Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Dev]

SMOE (Seoul public schools), GEPIK (Gyeongi-do public schools), Incheon, and EPIK (rest of Korea public schools).

What I don't understand is how all of these school boards seem to offer almost the exact same working conditions (22 hr work week) and salaries as if foreigners would be equally happy to work in any of these regions. Are all these regions equally attractive to the foreigner? I think not.

I think most foreigners want to work in Seoul, then Busan and then maybe Jeju Island. This is my guess based on what I've read on this board. I think EPIK and GEPIK should be paying significantly more than SMOE to attract foreigners to their provinces. From what I see, most foreigners will work a year in these other places and then flee to Seoul, back home or to China, Taiwan or Japan.

Anyway, with this poll, I'd like to get a sense of the popularity of different places around the country. If I am right, then EPIK and GEPIK should take notice and try harder to make their places look more attractive with higher salaries and more benefits or else keep their high turnover of teachers.

So, where would you like to work in Korea? This question is open to people who are coming to Korea too.

[identity]

i'd like to work in a place where there are mountains nearby that i can hike and a pizzaria that sells pizza with pickles. also, i got a thing for asian chicks, so maybe a city that has a chinatown or koreatown or something along those lines.

[Smee]

Some provinces offer rural and provincial bonuses with their public school contracts---I forget the exact terminology---although these aren't listed in all postings. These bonuses, I'd assume, are to lure foreign teachers away from Seoul, Gyeonggi-do, and Busan.

There's no icon for "beating a dead horse," so I can't post it next to my EPIK comments. I've never worked through EPIK, but from what I've seen on their webpage, what i've read here and elsewhere, and from the write-ups EPIK's received on efllaw and in the papers, it seems like a minefield. I suppose there are some benefits of EPIK if you're a first time EFL teacher, but really a person can do so much better. And, if you're already in Korea, there are many more satisfying public school jobs available either ASAP or through word of mouth.

Anyway, I'd vote for Gyeonggi-do my first time around (I'm in Bundang now, but Guri, Seongnam, Yongin, and Suwon are all nice), but for my second time I'm looking for a smaller town. And you're right: there's a good chance I'll do it for a year or two before returning to Seoul or going to another country.

[VanIslander]

Jeollanamdo offers 2.2-2.4 with 6-12 weeks vacation

Gyeongsangnamdo offers 2.1-2.5

Changwon in Gyeongsangnamdo definitely offers 2.5 if have CELTA or equivalent

The south coast is very nice. Busan and Gwangju aren't so far away. Worth considering for many.

[merlot]

[willardmusa]

..

[poet13]

i dont see any options for people who DONT want to live in the city...

[Dev]

[JennyJJ]

I voted "other". Any decent sized good town about an hour or two away from a major city, surrounded by mountains and with a lively foreign community. Chuncheongbuk-do has places like this for example.

[sadsac]

Rural areas or smaller towns are best. I don't like the bigger cities anymore.

[Dev]

Interesting. The numbers in this poll don't reflect reality. The reality is that SMOE (Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education) gets more applicants than they know what to do with whereas EPIK, which sends foreigners out to the less popular and more remote places accepts almost everybody who applies. They also have the national government and the KTO (Korea Tourism Organization) giving them a hand with advertising & recruiting and they still can't get enough interested teachers.

[ajgeddes]

I would go to Seogwipo on Jeju in an instant if it weren't lacking one big thing. They don't have an ice rink there and that would be difficult for me as I love playing hockey and do it 3 times a week here. It is one of the things that really keeps me balanced and happy living here.

I would love to live in Seogwipo though. My girlfriend is always bugging me to move there because her parents own a seaside apartment (bigger than their home in Seoul) and want someone to live in it. If, either, I could play hockey there, or if there wasn't any hockey in the Seoul area, I would be there in an instant.

[Dev]

[identity]

you say anti-social as if it were a bad thing. i once spent a year with human contact maybe once every two weeks. happiest time of my life.

[Nok Yong]