Korean Job Discussion Forums

[DHX]

Just curious about the average wages of Korean people. How much do they earn per month? For example, a Korean teacher, doctor, labourer.

And by comparison, is 2.3 million Won enough to lead a comfortable lifestyle? in Busan?

[Unposter]

From what I have read in Korean newspapers, the Korean economy, like most economies, has a huge and growing income gap, so it all depends. I believe I read that the average salary in Seoul is around 3.0 million a month. Salaries are higher in all urban areas, and, well, in the countryside, having money is a good thing!

There are some very, very rich people here and some very poor people.

From what I can tell, the average English teacher in Korea makes within the normal range of salaries for Koreans, though a tad bit on the low end. But, for single and free people, it is quite good! You should be able to live well on 2 million a month.

[mindmetoo]

If one is working at a chaebol, you're doing well. However, don't let the "high" salaries fool you. Chaebols tend to do what the state does back at home. Koreans pay 3-4% income tax but then there's a pay as you go system. Want to send your kid to public school? Cough it up. Health care? Cough it up.

The system is designed so one person in the household (ie the man) can earn a wage that will allow him to support a wife, a couple kids, and retired parents. They even have nice little vacation resorts for their employees. Maybe they even give things like low interest loans or housing support. The Japanese corps do but housing prices might not be so out of the world like Tokyo. Anyway, for this largess, the chaebol expects the guy to give his life to the chaebol. Ten to twelve hour work days, rah rah company crap, having to drink with the boss when you'd rather just go home, keeping your mouth shut and respecting your boss, etc.

Your haggy salary might not seem high in comparison but a) you get a free apartment b) you're working part time hours c) you're rarely expected to follow many conventions or drink late into the night with the boss.

[zappadelta]

I sense Real Reality coming soon.

[mindmetoo]

[JongnoGuru]

So you call them "urls" (earls) then? Not "U.R.L.s"? That's the convention?

Until RR comes along with the link parade, here's a summary of what we'll see:

How much do Koreans earn? More than us and way more than they're worth. They've priced themselves out of the global market in all but two or three industries, and the country itself will go down in history as a mouse that roared in the late 20th century, a small footnote in the shadow of China's world dominance. Oh yeah, and they're a country of liars and they all want to emigrate.

(did I forget anything?)

[flotsam]

[mindmetoo]

[nautilus]

[stumptown]

What about the corporate bonuses? Someone told me that corporate employees will get upwards of 5 times their monthly salaries on the lunar new year. Any truth to this?

[helly]

5 times is pretty high, though that may have been the case in earlier years when the chaebol was more dominant than it is now.

An extra month salary at chusok and/or sollal and some drippings around other family events (funerals, father's 60th birthday, etc) might be written into the employment agreement. (its pretty amazing what gets written into collective bargaining agreements.)

Even then, that money is often included in the "average monthly salary" figures, as is severance pay, because it is considered guaranteed.

[mindmetoo]

[SuperHero]

[Return Jones]

[stumptown]