Korean Job Discussion Forums

[emmajuno]

Basically, I arrived in Korea about a month ago teaching in Iksan. For those of you not familiar with it... Iksan is a hole with not much to do. I tried for about a week to settle in but I really don't like it at all. It's too small. There are nice places to go but there are no people in them and no atmosphere. The only busy part of town is the ktx station.

My friend's mum's friend has a potential private (not hagwon) school job opportunity for me in Seoul but it starts in March which means the application process has to be pushed through now. They know my situation (living in the back end of nowhere) and are sympathetic on that basis. However, I'm at a legit hagwon with decent working hours (12:30- 7:30 although I'm teaching for almost the full 7 hours.) My boss is amazingly lovely and helpful and even sent me an advance on my pay during her xmas holiday. I know she'd help me out with anything and is teaching me Korean. My classes are small (max 8 kids) and two of my classes only have one student. The kids are a little overly energetic but they're good and my boss is good at controlling them. It's a good situation in a shit place.

I know I won't get a visa transfer but I can do a visa run. Just don't want to *beep* over a genuinely nice woman. My friend's mum also has a hagwon connection in Seoul and I have a potential contact in a Gangnam hagwon too which means that I have potential options outside of this private school. Just don't know really what to do. I don't know if it's just me freaking out cos of culture shock or because of the place I'm in. I don't know if it will get better or if I'll hate it more. Just wanted the perspective of some people who are more experienced than I in the whole teaching abroad/ living in Korea thing.

Also, if I break my contract, how much notice should I give them? And how early on is it reasonable to do?

[TwoFold]

Just my opinion, but I couldn't leave out of a contract without a violation on their part. Like you said, it sounds like you have a great setup in a small town. While you might have connections in Seoul, still could be a bit of a gamble?

Myself in your shoes: I would have to suck it up and find an outlet on the weekends. Maybe travel to Seoul, or other cities, when possible to get the isolation out of your system?

If it helps any, I think it is better to travel and go into the noise rather than live in it. However, I know this is not the norm of thinking for many.

[blonde researcher]

There is plenty to do in Iksan and you are on the KTX to escape for weekends or head over to Jeonju where many foreigners are. After all you are working all afternoons and evenings, so hardly time to party during the week is there? Mornings are quiet everywhere in Korea!

Seems to me as if you have a case of "the grass is greener on the other side", or you are simply all about "me".
You say your present job and boss are great. It seems you have actually landed in a very good job from what you describe compared to many in hagwons -s o why not stick it out and learn a bit more Korean from the boss and interact with the locals instead of yearning for a party scene in Gangnam/Seoul???

Maybe it is time to think about why you came to Korea for? Was it to simply socialize or to work and earn money and have a cultural experience whilst learning and knowing the country a little better?

Your next decision will be based on your own needs and wants (I suspect) rather than good moral judgement, values and the respect of a good employer whose contract you signed to honor for 12 months.

[PBRstreetgang21]

I live in Jeonju right now, and I've been here for over two years now. Before that I lived in Seoul and in Incheon.

Let me say that Seoul does seem to be more interesting, but it really depends on what you are looking for specifically. What is it that bores you, and what is it that you are looking to do?

Seoul, I find, is actually a much nicer city to visit than it is to live in. I found after a year that the hassle of moving around and jockeying with the human mass wasn't really worth what I was getting. The sites and museums I enjoy immensely, but I realized-- I only wanted to go experience the various cultural amenities every few months anyway. After being in Seoul awhile I think you find that you reduce the city to one or two little neighborhoods and the rest you never venture into very often because of the hassle. My best friend stayed in Seoul because of some connections, and I remember a few months ago when we went to Changdeokgung together I found out that even though I lived in Jeonju and he in Seoul I had been there more times than him!

Of course, when I first moved to Jeonju it wasn't that way. For about three or four months I was kind of regretting my decision, but then I got in with a good group of foreigners and made some really great Korean friends and now I couldn't imagine living anywhere else.

There is a close knit foreign community in Iksan, and there is some overlap with the community in Jeonju. If you get in with them, I guarantee you'll see a different side of the city. Also, Jeonju while culturally bereft compared to Seoul, can seem like a cultural mecca compared to Iksan, we have a couple bars with regular live music, trivia nights, and other events that go on around town. Jeonju is only about 25 min bus ride that costs about 4 bucks to get here, and there are two really great foreigner bars here too, both of which are frequented by a number of people from Iksan who come here on Friday and Saturday nights to hang out.

Also, if you're the outdoorsy type there are a number of good mountains and one of the better ski resorts easily reachable by public transit.

Look to find inroads with some of the foreigners in Iksan, and look at spending some fridays and saturdays in Jeonju. But, before you decide, question what exactly you are going to Seoul FOR.

[jrwhite82]

I hate to hear stories of NETs quitting on good hagwon directors. They are so few and far between. I don't like seeing the good ones get burned by someone who didn't do their research into the area they were moving into.

But at the same time, you have to do what is best for #1. But to me, it sounds like you have a pretty decent situation going for you at your current location. A 35 hour a week job. Which is awesome. You got paid EARLY! How often does that happen? Never. You are getting free Korean lessons. Your director actually helps you manage the kids. She sounds genuine. Just from what you said, I wouldn't have it in me to quit on someone like that. Plus according to other people, getting to an area with a lot of stuff to do invovles a short 25 minute bus trip. That is not a big deal (you can drink all you want, and take public transporation home). And you can take the KTX to Seoul on the weekends. Why anyone would want to live in Seoul is beyond me. But to each his own.

I think you are just feeling a little isolated now that you are away from your home country and are starting to settle in. The newness is wearing off and you are entering the HOLY CRAP I haven't made friends as fast I thought and things are REALLY different here phase. Let me guess, sitting on the floor at a restaurant doesn't feel quite as exotic as it did the first 2 or 3 weeks? That's probably the first sign you're entering phase 2.

Give it some time. You'll make friends.

[chellovek]

As said, Jeonju is close to where you are. It's ok there, I sometimes go for a weekend

[ESL Milk "Everyday]

Iksan isn't so bad... and Jeonju is about 15 minutes away on the train... I think you can take the train home in the middle of the night as well (I kinda remember a 2am train???.)

Jeonju is a great city... and it's a friendlier and more open crowd than in Seoul, which can be kinda cliquey, I think. Go to the DeepIn and I guarantee you'll have a new group of friends by the end of the night.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'atmosphere', though... do you mean like trendy clubs and stuff like that??? I guess if you're not into traditional Korean things and more relaxed atmosphere, then Jeonju might not be your thing... not that they don't have cool things if you go to the right places.

I could understand breaking your contract if you were an hour away from anything resembling civilization, but 15 minutes on a train really isn't a big deal. I'm sure you can get another contract in Seoul when your time with your boss is up... I think you owe her that much.

[PBRstreetgang21]

Yeah, I've also found the people at deepin or radio star much more open friendly and generally easy going than most places in Seoul. The community in jeonju is so far beyond what you would ever find in Seoul.

BUT remember this, whether you are in Iksan or in Seoul, the overwhelming majority of your time will be spent at work. Remember when foreigners complain about Korea, 90%of the time it's work related. Moving to Seoul means going from the devil you know nd the devil you don't and right now the devil you know sounds great. Trust me, you won't find a place like that in Seoul, or many other places for sure. You may want to think about what your day to day is-- work and home. The truth is you can go to Seoul, every Friday on the KTX reasonably, but what you can't do in Seoul, is recreate a great boss or hagwon