Korean Job Discussion Forums

[PRagic]

The better half and I are torn over the issue. On the one hand, every time I think about applying for a job elsewhere or retiring early and heading back to N. America, we look back on the past twenty-some odd years and think it'd be a shame, almost comical, actually, to leave now just when life here has gotten so much more diverse in terms of opportunity and comfortable.

On the other hand, as we've gotten older here, we've steadily come to the conclusion that housing is a soul crusher, even IF you have the money. Rather than dump over a million bucks into a shoe box in Seoul that neither of us would like, we figure it'd be better to buy a reasonably priced place in some smaller city in the US somewhere we'd like to live (weather and taxes figure in big time) and invest the difference. Or, in the case of another option that has presented itself, buy a multiple unit property for about what an apartment would run in Seoul, live in one unit, and rent the rest out to generate (early) retirement income.

Korea has indeed been very, very good to us, it has been a heck of a ride, and my job makes it easy to enjoy life here to the fullest. Still, we know we aren't going to retire here....

[isitts]

[Yaya]

I'll just say Korea is about the right amount of risk for me. I've read and heard about the crazy stuff that goes on in Southeast Asia, and now that I have a family, no more fooling around.

About Korea changing lives, well, not sure if I agree that Korea doesn't change it in a drastic way. I know this one non-Korean guy from Boston who dropped out of law school because he missed Korea so much, got married to an older Korean woman and is teaching English. Another Canadian girl met her Canadian husband at a taekwondo studio in Ilsan, and of course, many expats, both male and female, have met their significant others in Korea. You also have those whose lives took a turn for the worst because they got caught up in the nightlife and stuff in Korea; not saying it couldn't happen back home but still...

[Fallacy]

[Yaya]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/get-there/wp/2015/07/28/the-7-best-places-to-retire-overseas/

http://time.com/3944919/mid-life-crisis-move-to-mexico/

[schwa]

[PRagic]

Great post. We've traveled extensively, too, and have toyed with the tropical location retirement scenario, but in the end, we keep coming around to one fact: it's really, really freakin hot and humid most of the time. Yeah, air conditioning can remedy that, and, sure, you may 'get used to it', but we're not sold on it.

Thinking more in terms of going to a 4-season place and then getting out of dodge for winters, or at least the better part of them. Once old enough and the desire to shift locals annually abates, we figure 4-seasons will still be better for us. After all, snow and cold don't mean a thing...if you don't have to go outside lol....

Or heading to the US south, but either coast or up in the mountains a bit. You do get winters, but they're not too bad and comparatively short. Summers on the coast and in the mountains can be just nice.

Who knows. Still a ways off before we make the move, but we like to at least pretend we're planning.

[PatrickGHBusan]

Interesting thread.

Have not been here (Daves) in a long, long while.

We left Korea in 2008, I had arrived in 1997.

We moved to Canada in 08 and for the most part, after an adjustment period, it has been good. We visit Korea every 2nd year now for family reasons and professional reasons (my work). We left due to some personal circumstances because of a professional opportunity in Canada we simply could not turn down. Prior to that we really had no plans to leave. Had we stayed, our kids would have attended school in Korea, most likely an international school, with the high cost this entails!

Our retirement will be a working one as we do not intend to stop working. When our two kids are older we will likely move again, away from Canada.

In Korea we owned an apt and sold it when we moved away. We bought another one in Busan a coupe of years ago and are renting it out. While working in Korea, we bought a revenue generating apt building in Canada and paid it off well before we ended up moving to Canada. We had also bought a house in Canada, which we now live in. It too was paid off. Korea was more lucrative back then and even until we left it was still a good place to earn and save. The game has changed now as the price of goods and cost of living has exploded. The cost of housing has gone crazy and honestly were I too move to Korea today as a newbie, I do not know if I could do what I did 1997-2008ish. It certainly would be harder financially.

The apt we own in Busan is something we are considering either keeping or selling, depending on what "retirement" plans take place. We scouted a few other Asian destinations and inquired about buying land and building a retirement house for ourselves. Some friends of ours did that in Indonesia and are quite happy living there (he is Canadian, she is Indonesian). We may choose another Asian destination to retire in and have discussed it. Vietnam has been an option as we have friends there. We may choose to retire in Busan, hence the apt. This will work if we feel we can afford to live there, have some work (part time) either physically there or via distance (online work). Having now been in Canada since 2008ish and lived through several winters, we will not retire here that's for sure. A warmer climate is something we want.

I agree with a comment made way back about happiness being highly dependent on state of mind. When living somewhere, if you view yourself as there for purely financial reasons and do not try to integrate into the local life, it can lead you to feel disconnected and unhappy. Getting involved into the local scene, making friends with the locals and so on can take you to many unforeseen places and reveal opportunities. It can also give you sense of belonging. Putting down roots in my opinion helps but not everyone can or wants to do that!

One thing is for sure, the teaching game has shifted in Asia and in Korea. Other shores offer more lucrative offers in terms of total package (earnings vs savings, cost of living...). Korea has fallen off as a destination and that was inevitable. Most of this affects entry-level teachers with general qualifications (ie an unrelated degree) and limited experience. The better qualified people, tend to have a network (or at least in my experience they do) they can rely on and tend to be better aware of where the better jobs are. Still, even there the market has gotten tougher.

[Fallacy]

[Yaya]

Funny thing is, I really haven't heard of English teachers in Korea all flocking toward the new Promised Land of ESL, China. I wonder why.

[PatrickGHBusan]

Perhaps because they feel they still have a better deal in Korea for now?

Familiarity with the local situation may play a part after a couple of years and wanting t move to another ESL market may be less enticing?

Pollution may play a role?

No idea...

[SHGator428]

[SHGator428]

[PatrickGHBusan]

Gator,

Sure there are quite a few international schools in Korea, most being in the greater Seoul area.

Some schools have the name international but are not truly accreddited so one needs to be careful.

I know friends at foreign affairs who send their kids to an international school in Seoul.

As for tuition, it is pretty high, varying from 14 million Won per year to 20-25MW.

Curriculum depends on the affiliation of the school and where they draw accrediation from (US...UK...) but from what I know and have heard, teaching takes place in English. There is also one excellent French International School in Seoul where all teaching occurs in French.

These schools still welcome Korean students, mostly those who have stayed abroad.

In Busan for example the Busan Foreign School is considered an international school.

Tuition costs can be seen here: http://busanforeignschool.org/admissions/school-fees/

Accreditation info here: http://busanforeignschool.org/about-us/accreditation/

If you do some basic research you can find similar info about other IS in Korea...

[SHGator428]