in 2007-2008. So I sent 1 mil home a month, payed them and had a few hundo left for the bank. 6-8 months later, that 1 mil was worth close to 30% less. So Instead of paying the bills and having savings, I payed my bills and had no savings. That sucked a lot. Im glad I didnt leave for that reason but it totally sucked. Life experiences are worth every penny but maybe not every won. |
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air76
Joined: 13 Nov 2007
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| Posted: Mon May 31, 2010 5:02 am Post subject: |
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| allovertheplace wrote: |
| air76 wrote: |
| World Traveler wrote: |
| The South Korean currency lost a lot of its value lately. Keep in mind that the good money you read about is no longer here. Despite what you read on a recruiting website, 1,000 Won does not equal $1. |
A lot is a relative term...it's been so long since 1000 won equaled 1 dollar that it isn't even worth whining about any more. If anything we should be happy that it keeps bouncing between 1110 and 1200 won instead of being up near 1500. Even if you want to talk about losing 10-15% versus a 1000:1 exchange rate...so you'll save $13,500 in a year as opposed to $15,000? Korea is still a very lucrative option...all you've got to do is be smart when you send your money out of the country and maybe tighten your belt a bit if you want to save more.
I can think of 1,000 reasons for why I don't want to stay in Korea, but the exchange rate is not one of them.
Sure, we'd all like to have the exchange rate equal more of our home currency and the opposite to be true when we are traveling on our home currency....but a 10-15% drop is not great enough to jump ship, especially when all you need to do is hold on to your savings and send home a lump when the needle tips the other way. |
Sometimes, are Im taking it the op is american, you dont have the option to keep all your money here and send it home in a lumpsome. I had bills at home to pay in 2007-2008. So I sent 1 mil home a month, payed them and had a few hundo left for the bank. 6-8 months later, that 1 mil was worth close to 30% less. So Instead of paying the bills and having savings, I payed my bills and had no savings. That sucked a lot. Im glad I didnt leave for that reason but it totally sucked. Life experiences are worth every penny but maybe not every won. |
There are always other options than sending 1 million home every month...90% of the people who do this are pissing away money unnecessarily. Granted, 90% of the people who do this are right out of college. |
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fugitive chicken
Joined: 20 Apr 2010
Location: Bucheon
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| Posted: Mon May 31, 2010 9:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Back to the OP's questions. Don't worry; seriously. The tensions between North and South Korea have been high since the 1950s. If something were to happen soon, which is unlikely, the US has an evacuation plan and will get you out. None of the Koreans I know aren't worried at all. Even with the nuclear test last year. This kind of stuff happens all the time. North Korea just doesn't want the world to forget that they are here. They seem to be all talk and no teeth. Although I do think that this false pretense of peace won't last forever like some would hope, it's not gonna happen soon. People on Dave's are far more worried about the exchange rate dropping due to this than the actual threat of the North itself. I wouldn't worry. |
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Waluigi
Joined: 09 Apr 2009
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| Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 9:41 am Post subject: |
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| fugitive chicken wrote: |
| Back to the OP's questions. Don't worry; seriously. The tensions between North and South Korea have been high since the 1950s. If something were to happen soon, which is unlikely, the US has an evacuation plan and will get you out. None of the Koreans I know aren't worried at all. Even with the nuclear test last year. This kind of stuff happens all the time. North Korea just doesn't want the world to forget that they are here. They seem to be all talk and no teeth. Although I do think that this false pretense of peace won't last forever like some would hope, it's not gonna happen soon. People on Dave's are far more worried about the exchange rate dropping due to this than the actual threat of the North itself. I wouldn't worry. |
freudian slip?  |
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ajuma
Joined: 18 Feb 2003
Location: Anywere but Seoul!!
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| Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 10:11 am Post subject: |
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Sweetie, don't worry about the NK/SK (North Korea/South Korea) thing!! Worry about if your boss is going to pay you on time, if your boss will make you do overtime for nothing...if your students are monsters, if you can call your family cheaply...but DON'T worry about the NK/SK thing!
Tensions go up and down here. 2 weeks ago they were up. Now, they're level. In another week, they'll be down.
If THIS scares you, you might want to re-think teaching in Korea!! 
Last edited by ajuma on Tue Jun 01, 2010 5:20 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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