Korean Job Discussion Forums

[winterfall]

I was looking at the GEPIK contract and it says you must

"1. Employee shall be responsible for and protect Employer from any liability or damages arising from or in relation to any negligent, faulty, or illegal activity during the Term of Employment.Therefore, Employee shall agree in written form to provide 300,000 KRW per month to school administration office every month for the first 3 months of employment until it amounts to a total of 900,000 KRW.

2. Employee who has their own housing arrangement and married couples who are both employed by GPOE shall also be required to provide the deposit to school respectively"

Is this enforced? It doesn't make any sense to give the school close to a million won if you DON'T NEED their housing. Especially since there's no chance the school won't find a reason to not give you your money back.

[fugitive chicken]

The answer is YES, it is enforced. However, there is no reason for them NOT to give it back unless you are involved in illegal dealings. But if they don't give it back you have the GEPIK higher-ups to help you get it. Public schools are under the watchful eye of the Korean government and when they don't obey the contract, you have someone to contact if this happens.

[Kaypea]

Slightly OT, but does anybody know what happens with that deposit when you re-sign? Does it just roll over into the next year?

It's weird that they still want it if you rent your own house, but I heard that the deposit is to cover all sorts of stuff, like if you leave Korea and leave unpaid bills of any sort.

[winterfall]

[techno_the_cat]

Yes it is enforced, but not all schools choose to take the full 900 000 won. My friend's old school only took 400 000 when he started. When I re-signed my school gave me the 900 000 back...And then asked for it back a few days later.
The whole thing is a bit of a ploy to keep you from running. But they are pretty steadfast about giving it back to you when you're done.

[louiloui]

There's not much you can do here. Pay the money and think of it as forced savings. If it's public school you'll get the money back. As other posters have pointed out it is to pay recruiter fees and/or unpaid bills if you decide to run.

Sometimes there is a separate 300,000 housing deposit that teachers with their own apartment don't have to pay, but this depends on your contract or area. The reason they mention teachers with their own housing here is to make it clear that they are still responsible for the 900,000 deposit regardless of their housing situation.

[ttompatz]

[winterfall]

[ttompatz]

[southernman]

I agree with the OP, it does sound like overkill.

Also it could be seen that even after the recruiting, that entails letter writing, form filling, phone calls and a phone interview plus references and as they did in my case a call to my Hagwon director for his opinions.

That they are still unsure of the character of the applicants that they have chosen.

Also EPIK doesn't require this outlay of money, the differences between the various Education boards is quite marked and strange

[Otherside]

OP, it's a generic clause in the contract which is enforced.

For the vast majority of teachers who are sponsored by school and/or live in the school housing it makes a lot of sense.

You are the exception to the norm, but without knowing the EXACT details of your relationship with the school, the deposit also provides some insurance against runners and allows the school to recoup some of the costs (airfare/recruiting etc) that it spent on hiring you.

I know from personal experience that the deposit is returned after the contract is completed. My deposit was returned a month after leaving my job as the school needed to deduct the final month's bills, and the numbers matched up.

Friends of mine have left mid-contract (with giving the required 2 months notice) and have received their deposits back. Those who have left without the required 2 months notice, did not have their deposits returned.

[jcd]

Is it illegal for the school to take the 300k deposit out of your salary every month. I was told I have to send it to my school's bank account, and that it is illegal. It's kind of a pain to have to send it to them.

[nicwr2002]

I thought this topic was brought up before, but about hagwons withholding money and making you pay a deposit. It was said that it was illegal for them to do that. So, it isn't illegal for a public school to do it?

[beentheredonethat777]

[alongway]