Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sk288702]

So one of my Co-worker's sister was going to Korea and I wrote her this email and she said it was very useful so I have decided to post it here. A little context here, I worked in Korea for over 6 years. Starting at a private school and ending up a University. Running the gambit from being single and chasing girls to eventually being married and having my first child in Korea. in 2011 I moved the whole family back to the states and started a new life. I hope my experience can help others.

Korea is an awesome place to visit. You'll find the people to be nice and the country to be very modern and accessible. Having lived there for over 6 years I had a great time.

Safety - Korea is a very safe country. There is little or no drug use and the general public has almost no access to guns. That being said I know for a woman it is a bit different than a man in Korea. Just make sure you go with someone when going out at night and use common sense. Be aware that women are a bit more victimized in the country. Legally everything is gender equality, however, Korea is still lacking a bit is this area. For example when my wife told her company she was pregnant she was fired that day. That was 6 years ago and the country has changed a lot even in that time. Just be aware, as a woman and a "foreigner" you will have a bit more of spotlight on you, but don't let this stop you from enjoying the night life or the country.

Transportation - Korea has the best public transportation of any country or city I have ever been too by far. Unfortunately, since you will be living a bit outside of a major city I do not believe the area you will in be has a subway. Taxis are inexpensive and should be very accessible. I used to try and memorize a landmark close by to my house so I could tell the taxi driver to go there. For example a church close by. There are two airports the main one is Incheon, which is huge and very easy to get to, either by bus or rail. The second airport is Gimpo, this is normally used for domestic flights or flights to other Asian countries close by. Train will probably be your best bet to get to Seoul or Busan. You can take the standard rail or you can take the speed train called the KTX. If you can afford it I would go with the KTX.
Here is a link to to the Seoul Subway Map - http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/TR/TR_EN_5_1_4.jsp
Here is a link to the Korean train and KTX system - http://info.korail.com/mbs/english/index.jsp

Buses are great as well however, they can be a bit less English friendly to get around.

Work - I am a bit unclear of the program you are doing. Normally work is separated into four groups.
Private schools called Hagwons - these are private academies that you will see everywhere. Some are small mom and pop operations others are hugs chains. Children in Korea normally go to school from 8-3 and then go to private schools from like 3-9. Private schools are OK, they are normally how most teachers get started in the country. Pros - normally hagwons pay pretty well and usually they have a group of English teachers so if you end up with a cool group it can be a lot of fun. Cons - long hours, little vacations. Koreans work like no other taking very little vacation and work long hours. Business atmosphere - the kids' education is not in the school's best interest so be prepared for that as sometimes you do more entertaining / baby sitting than actual teaching. Some private schools do have bad reputations and have screwed over their workers.

Public school - these jobs are becoming a bit harder to get and they only sign teachers during winter and summer months for the upcoming semester. Pros - less hours working a regular day. More vacation time, I believe you get about 6-8 weeks of paid vacation. More teaching less babysitting. Cons - can be a bit lonely. In a large school you will probably be the only non-korean person working there and maybe one of a handful of people that can speak English. Reliable pay, Public schools rarely ever mistreat employees and always pay on time.

University - These jobs are great if you can and one. But they are becoming increasingly difficult to get. 5-6 months paid vacation. You will be teaching students and giving grades. Not too many cons besides they can be hard to get and you are normally rated by your student evaluations.

Private teaching - This brings up the issue of Visas, most English teachers get what is called an E-2 visa, which basically means you are at the mercy of your employer. This is how private schools can really be jerks if they want to because they basically sponsor your stay in the country. You can always leave easily, but you might have to forfeit money and pay your own way back home. On an E-2 visa you are also not supposed to do private work on the side but many teachers do as it is a great way to earn some extra cash. Just be aware if your sponsoring company finds out you can get into trouble. Good news is and please do not take this the wrong way, Caucasian women are the most desirable candidates, not really sure why, but you should have no problem finding work.
Hands down the best website for teaching English, as far as job posting and general discussion is http://www.eslcafe.com/

What to do - if it was me I would try and go to Seoul every chance I had. It is a great city. It can be a little be uninviting at times but if you know your way around it can be a ton of fun. My favorite area is called Itaewon (Itaewon subway stop) - this is considered a foreigner area as the US army base is right down the road. There are a ton of shops, restaurants, bars, and clubs there. One of my other favorite areas is called Hondage. This is at the Hongik University subway stop and is a bit more Korean and younger and has a huge amount of bars and clubs. You can also visit Gangnam, this area is bit more business class as many companies such as Samsung are located close by. Fun area and a lot of shopping, including COEX mall, but a but more pricey than than the other two. There is also Apujeong - this is considered the Beverly hills of Korea as the richest people live there and there are a ton a plastic surgery doctors. I never really liked this area as it was way to expense for me. If you are staying in Seoul I would check out this hotel. It's not the greatest but it's right in the middle of the city. - http://www.hamilton.co.kr/main.php

Busan is the other major city however, I only visited it once. So I really do not have to much information about it other than they have a huge beach area that is really nice but can get crazy crowded.

There are a lot of great mountains to visit as well my favorite was an area called Sokcho on the east coast of the country.

Phones - Koreans are crazy about their phones, you should be able to pick up a basic phone and get on a pre-paid plan, normally someone from your school can help you sort this out. I know you can rent them from the airport as well but this might be too costly for a long trip.

Culture - Korea is a westernized culture. However, there is generally no tipping. Haircuts, taxis, etc you do not normally tip. Sometimes in Itaewon I would tip just because is was an Expat area. Also age is very important as the older you get the more respect you should be given. So it is considered rude to question older people. Also you'll notice on public transportation they are quite this is normally the custom. One other thing to note. Korea is a very homogeneous society, in the major cites no one will think twice when they see a foreigner in the area. However, in more rural parts of the country they can stare a bit. i wouldn't take this the wrong way.


Good luck and if you have any questions abut the country please let me know. You are really going to enjoy the experience!!!!!

[cj1976]

Very detailed description with some useful information. However, too focused on the positive aspects of Korea. It would be just as useful to describe all the negatives that foreigners so newcomers have a clearer idea of what they are getting into. Not getting into a Korea is great/shit debate, but a more balanced description would be better.

[jcd]

I would emphasize a little more that Korea is a developed country, not westernized. I think that I had that misconception, and I when I approached people like I would back home I was extremely disappointed with the results.

[Weigookin74]

Good description. Korea is much more modern than even several years ago. More western products and lifestyles found than before too.

But, the major downside is the living costs are higher and wages are stagnant. This means less savings as the years go on and less ability to repay debt. If money is not much concern to you, then come over and give it a try. If student loan repayment and saving money is important to you, then China and other countries will treat you better. Wages earned are the same, but the cost of living is much cheaper in China and will allow you to send more home each month to repay those debts more quickly.

Many schools are making you pay your own flight home unlike before where both flights were paid. This means less savings. You will realistically end up with 700 to 800 US dollars a month. If you have large loans, credit card debts, etc you will be here for a very very long time. (I had to pay 550 a month in student loan payments of which most of it in the beginning was interest. I also had credit card payments on top of this.) By comparison, you use to end up with 1200 to 1400 dollars a month in your account back home making quick debt repayment possible. (This may still be possible in China.)

Also, most things recruiters will tell you are outdated from several years. IE You can save lots of money, girls will love you for being different, etc. Not really true. There are many good things about Korea and you can live a modern life without roughing it. It is quite developed. That can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on what you are looking for.

[Weigookin74]

Also, I saw that you left Korea in 2011. So, much of the information as I described above will be different. Korea is still ok, but not as good as it was last decade in economic terms. You got out as things were shifting downhill. People here are much friendlier and much less xenophobic than before, mostly. (Forgot to add that in.)

Positives and negatives depend on what you are looking for. Newbies considering coming over here need to understand the whole picture of how things are in 2015 not how things were in 2010, 2005, 2000, etc. A lot has changed quickly since those days. The market has flipped dramatically since then.

[Who's Your Daddy?]

I underestimated how difficult it would be to make Korean friends.

[Weigookin74]

Public school vacations can be 4 to 5 weeks per year. Many schools in the past didn't enforce the rules and gave their teachers more time off unofficially. Nowadays, they are more strict. Your first year can have 3 to 4 weeks vacation total split between winter and summer. You second year renewing with the same province will get you an extra week, hence the 4 to 5 weeks per year.

Most hakwons will give 2 weeks, but you can sleep in and stay up late if you are not a morning person. You teach slightly more hours per day but may have a slightly shorter day. There's not a lot of sitting at a desk to put in your 8 hours a day. You will be at your hakwon for 6 to 7 hours a day teaching for 5 to 6 hours a day? (Day shift kindergardens are much longer than this though.)

[EZE]

I think it's a bad idea for anyone, especially women, to go to bars and clubs. I would never ever advise a woman to do that. And taxis are a bad idea for women, especially if they've been drinking. Just the other day, my sister was wanting to fly here and visit, but I had to tell her to stay home since she drinks in public and takes taxis. It drives me crazy. If she won't cut that shit out for her own sake, I wish she would for the sake of our parents, especially Dad.

As for financial advice in the thread, a person on a salary in the low 2's can save $1,500 a month if they try. But going to bars, clubs, and restaurants is a good way to decimate a paycheck.

And having worked in both Korea and China, I still think Korea is a much better option for a brand new teacher. Korea provides airfare and an apartment, so you can start saving a lot of money immediately. It takes months in China just to save what you paid for the airfare and the apartment costs. On a 12000 RMB salary in China, despite my best efforts I was personally unable to come close to saving what I can easily save in Korea on a low salary. However, for teachers who plan to stay in Asia long-term, a very strong case can be made for China.

[Smithington]

[Smithington]

Three serious objections to your post.

1.Korea is an awesome place to visit. You'll find the people to be nice.
While Korea has its positive aspects, nothing about the country can be described as "awesome". Even the fools writing for Arirang and the Korea Times would have difficulty describing Korea thusly. The people are also anything but "nice".

2. Korea is a very safe country.
Not if you are trying to cross the road. Not if you are a married woman, or a child who pisses off their parents. Domestic abuse is widespread here. Also, plenty of assaults on foreigners for just being a foreigner. (I can speak from experience.)

3. Culture - Korea is a westernized culture.
Absolute nonsense.


You sure you lived here for six years?

[EZE]