Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Captain Courageous]

Here at Florida State University (and at most universities in the US), if you're a staff or faculty member, you get "benefits" outside of just a paycheck and benefits - generally, you get half-time or full-time credit hours fully paid for (basically tuition waivers for anyone who's ever recieved funding for grad school). It allows you to further your education while working for the school.

Is this practice prevalent at all in Korea, as well?

[Real Reality]

I have not heard of a foreigner working in a Korean university receiving the benefit you describe. I have heard of an introductory Korean language course being sponsored or covered by the employer.

The benefits usually are 50% contribution toward national health insurance, 50% contribution toward the Korean national pension, severance pay, and housing (reduced cost or free -- usually a very small apartment and sometimes the size of a dormitory room). Sometimes the cost of the airplane ticket to Korea may be covered by the Korean university.

You might find the following article excerpts very informative.

Foreign scholars merit equal status
The foreign professor -- colleague or hired hand?
[Foreign professors] do most of the heavy lifting in terms of course loads, devoting themselves almost exclusively to teaching. Nevertheless, they tend to be treated as hired hands, without academic standing, and lacking the possibility of career advancement or tenure. They must submit to yearly contracts (compensated at a rate only 60 percent of their Korean peers) while walled off from the permanent Korean faculty who benefit from travel, research funding, sabbaticals, etc. Moreover, when hundreds of Korean scholars enjoy such perks at American and other foreign universities, something is obviously amiss.
John B. Kotch, JoongAng Ilbo (June 14, 2002)
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200206/14/200206142349223599900090109011.html

Foreigners Experience Difficulties in Living in Korea
Overall living conditions, including education, housing, medical care, transportation, immigration, and access to the Internet are pointed to as inconveniences. Not only inconveniences caused by different systems and customs in Korea, but also special discriminating practices, such as the practice of submitting two years of monthly rent in advance like a deposit, which is required of foreigners just because they are foreigners, are ubiquitous.

"Even though Korea has achieved some degree of globalization in going abroad, it has still a long way to go for globalization in embracing foreigners inward," said foreigners residing in Korea.
by Jae-Dong Yu and Soo-Jung Shin, Donga.com (July 4, 2004)
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2004070522448

"No chair for foreigner" GM Daewoo head told
He may be the president of GM Daewoo, but he is still an outsider in the Korean car industry.... The "no-foreigners" rule was first made in 2001 when then-Samsung Motor was being sold to Renault.
by Kim Tae-jin and Lee Ho-jeong, JoongAng Daily (January 18, 2005)
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200501/17/200501172228551609900090509051.html

Visa Issuance Procedure
E-1 (Professors)
In the case of a national or a public university, a foreigner is not permitted to be a full-time professor.
Immigration Bureau, Ministry of Justice, Republic of Korea
http://www.moj.go.kr/HP/ENG/eng_03/eng_306030.jsp

[Zark]

The fact is - that there will probably be very few, if any, classes you might want to take at a Korean university (I say this with six years experience teaching at Korean colleges/universities).

Additionally, you would find the academic standards (and cheating) to be very discouraging.

However, a good place to work - and save money.

[Pyongshin Sangja]

My uni gives a 90% discount to staff in the Asian Studies program, but only a 50% to staff (and all holders of foreign degrees) in the MBA. All classes are in English.

[Homer]

We get a similar deal than Pyongshin at my uni.

As far as the hole professorship question raised by RR...it is a non-issue unless you actually have the credentials to be a professor and not just the credentials to be an instructor or lecturer....

[Dazed and Confused]

We get free Korean classes, when offered, and a discount on other foriegn language studies at the unigwon. That's as much as I've ever heard about.

[JZer]

[JZer]

I think it is also possible to do the Woosong Master's program for free or next to free. You can work in the university's language center and get most or all of you tuition waived in you want to do an ESL M.A. there. Or you might work as a research assistant one of the American professors who work there.

[Homer]

Korean law states that you cannot teach at the same public university for more than three years so you can never become a full-time professor unless you work for a private university.

Well I have been at my university for more than 3 years.

Some of my fellow teachers here have been at their university for over 5 years....

As for professorship that may be true. However, most of us teaching here in universities do not have the credentials to qualify as professors and are hired to teach English to university students and not to be researchers. This makes a world of difference. If you have the
full credentials to be a prof (PDH, significant scientific publications in your field of research) then you may have a beef if professorship is refused to you. Now if the law says non Korean citizens cannot become professors then thats the way it is...if you want that to change, do something about it.

[JZer]

[ThePoet]

[JZer]

[Homer]

[JZer]

Sorry, my mistake!

But I still think it is almost impossible for a foreigner to become a full professor in Korea even if they have a PhD.

[Homer]

But I still think it is almost impossible for a foreigner to become a full professor in Korea even if they have a PhD.

That is possibly the case. Again, if it is so then it is up to those who have the qualifications and desire to obtain such a position to push for change.