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Yaya
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul
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 Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2013 8:09 pm Post subject: Settling in Korea, how would you do it? |
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I'm just curious as to how expats who would settle in Korea would go about doing so. I know of one Canadian bar owner who is semi-retired since he is a partner of several bars in Korea, but starting a bar, cafe or restaurant can be a very daunting prospect given the high probability of failure.
I assume that others with an F-series visa can set up their own English schools as well.
Any other thoughts? |
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giraffe
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
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| Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 5:00 am Post subject: |
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you could always just work Freelance at just about any type of Creative job there is out there... Ie: arts , writer , graphic design , website design, architect etc... Or any other profession that you can work on a freelance basis...
You dont have to be a business owner or english teacher to settle in korea as a F visa holder...
But i suppose depends what your background is really...
I work full freelance from my apt on animation projects for clients in the USA / Uk mainly.... I'm living / freelancing from korea because my wife is korean and we decided to live here for a little while....
We're somewhat settling here because we just invested in a new place... Need to wait for it to get built though... which will take about 2 years time... |
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cabeza
Joined: 29 Sep 2012
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| Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 5:05 am Post subject: |
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| giraffe wrote: |
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I work full freelance from my apt on animation projects for clients in the USA / Uk mainly.... |
That's awesome. Are you able to survive/save on that? |
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Yaya
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 5:22 am Post subject: |
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| Working remotely is definitely a blessing, but I'm not sure I'd choose Korea as my base unless, like giraffe, you have a good reason for being in Korea like having a Korean spouse. Southeast Asia and its myriad of beaches and great places as well as far lower cost of living would be a better location. |
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giraffe
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
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| Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 2:38 pm Post subject: |
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| cabeza wrote: |
| giraffe wrote: |
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I work full freelance from my apt on animation projects for clients in the USA / Uk mainly.... |
That's awesome. Are you able to survive/save on that? |
I've been working freelance since College and Went fulltime freelance ever since graduating. ( 8 or 9 years ago). Which is the same time i Met my wife ( in canada). After we married 4 years ago, wife immigrated to Canada But after 2 years we decided to move to korea to try it out.
Its not like I started freelancing when i came to korea. This was my career when I was in canada. Even in Canada My clients were in the USA and the UK for the most part. Moving to Korea, Nothing changed Other than how much taxes i pay at the end of the year ( which is basically almost nothing compared to canada) and the time difference. Otherwise everything else is the same.
Not to toot my horn or anything but yeah I'm able to "survive" as you put it. Actually, I'm doing very very well much much better than your average english teacher for sure =). Just in the last 2 years of being in korea we made enough money to buy a new apt and buy a SUV all in cash ( not including my savings from canada.. i started fresh in korea and left my money in canada).
I'm just saying That living in korea doesnt have to mean english teaching or business owning. You can make it into whatever you want.. granted you have the right skills / visa status =). So if you're not a Creative person or if its not possible for you to freelance the type of career you want and you dont want to teach english or be a bar/ restaurant owner... i guess the obvious step would be to learn korean to a professional level and use your skills in a korean company. But whether that's a good idea or not would depend on your job title and pay scale.... PErsonally I wouldn't want to deal with korean companies... I've entertained the idea of accepting a fulltime job in a korea animation company ( I did apply for jobs and had interviews and was offered some positions) HOWEVER the working hours are way too long and The pay is way to low .. I'm much more successful with freelance work and I'm quite busy. I've barely had any off time in the last to years...
Last edited by giraffe on Mon Aug 12, 2013 2:55 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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giraffe
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
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| Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 2:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Yaya wrote: |
| Working remotely is definitely a blessing, but I'm not sure I'd choose Korea as my base unless, like giraffe, you have a good reason for being in Korea like having a Korean spouse. Southeast Asia and its myriad of beaches and great places as well as far lower cost of living would be a better location. |
I think as a freelancer with a good client list , If you live anywhere outside the big countries ie: Europe , canada , usa etc... You'll do great! I love ALOT about my home country ( canada) but It honestly makes it hard to make a decent living even if you make 80k / year... The tax rate is way too high , Once you put money aside for retirement and basic spending , you're not left with much. Then saving money for a mortgage , after that youre stuck with a mortgage for 20 + years ... blah... I do think the west is going to shit when it comes down to it...
I make the same amount of money in korea ( except i make a bit extra because of exchange rate) however I'm able to Save 10 times more... I quite like it here because I do live on my own terms. No need to deal with korean employers and what not. and I do like my life here. This is far from my dream place , though.. =).
Obviously there are much better scenic places to be living But no reason for me to be in south east asia beaches... and being in Korea, those places are easily accessible... Also korean internet speeds are crititical to my kind of work. I'm receiving / sending gigs and gigs of files daily/weekly. IN Canada it was a nightmare. Slow upload speeds , Upload/ download caps which in turn I always had to pay WAY WAY WAY over the basic internet price... So much to hate about the West =). |
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_doug
Joined: 14 May 2012
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| Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 4:37 pm Post subject: |
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If your clients are westerns you will also have to deal with time zone...
Anyway, if I could choose some place to live in the world, like buying a property, I would never choose Korea.
I think giraffe stays here because he already have VISA, friends, etc... c'mon internet speeds? Yeah I know it is good, but day by day it is getting faster all over the world too! |
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lowpo
Joined: 01 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 4:55 pm Post subject: |
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| If people could save money while teaching in Korea or some other places. You could have the capital to start just about any business or work that you like. |
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giraffe
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
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| Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 5:36 pm Post subject: |
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| _doug wrote: |
If your clients are westerns you will also have to deal with time zone...
Anyway, if I could choose some place to live in the world, like buying a property, I would never choose Korea.
I think giraffe stays here because he already have VISA, friends, etc... c'mon internet speeds? Yeah I know it is good, but day by day it is getting faster all over the world too! |
To be 100% honest. It works out ALOT better to be a 12-16 hour time difference working/ living here in korea .. Than it was a 0- 3 hour time difference when i was living in Toronto. It works better for Both me and my clients! Mostly because While I'm up and working They are sleeping! When they wake up they have work to look at first thing in the morning! Theres an illusion of time which works GREAT! When i was in Toronto There was always an expectation and clients would constantly be emailing to check up.. SOmething that Rarely happens since I've moved to korea! It worked out quite well. and everyone is happy...
As for internet speeds. OF course I'm not here in korea because of internet speeds... That's just an added bonus. While speeds back home in the USA/ Canada are similar ( for the most part) The issue was with the download/ upload caps. In toronto with Rogers I had relatively low download/upload cap. When i went above it it was something ridiculous like 1$ per gig. I've paid extra every single month and probably up to 3000$+ extra in a year.. Its a business expense and can be written off but its annoying that it works that way... At the time there were no options for me to upgrade to a higher service unless if i paid a CRAP load of money to setup some business connection Which wasnt worth it.. So I'm quite happy with how things work here in korea...
I stay here because i Like it here and its worked out for me and my wife... simple as that.. We could just as easliy go back to Canada but for now being in korea the best spot for us to be.
IF I was able to get a visa for other countries and continue my freelance work I would absolutely Explore those opportunities. But I'm married to a korean and korea or Canada are the only places that I can live in easily. Korea being the best option of the 2 for now.. |
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Yaya
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 1:34 am Post subject: |
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| _doug wrote: |
If your clients are westerns you will also have to deal with time zone...
Anyway, if I could choose some place to live in the world, like buying a property, I would never choose Korea.
I think giraffe stays here because he already have VISA, friends, etc... c'mon internet speeds? Yeah I know it is good, but day by day it is getting faster all over the world too! |
Not in certain countries. The Phils has AWFUL connections, especially outside of Manila.
I think buying property in Korea could prove profitable if real estate prices get to more manageable levels. |
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PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
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| Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 6:06 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| To be 100% honest. It works out ALOT better to be a 12-16 hour time difference working/ living here in korea .. Than it was a 0- 3 hour time difference when i was living in Toronto. It works better for Both me and my clients! Mostly because While I'm up and working They are sleeping! When they wake up they have work to look at first thing in the morning! Theres an illusion of time which works GREAT! When i was in Toronto There was always an expectation and clients would constantly be emailing to check up.. SOmething that Rarely happens since I've moved to korea! It worked out quite well. and everyone is happy... |
I hear ya!
My consulting business has seen the same time advantage since we moved to Canada...lots of our clients being in asia. |
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Yaya
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 8:38 am Post subject: |
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| I'm thinking that many have good gigs that they're not admitting to here. Hehehehe. |
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NohopeSeriously
Joined: 17 Jan 2011
Location: The Christian Right-Wing Educational Republic of Korea
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| Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 9:13 am Post subject: |
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| Money is not my priority. I'm seriously thinking of being a pastor these days. I'm studying Christian theology and history during my free time. |
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giraffe
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
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| Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 6:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Yaya wrote: |
| I'm thinking that many have good gigs that they're not admitting to here. Hehehehe. |
Well, You'd be surprise what kind of Expats work in korea. Although its a very very very very small percentage There are opportunities/ positions available that isnt English related....
I suppose its probably hard to break out of english teaching once you've been doing it for a while. I dont think its impossible if you have the drive/motivation and actual skills to get into something else but i really wouldnt know =) . The ones i know that are doing something different ( programming , architecture , animation , computer animation ) All came here because that's their specialty and they've found jobs in korea. In my case I just had the added advantage of being freelance and being able to bring my work with me no matter where i go.
I guess, posting on an english teacher forum you dont read/ hear about other types of professions/experiences much. You're only dealing with people who for the most part share the same kind of reality that is Teaching english in korea.
YOu're asking a tricky question. Personally , i would never work for a korean company in my line of work unless i was the boss or in a very very very good position ... I wouldnt be able to deal with the various issues / work culture / mentality...
My ideal situation is to go into business for yourself and make up your own work rules. By either going freelance or opening up a business . Opening a business is risky though.. |
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Yaya
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 9:22 pm Post subject: |
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I'm thinking that opening a small cafe or restaurant in a provincial area might not be a bad idea, so long as you can offer a good product. I've seen a few in Daegu and Busan and they seem to do well, though mainly on weekends.
The expat scenes in provincial areas seem to be growing but rents there are apparently much lower. |
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