Korean Job Discussion Forums

ATM SPIDERTAO · Joined: 05 Jul 2009 Location: seoul, south korea

woah woah

wearing shorts in a professional setting is just weird. i think foreigners might get away with it depending on their school but u should at least wear some socks. dont' u guys have to wear slippers in school anyway? nobody goes barefoot cuz it is actually considered rude for people to see your toes. and women might get away with more. cuz shorts and skirts are sorta the same thing, moreso than pants and skirts. one of the 4th grade teachers at my school wore shorts. but unless you ask, it's not a good idea to wear shorts.

to the TS: depends on the shorts. if you're wearing cargo shorts with the big pockets, look around. do young korean men wear those kinds of shorts? probably not. those look touristy and very southeastern asian. the shorts i used to wear in korea i almost never wear anymore because i noticed that nobody in my age group would ever wear them, unless they were a white guy. then i went to vacation in the philippines and like 1/4 men would have something similar on. now that i've been here 2.5 years, i'm picking up on the fashion trends. guys should wear dressy shorts. ones that would be pretty nice pants if they were long. and not baggy. as far as socks or no socks, i would say if you are a noticeable minority, u don't really need to wear socks. but suppose you have lunch at a korean restaurant, the kind where u sit down, you should probably have some ankle socks on. cuz your feet are most likely dirty anyway. if you LOOK asian like me, i'm chinese, then you are expected to follow more korean customs cuz you can't get away with it by being white. they'll simply claim you're ignorant if you're white. but if you're asian and look korean, they'll think you're either stupid or someone without manners. which is usually what i get when i do something unusual here.

PastorYoon · Joined: 25 Jun 2010 Location: Sea of Japan

I wear shorts and flip-flops to work. I also bring socks along with me every day. Once I get to work, I have to take off my flip-flops and take my little Korean sandals out of my backpack. Once I get to the school, I put on my socks and the little Korean sandals. My shorts are fashionable. I work at multiple schools, and nobody has mentioned it. However, if my hair is not absolutely perfect, all hell breaks loose.

Cedar · Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 3:05 pm Post subject:

In public schools it used to be (not sure now) standard to enter the school and change into slippers.

PastorYoon · Joined: 25 Jun 2010 Location: Sea of Japan

PS - I worked at a Hagwon for 2+ years, and the principal didn't want me to wear shorts. They also were opposed to air conditioning in the summer, and heaters in the winter. I remember wearing a winter jacket in my classes, and in the office while I was desk-warming. They wanted everyone to be miserable. Seems to be a common trend in this country! Razz

northway · Joined: 05 Jul 2010

I work at a kindy. I wear nice shorts, a button up shirt, and slippers without socks. Considering a solid 20% of my job is being a human jungle gym, I don't really see the problem.

Died By Bear · Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 7:29 pm Post subject:

Is the story true what they say about the guy who was wearing sandals that got caught in the escalator top and his foot...was...? Can that really happen. Can u imagine what that would feel like? Ugh

PastorYoon · Joined: 25 Jun 2010 Location: Sea of Japan

You just put a terrible image in my mind. I'm cringing at the thought of it. Thanks! Mad

Steelrails · Joined: 12 Mar 2009 Location: Earth, Solar System

Sandals on anyone not at the beach are in bad taste, same as shorts on anyone over the age of 13 and not at the beach/playing sports.

Men are supposed to wear closed toe shoes because as a man you have to deal with things like hot rivets and burning hot motor oil and walking through a pasture and smashing scorpions and dropping heavy objects on your foot and only suffering a bruise and not a bruise and a gash and kicking your slacker son in the butt. Can't do any of that in sandals.

Heck, short sleeves are only acceptable if the temperature is above 76 degrees or you're playing sports, and even then you should still have a collar.

Died By Bear · Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2011 4:25 am Post subject:

I really want to know if it's true that your sandal and foot can catch inside under the lip going up an escalator and how that would play out. Does anyone actually know of that ever happening? Can you imagine how much you'd be screaming if that happened? Gross ew

Very Happy

PastorYoon · Joined: 25 Jun 2010 Location: Sea of Japan

If anything the sandal would just rip off of your foot, as opposed to ripping off your foot. LOL.

Lazio · Joined: 15 Dec 2010

Died By Bear · Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2011 6:02 am Post subject:

In the summer time when the weather is humid and you got sweat, you got sweat in your feet...da da dada dee dee dee dee dee you got socks, you got socks, you can put them on your feet....

Go out and see what you can find
If your socks is good then you paid for them
The dry fit ones are 12 bucks
In the city of Korea where it's smoggy humid we wear socks and that's sound philoshopy...

If your daddys rich, then get the 15 dollar socks
If your daddys poor, just do what you feel.

ktkates87 · Joined: 13 Apr 2010 Location: Busan

I work at a kindie hagwon and it is super relaxed. All my korean coteachers change into slippers or crocs or other relaxed footwear but the foreigners generally wear whatever they wore to work.

I noticed in the winter my feet would sweat SOO much from the heated flooring so I would always switch into Birkenstocks. Then when it got warm out I just started wearing them indoors and outdoors. Tacky but comfy. I wear shorts to school all the time, but usually capris or ones that go to my knees. My korean coteachers wear sandals and shorts so it's not a big deal. When you work with 5 and 6 year olds that climb you like you're a tree, comfort in clothing is key!