Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Gwangjuboy]

[Julius]

[R-Seoul]

Incidentally can all gypos apply for an F4 visa? What criteria do you have to fulfill? (Other than ethnicity)

[Privateer]

The F4 visa is supposed to be the one to get if you're a kyopo. You will get discriminated against in a lot of jobs but on the other hand some job ads specifically ask for kyopos and those can be better paid albeit more demanding jobs. It would help to speak Korean of course.

[Homer]

Try public schools or testing schools they have more open hiring policies than certain hakwons.

[jajdude]

I've worked with several Gyopos in two different hagwons in Seoul and they all got housing. Maybe you were unlucky.

In 7-8 years in Korea I have never met a black teacher, though I read of one who said she got along well in Jeju do, and said she was considered beautiful by many Koreans. Maybe she looked like Beyonce?

I have never seen a black/Korean couple either, but read once in the Korea Herald about a black guy who lamented how his Korean girlfriend's family wanted to "disown" her if she married him. He was quite upset by this close-minded society.

I have to agree it is still a very racist nation. I don't quite get it because they want and need exposure to foreigners and English but want to keep it limited, want it to match some fantasy or image, certainly prefer Brad Pitt and Britney Spears types, and seem frightened of reality. Does a trip to a multicultural place like New York or London help? I don't know.

I doubt the kids would really care that much if waygook teacher was black. At first it may be a bit of a shocker but I think they'd get used to it quickly, especially the younger kids. It's more the parents who would have a problem, and they teach this racism to their kids as surely as they teach them that Japanese are bad people.

Korean kids unused to foreigners are "scared" with their first waygook teacher anyway.

[dulouz]

I don't shed tears for the kyopos over this matter. They have the pick of the better jobs.

[corroonb]

This whole obsession with appearance might also be confused with racism. I think the whole photo thing is probably so that they can get good looking white teachers and is perhaps a sign of either racism or a peculiar idea of westerners. Sometimes at less reputable sites than Daves teachers will exploit this , you'll see some blonde babe showing a little flesh and you can bet she'll have a job in no time.

Even being non-North American is a big disadvantage, Koreans seem to think Ireland is another word for Britain. Rarely have I been asked about my qualifications or teaching ability.

I'm pretty good looking (and modest) so I have plenty of offers but I had one weird one where a young female director started flirting with me on a web-cam, asked me how she looked and I said "friendly", I thought "nice" was just too much. When it didn't work out she got upset and called me "perjudiced" (I was trying not to get screwed out of airfare).

But yes Korea strikes me as racist and/or image obsessed, its just hard to tell if its one or the other. I can imagine the uproar if someone in Britain advertised for "ethnic Anglo-Saxon people only" like they do in Korea for overseas Koreans. I wonder what anti-discrimination laws are like in Korea or if they even exist.

[mumblebee]

Many schools will hire non-white native speakers. My school does. Apply to the schools directly. The reason the recruiter is giving you discouraging info is that they don't want to spend time doing the extra legwork to place you in a school. They are competing with other recruiters to make a placement, so they want to put the "most likely" (young, blonde) candidates forward.

When are you looking to arrive? My school is currently hiring for Decemer and February starts.

[Hollywoodaction]

Discrimination is always present in class-conscious societies, whether it be regionalism (which is very strong in Korea as there were very few ethnic minorities) or sexual discrimination. It's the nature of the beast.

[Hater Depot]

http://wiki.galbijim.com/F-4_visa

Double check that you don't unknowingly have South Korean citizenship.

[Hosub]

Ha, are you afraid he's going to get conscripted? Should've let him find out for himself after he arrived here. Tsk tsk.

[ChuckECheese]

[JZer]

aristotle84, yes this happens at my school. My boss does not want to hire blacks or South East Asians. Even when we could not find somthing, he would not budge.

[jamessuh75]

yes
there is discrimnation againest korean americans
most hagwons want blond hair blue eyes white people
they will usually make a lil more & get housing
& if u are a gyopo they expect you to be on a f-4 visa
because than they dont hv to pay for ur visa run
CDI & PAgoda do hire gyopos though
but pagoda will not pay for ur visa run if your korean
& CDI usually wont give gyopos housing
me work in CDI LOL