Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jurassic5]

i know this subject has probably been brought up many times before, but I am curious to see why all of you here on this board think us gyopos aren't hired as easily as other caucasian foriegners. also, i was bored.


i guess many Koreans would prefer a "white" person to teach them English because they think that they know the English language better than gyopos?

i know for myself, that if i had a choice to learn Korean from either a native Korean or a "white" guy that speaks fluent Korean (like that one lawyer dude from Busan that's on tv), i would probably choose the native Korean to teach me. That's why I find it quite funny that some Koreans get some Europeans with horrible accents to teach them English before people like myself who grew up speaking fluent English. (I say this because some of my French friends tutored English and I couldn't beleive it because I had a hard time understanding them with their accent)

Also, I would feel that the students would be able to relate better to a gyopo than a foreigner.

Anyways, I am just wondering what you guys here on the board think the reasons are....



*if typos appear, forgive me...I am to lazy to correct them. haha
oh yea, please take no offense if you are one of those Europeans with accents teaching English....at least you got a job right?

[Bulsajo]

Korea is the land of appearances, as we all know.
People won't go hiking up a 200m. hill without vests, walking sticks, and knee-high socks (the obvious exception being those families who go hiking in their Sunday best after church- check out mom hiking in heels). Swimmers who can barely dog-paddle are decked out like they're about to swim a 1500im, and packs of ajummas out for some much needed excercise all look like they're off to the Tour de France; Skiiers and motorcyclists aren't 'real' skiiers and bikers unless they have the appropriate attire.

So there you have it plain and simple- gyopos often don't get hired because people just don't want to learn English, they want to be taught (or have their children taught) by someone who- in their way of thinking- looks like a proper English teacher. Where does English originate? In Europe, home of white people. For some Koreans, no Korean (or Asian, or black for that matter) is ever going to be able to speak English or teach English as well as any old run-of-the-mill white slacker.

[sunlit]

kyoppos are not being hired not only because of their appearance. in the past, alot of koreans that "studied english abroad" ( really means drank and partied all their family's money away in the states) came back saying they were fluent enough to teach and ended up botching it up BADLY.
for example, my cousin came and lived with us, learned nothing- but still taught english in korea for several years and is now teaching the taiwanese BAD english.
so another reason no one want's a kyoppo is that they still remember the mess of the past, i can't say i blame them for not wanting to be conned.

p.s. i notice that attractive kyoppos have MUCH less trouble finding jobs

[girl]

what is a kyopo in your definition then?

people in korea consider me a kyopo because my parents are korean, if you want to get techincal, i'm actually american canadian who just so happens to have parents who are korean. the first time i ever set foot in korea was two years ago to work.

but, the dog gone people in korea don't care about that. they're all interested in me and my credentials and are ready to have me sign the contract and come over until they ask for a recent photo and where my parents are originally from. i'm what i would definately consider to be one of those more attractive kyopos with the right kind of experience, in korea and the united states, and if i say so myself, i don't think my looks are too shabby either.

i'm having a harder time this time finding work because i don't have the great people like i did the last time fighting for me because of my experience not because of what i am. i use to work for a big name company in seoul two years ago and was asked to stay as an academic director but for personal reasons could not. i'm still waiting for a light bulb to go off in one of these wierd backward way of thinking heads and am hoping they will say "hey, this girl is great,look at her work history. let's hire her" instead of "hey this girl has a great work history. oh, but look at her, she looks too korean, so what could she possibly know?"

so bottom lining it, what you posted just ain't true sista/brotha.

[Zyzyfer]

[sunlit]

doesn't matter how i define a kyoppo, what matters is how korea defines it and that's a korean face. i live with it, so suck it up, girl, you'll get something.
"better" or more prestigious college degrees/ graduate degrees also trump the looks. if you're going to play the game, try to find out the new rules.

[jurassic5]

[sunlit]

Kyopos are not students who travel overseas, then come back to teach bad English.


True, but to koreans, a korean face is a korean face. there is little to disassociate one from the other in their eyes. those that studied abroad, and kyoppos that moved at a late age (and have heavy accents) did teach in many schools and did do an awful job. therefore, ALL kyoppos bear the brunt of it.