Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jhbmiisgrad]

Hello Everyone!

I am new to the forum and I've been searching for some help with a potential conflict.

I am going to be working as an English Instructor for a Korean corporation beginning in September. I was also invited to be on an English assessment team to help create an entrance exam for a university in the U.S.

Would working on this team (part-time hours, telecommuting) conflict with my job in Korea and my Visa status?

The only thing in my contract (that I see) that addresses the stipulations of working outside of the Korean company appears to refer to only work in Korea:

During the term of this Contract, the Instructor may not directly or indirectly engage, participate, or take any interest as a partner, shareholder, director or employee in, any other companies, organizations or legal entities in Korea that carry out same or similar business as the Company, without Company’s prior written consent.

Would this be an issue? Has anyone else taught in Korea and also done a side job for a company/institution in the US?

[tcatsninfank]

I've been wondering about this myself. I hope to be starting in Korea around February 2014, but right now I do some freelance writing for a website. It doesn't pay a whole lot but it'd be good to keep adding experience to my writing career.

Based on some of my initial research, it seems like the teaching contracts in Korea are only concerned about someone teaching with more than one school/company or teaching private lessons under the table.

Assuming it wouldn't be a problem for the company you're teaching with, there's also the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion with the IRS for your taxes to be aware of. I don't know if you could ONLY claim exemption on the money you make overseas and still pay taxes on whatever you make telecommuting or if it's an "all or nothing" sort of thing.

If it's all or nothing, you'd have to look at what you'd make telecommuting versus the taxes you might have to pay on your Korean income, i.e. you might have to pay $5000 in taxes for your Korean income just because you earned $3000 doing this telecommuting thing.

It seems like you'd be exempt from any taxes on your Korean income and then could pay taxes on your other money, though. I haven't contacted a tax professional about this yet...just something you might want to investigate before you leave the US.

[tob55]

If you are working a job that is not located in Korea, and the income is derived from another country, then taxes are due in that country and not in Korea. As far as outside employment is concerned, and from what you wrote, if the "other" employment is not directly related to the same or similar types of service your Korean employer offers, then you should have no problem. IF however, the part-time job is a competitor of the Korean employer, then you are asking for trouble by engaging in employment for the other company.

As far as your visa status is concerned, it affects your work in Korea. there are many people on this forum who have other jobs outside of Korea, and have no issues with work, and as such you should not have any issues either, just as long as you are not working for two companies in Korea offering the same or similar services. IMO

[tob55]

[jhbmiisgrad]

This all makes sense. I'll ask my company in Korea when I get there if they have an issues with me working for the university - to be sure. The nature of the extra work (helping develop english proficiency tests) is similar in that it is within the field of English language education. However, I hope this doesn't cause conflict because it is academic English and I will be working for a company teaching Business English.

I'll let everyone know how it shakes out for future reference.

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions! This is a great resource.

[tob55]