Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Epik_Teacher]

I'm starting my 5th year in EPIK. Now all of the sudden, I'm informed I have to move from my apartment because the owner wants to sell it. On top of which, I'm required to pay the cost of moving, pay W5 million for an apartment deposit and they will give me W400k/month for rent.

They tell me this because some idiot teacher in another town did it. Has anyone heard of this? I looked at the contract and didn't notice it. Is this happening to anyone else?

[winterfall]

[OculisOrbis]

It's up to the school. If they dont want to provide housing, you can find your own and take the alowance or they can find someone who will.

You can contact your POE and ask for a transfer to a school that provides housing, but it is their prerogative if they want to accomodate you. If you wish to remain at your current school, you can find your own apartment (there are many that dont require key money, but the rent is higher if you dont pay the key). You are NOT obligated to pay for an apartment that your school finds for you,,,,,but they are also not obligated to find a place or pay the key money for you or provide you with an apartment if they dont want to. If you are mid-contract, the terms cant change - provided apartment or housing allowance - for either party. Re-contract time, it's all bets off.

[shcforward]

The deal is that in a lot of places, it is pretty tough to find a decent apartment without some key money. They could probably find one without it, but it'd be tiny.

More importantly, it'd be more work, which is what I think this comes down to. Your school doesn't want to spend time going apartment bargain-hunting for you.

But, if they are providing housing, the key money really is their problem - assuming you have a typical contract. If they are just giving you a housing stipend every month, and you have your own apartment, then your key money is not really their concern.

[Njord]

Oculis is exactly right. I would only add that I don't understand why so many people take apartments provided by their employer. Sure, if you are only here for one year, that makes sense. But if you are here for a longer period, it just doesn't seem sensible to give your employer that kind of leverage over you. Getting a place on your own also allows you complete flexibility over when you move in and out, the location, and whether you want to spend more or less than the allowance.

[jrwhite82]

Only EPIK Teacher.

I think the contract has a stipulation that says the school can decide to provide you with an apartment. However, you already signed it right? Under the condition that they are providing housing. Your school really should give you an apartment. I don't understand why they are jerking you around after all this time....

[sojusucks]

Sounds like they want you to resign or do a runner. If you have a contract stand tall. If it's renewal time, go elsewhere.

[AsiaESLbound]

It's really a shame OP is only now just being told about this huge deal breaking change only 1 week from the start of a new contract term. I wouldn't put up a huge deposit key money for my own place here unless I had a portable visa (doesn't exist yet for single people) or were married with an F2 visa. Even if you secure your own place, you can get exit ordered out (forced out of your right to your home you paid for) over a canceled visa from a quit or termination or some legal infraction brought against you.

[schwa]

[jrwhite82]

Article 12 (Housing) ① The Employer shall provide the Employee with a single housing chosen by the Employer. Housing selected by the Employer may be a leased house, a studio-type room, an apartment, or other form of lodging deemed sufficient by the Employer. Any and all fees, charges,
costs, taxes, expenses, etc. incurred in using the housing shall be borne by the Employee. Such fees may include but are not limited to hydro, gas and water utilities as well as internet and phone service as well as a maintenance fee from the landlord.
② The Employer may choose to provide temporary housing for the Employee until appropriate permanent housing can be obtained for the Employee.
③ If the Employee wants housing allowance in lieu of the single housing set forth in the foregoing ①, the Employer shall provide the Employee with 400,000 Korean Won (KRW) per month as a rent subsidy. In this
case, the Employee shall notify the Employer of his/her decision to choose housing allowance before the commencement of this Contract.
④ The decision to choose the Provided Housing or the Housing Allowance shall be made prior to the beginning of the Term of Employment contained herein and, once decided, shall not be subsequently changed during the Term of Employment. Any and all costs incurred by the Employee as a result of changing Housing during the Term of Employment shall be borne by the
Employee.

For EPIK you are required to choose when you sign the contract. Then you can't change your mind. It is YOUR choice. Not the schools. They HAVE to give you housing if you choose it. I don't see how they're getting around this. You are responsible for moving costs. Its pretty black and white.

[PatrickGHBusan]

[Ice Tea]

Have you ever noticed that schools never offer a housing subsidy which is the same as what they actually pay for the place. They always offer 200,000-400,000, but really they pay 500,000-600,000 a/month for these places plus the damn deposit. We know this and they know this, which why hardly anyone ever takes the subsidy. It just boggles my mind why they wouldn't want people to get their own housing. It's one less thing they have to deal with, they can bank that deposit money and invest it elsewhere. But no, they give all that up so they can try and squeeze a 100,000 a month out of some sucker teacher. It's just plain stupid on their part. Just offer people a subsidy equal to what schools actually pay and I swear 75% of teachers would have their own places. Just retarded.

[cyui]

Well, look at the the bright side OP. If you ever get the ax, then becoming a homeless foreign vagabone is one less thing that you have to worry about.

Nice though isn't it?

[Epik_Teacher]

[PatrickGHBusan]