Korean Job Discussion Forums

dogshed · Joined: 28 Apr 2006

I've been here just over a week now.

NetKorea. These people can't communicate but I got here and once I was passed off to the school official everthing went well. I'm glad I did not send my original degree to the NetKorea idiots. I'm also glad I did not buy my ticket until I had my passport and visa in my hand. There is always a glitch. While waiting on my transcripts I told them I could not get an appointment for a health letter from my doctor because I did not know what kind of medical they wanted and that it was hard to get a short notice appointment with a doctor if you are not sick. I didn't want to spend a lot of money for a checkup and then find out the documents are wrong. Finally they told me I could get it in Korea. They also told me I could bring my criminal background check with me. They couldn't tell me what kind of background check they wanted. I signed a letter with my contract that said I was not a criminal and will one to them later. I got an $8 printout from my local police station in Kansas City. It lists my fine for paint and repairs on the outside of my house as a housing arrest. That sounds like I was dealing drugs in government housing.

I got my ticket dirt cheap through www.bt-store.com . Although I'm supposed to get reimbursed I didn't have a lot of credit left on my credit card. Also, I don't know how long it will take to get reimbursed.

I was not assigned to a town within the school district until I arrived. I arrived early on a Saturday morning and the official could not get me to my town on Saturday. He did however take me shopping and sight seeing and paid for my hotel Saturday and Sunday night and then he drove me to my little town Monday morning.

Monday morning my guy tells me the wrangler at my school spend my 300,000 won on furnishings for the apartment. I convinced her to take back the vacuum. I have no carpet and a broom works better on vinyl than a vacuum I think. She had a desk lamp delivered when we sent back the vacuum. I have a bunch of kitchen stuff and bedding I most likely will never use. Some of it is strictly Korean and I don't know what it is. I honestly believe she was being maternal and not trying to pull anything however I was going to use that money for other things and buy kitchens stuff as I needed it. I intend to talk to her about it later.

The apartment is larger than I expected but that is probably because I'm in a rural area. I have a hand sprayer for a shower and I have to be careful not to get water on the electrical outlets.

My wrangler has been very helpful. She has the other set of keys to my apartment and let in the guy to fix the water last week and today let in the cable guy to put in my Internet. She didn't tell me she would be in my apartment until the cable guy asked to hookup my laptop and she didn't know where it was. I know this would freak some people out so I might tell her that some Americans would find this rude. I don't think I would have liked the guy messing with my laptop without me being there. It all worked out in the end.

A teacher drove down from another city to take me and another teacher to another to get our registration cards. He was here on a tourist visa and had been teaching in China. EPIK has a way of getting an E2 visa without sending you to Japan. He had to pay 60000 won and I'm not sure if he gets his airfaire reimbursed. I had to pay $50 for FedEx to and from Chicago, $45 for the VISA and the fee for the regristration card. I'm not sure if it was 10000 or 12000 for the registration card but we had to pay for our bus ride home.

I didn't do any teaching last week and this week they have testing. So far I've been studying Korean and playing on the Internet. The wrangler thinks I get paid for these weeks but she's checking on that.

-Jeff

poet13 · Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 9:07 pm Post subject:

I just started EIPK also, but I don't think they should have touched your 300k. Thats yours to spend as you like. Unfortunately griping about it might just change your situation from honeymoon to 10 years married.

You can get your health checkup here. it cost me 28 US. It's really mickey mouse. He said, "how are your teeth?" "fine". check. "Are you crazy?". "No". check etc

kat2 · Joined: 25 Oct 2005 Location: Busan, South Korea

You had better stand up for yourself concerning the teacher being in your place. Koreans have no sense of personal space or privacy. Say something about it now before you come home and they are all htere waiting to have a party with you.

Is the 300,000 your "settlement allowance"? They really should n't have touched that. Thats basically part of your salary for the first month.

It sounds like the genuinely want to take care of you and make you happy, but they are doing it korean style. Just lay down some rules at the beginning and it will save you a lot of trouble later.

Ekuboko · Joined: 22 Dec 2004 Location: ex-Gyeonggi

dogshed · Joined: 28 Apr 2006

Smee · Joined: 24 Dec 2004 Location: Jeollanam-do

Yeah, somebody screwed you with your settlement allowance. Each jurisdiction has a budget allotted for foreign teachers, for their apartrments, and for their accommodations inside those apartments. Everything for your place should've come out of that budget.
Stand up for yourself on that account, and tell your whitey wrangler that you need that money.

Everything else you wrote sounds like my first week at my public school (not through EPIK). Except I didn't bitch about it, and I'm having a nice time.

NetKorea hosed me pretty good, too, and I'm also thankful I didn't send anything too important to them. After expressing two packages to them---at $60 US a piece---they told me the school wasn't going to open, and they didn't return any of the materials I sent them.

dogshed · Joined: 28 Apr 2006

dogshed · Joined: 28 Apr 2006

kat2 · Joined: 25 Oct 2005 Location: Busan, South Korea

I think the chance of a Korean landlord "going over the line" is pretty good. Americans respect privacy. Koreans don't know what privacy is. Our boss used to come over to our place and read the newspaper while my husband was on breaks. (I think he actually had a crush on my husband.) The hubby wouldn't talk to him at all, but the guy never got the clue he wasn't welcome. And my husband is too nice to ask him to leave.
WHile it sounds mean, Koreans are a little socially retarded by western standards.

Peter Jackson · Joined: 23 Apr 2006

When I arrived at my job last March I was given an inventory of all the things that were supposed to be in the apartment (the list was attached to my contract). Most of the stuff wasn't there yet and I did make some concessions about things I didn't feel I needed. I made sure that the settlement money would not be used for anything that was supposed to be there. I was never given the 300 000 won in cash but I was taken shoping where I only bought the things I wanted or needed, and man did I look for the bargains! I didn't spend all of the money and the remainder was deposited to my account.

I do feel that the next teacher will get a better deal as I won't take most of the stuff for the kitchen when I leave and its still in great condition.

dogshed · Joined: 28 Apr 2006

schwa · Joined: 18 Jan 2003 Location: Yap

Dogshed:

Youre coming in on a major wave of new epik teachers in Gangwondo. Where 16 once served the province, there are suddenly 90, with plans to expand to 200+ native speakers.

That means districts are scrambling to find & furnish accommodations for new teachers. They were given a very generous budget to purchase appliances, furniture, & household appurtenances for you. Some new teachers have had some say about what they wanted & some have not. That stuff is meant to serve your successor's basic needs too.

You should also have received 300,000 won cash with no strings attached.

If your experience is different, pm me. I can help.

Toolman · Joined: 10 Sep 2006 Location: USA

I plan to come to Korea around Jan. 1. I am a newbie and have decided to teach in a public school. Is EPIK the best way to go to find a job? Thanks Don

dogshed · Joined: 28 Apr 2006

It depends on what you want. From what I've read public schools vary. So far at my school everyone has been very nice and helpful. Although it is frustrating that I have sat at a desk for a week and a half and now they are saying I will start teaching Monday.

The advantage according to other posts is that you will get your paycheck.

You may not know the exact town you are going to. My contract is with the school district. I was told if I got here a few days earlier I would have been assigned to a different town.

I get 100000 for being outside of Seoul and 100000 for being in a rural area. Some people would rather have 100000 less each month and be in a bigger city and after doing the bus trip to the Emart in Wonju I could see why.

I figured it's a safe way to get familiar with the country before dealing with hagwons. -Jeff

dogshed · Joined: 28 Apr 2006

I just read my post and their are a few things I skipped.

First, NetKorea had me pay for the first night in the hotel. They told me that before I left the US. I don't know if they were supposed to do that but I did let the school official know and made a joke about NetKorea trying to charge the school district for something I paid for. The taxi driver that picked me up did not ask me for money. I had taken my bags out while he was talking to the hotel. My plan was to just walk away if he asked for money. Fortunately I did not have to use plan B.

Second, it is probably best if you arrive in Seoul Sunday through Thursday Korean time. This will mean there are school people available the next morning. My guy paid for two nights in a hotel and went out of his way to show me around Seoul. I can't guarantee that this is policy. I could have been stuck in Seoul paying for a hotel all weekend. The love hotel wanted to charge us for luggage storage if I didn't check out each morning. I asked about other places besides a love hotel but it was close to the official's apartment.

-Jeff