Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bnrockin]

So I will be going to Korea in about 1 year from now and I have a few questions:

When do summer classes usually begin and is it easy to get a job working in the summer?

Do I need to get my own health insurance or do the jobs usually come with it?

I know they usually provide housing for you, so what can I expect there- i.e what kind of furniture, kitchen accesories, size of bed, etc.

Do I pay taxes to the U.S. with my pay or to Korea?

Do I get access to the cheap health care there?

Are American banks in Korea still part of the FDIC?

I am interested in getting laser surgery and one of my Korean friends told me I should wait and do it there...what do you think? If I do, do they speak enough english there for me to communicate with them about it?

thanks so much and sorry if these have been repeated before.

[sillywilly]

Your contract should cover half your medical insurance. Health care is really cheap. In fact i regret having spent thousands of dollars on asthma inhalers before I left. They'resomething like a quarter of the price in Korea.

[Ya-ta Boy]

[heydelores]

You might consider keeping your health insurance back home. I decided to do that and was really glad I did when I went home for a 5-week holiday and ended up needing some serious medical treatment. The bill before insurance was significantly more expensive than the insurance premuims that year!

[kat2]

I had a friend that had the laser eye surgery (I assume this is what you are talking about). She had it about 2 years ago and it cost a million won for both eyes. I think thats about half of the US price

[ChopChaeJoe]

I saw a special on 20/20 or 60 minutes about the laser surgery. Seems that some people's eyes are not suitable and getting the surgery causes a horrible blurry vision that never ends.


I would check with a couple of reputable doctors in the U.S. to make sure that your your eyes are suitable, then get the surgery in Korea.

[wheek]

I second ChopChaeJoe on that. I was planning to get laser surgery in the US and on my second opinion, had a doctor tell me that although I was technically a candidate, it would be more trouble for me than it was worth with retina scarring, starbursts, blur issues and repeat surgeries because of some particular details with my eyes that the other doctor hadn't even mentioned (large pupils, very bad myopia, little veins near the retina, etc.). Bottom line, I'd talk to several reputable docs who are native speakers before you come, just in case your communication level with your K doctor turns out to be less than ideal.

[bnrockin]

thanks so much for all the advice! I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to going to Korea!

In addition: Where is the best places to look for buying beds in Korea? I am a sleep fanatic and I HAVE to have a comfortable bed or my life is useless.

Also, do the studio's have balcony's on them so if I smoke I have a place to go or will I just have to go outside in the front? I'm usually just a social smoker, but if I end up picking it up again when I'm there (and from what I hear its not hard) I like to smoke outside.

[kat2]

Most of the studios won't have a balcony. You will have to go outside, or just open the window.

[mindmetoo]

If you're not coming for a year, take some Korean lessons.

[ChopChaeJoe]

Usually your school will provide you with a bed. At least mine did, which is comfortable -- or at last the one they replaced the rollaway bed with is.

I haven't seen a bed store here yet, but plenty of bedding (pillow cases, sheets, blankets) stores. I packed one sheet I really liked and brought a comfy warm blanket from home on the plane. I actually sleep better here than in America.

Ditto on studying Korean. In may not be too fun, but it will pay off. But get an audio course along with a good book. If you try to practice pronunciation from a book, no one will understand anything you try to say; at best they'll laugh at you.

[Qinella]

There's no balcony in my studio, but there is a communal smoker's balcony on each floor. I wonder if most apartment buildings have that.

[bnrockin]

how well can someone get around here without speaking a word of korean? I'm sure things will be easier if I at least know some basics, but is there anyone here who doesn't speak a lick of it or at least didn't when you first got there?

[mindmetoo]

[kat2]

You can get around, especially in Seoul or Busan. The more you know though, the easier life gets.