Korean Job Discussion Forums

[overdrive2023x]

Possible? Impossible? Maybe?

It seems living accommodations provided by Hagwons and Public Schools could be somewhat of a crap-shoot as to what you get for most new recruits that are seeking first time employment. Do you think its possible before signing the contract with your confirmed employer to request to see pictures of the living space you would be placed in? I feel it's not unreasonable for the employer to obtain these (or already have them on file). But would it be considered non-professional by the recruiter or the hagwon to request such a thing?

[northway]

It's a fairly standard request, but it's not outside the realm of possibility that they'll show you an apartment different from the one you end up with, either by embellishing or straight up lying.

[r122925]

I don't think there's anything wrong with requesting pictures, although there are some things to be aware of.

Not every school will be able to show you pictures. They may simply haven't rented an apartment for you yet. They're not going to rent a place to sit empty for weeks or months before your arrival. This is especially true if you will be the first foreign teacher at the school, or if the school is adding an additional foreign teacher. Just because the school won't show you pictures doesn't necessarily mean they're going to stick you in a rat-infested hell hole.

It's not a teacher's market anymore. 6 or 7 years ago you could easily make demands like this and if they weren't met you could just move on to the next job offer. These days, if the school thinks you're being too picky and may become difficult in the future, or if they're simply too lazy to go take the pictures, they may just move on to the next applicant. Sad but true.

Pictures don't tell the whole story of an apartment. Pictures may look great, but you may still be stuck with loud annoying neighbors, the building may be in a bad location, the heating system may not work well in the winter, etc... I guess what I'm saying here is that taking a school-provided apartment is still somewhat of a crapshoot no matter how much research you do.

Most apartments that are provided to native teachers are roughly similar. Small, usually a single room, but reasonable for Korea. I've been here a long time and I don't really know anyone who has been given a truly unlivable apartment. You probably don't have too worry too much unless you have unrealistic expactations. Also, I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking that finding a job with good working conditions with a reputable school is probably more important than the apartment they give you.

The only way to be sure to get an apartment you like is to take the housing allowance and find your own place. But this can be difficult for several reasons, especially if you're new to Korea.