Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Real Reality]

Foreign firms' average annual salary for new college graduates hits 28.3 mln won: poll

[The_Conservative]

So still about 5 or 6 million below what I'm making then? And that STILL doesn't include housing and airfare.

Sounds about right.

[Real Reality]

The_Conservative, you are similar to a 22 year old recently graduated Korean university student?

So, The_Conservative's university is similar to the average Korean university? How were the standards and degree requirements for your university? Are you assuming that the recent graduated Korean students are not provided housing?

Are you a teacher or an assistant?
Do you have tenure?
Do you have to worry about yearly contract renewal?

Teachers in Korea have guaranteed tenure until they reach the mandatory retirement age.
Attracting, Developing and Retaining Effective Teachers
Country Note: Korea
John Coolahan, Paulo Santiago, Rowena Phair and Akira Ninomiya
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Directorate for Education, Education and Training Policy Division
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/26/49/31690991.pdf

If you stay working in the same place for 15 years, you will be earning approximately 50,000,000 won (or about US$51,640) annually, right?
Indicator D3: What are teacher salaries?
Excel file: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/36/1/39290909.xls
Education at a Glance 2007, OECD
Website: http://www.oecd.org/document/30/0,3343,en_2649_37455_39251550_1_1_1_37455,00.html

"According to a recent survey, a growing number of Korean teachers of English conduct their classes in Korean only, contrary to efforts in creating an environment in which students can be better immersed in English.... The number of teachers using only English in class was 22.3 percent in 2003, but fell to 19.9 in 2004 and 17.6 last year. Meanwhile, the ratio of those using only Korean in class rose to 12.9 percent last year from 10.7 percent in 2004 and 9 percent in 2003."
Source:
School English Classes: Quality of Teaching Appears to Be Diminishing
Editorial, Korea Times (June 7, 2006)
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/opinion/200606/kt2006060717004354050.htm

Foreigners Experience Difficulties in Living in Korea
by Jae-Dong Yu and Soo-Jung Shin, Donga.com (July 4, 2004)
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2004070522448

[bosintang]

Making a bit more than an entry-level salary worker made me feel like I was making decent money when I first went to Korea. Four years later, I started to feel I was being left behind.

If Korea wants to attract talent and quit complaining about 'unqualified' teachers, there's no reason why salaries of experienced, professional ELT teachers shouldn't be moving upwards.

[Korlingus]

Call out the whaaaaaambulance for RR.

Here's a bit of news for you. Whine all you want, twist second-rate internet articles to make your point, and cry a river, but you won't change the job market. It all boils down to simple supply side economics.

If you are that dissatisfied with the status quo, get off your butt, get out of the hagwon black hole, and apply yourself. It's that simple. Guess what? You're not Korean, you're not going to get equal treatment, and your peers employed elsewhere are passing you by.

How many hours of actual work do you put in a week RR? Let's be honest. 20? 30? Don't say 40! Guess what? Success comes with a price, and if you aren't willing to pay the piper, all the whining about inequity won't make it better.

[Pyongshin Sangja]

All your ass-kissing to Korean racism won't change a thing either.

[cubanlord]

[The_Conservative]

( italics are mine)

[Juregen]

[Thunndarr]

[sojourner1]

40 million won would be ideal in Korea or my home country, but neither job market produces that kind of opportunity unless in the older more experienced ranks. I remember during all my years of growing up how $40,000 a year was the proverbial amount that college graduates shot for and usually received, but not in recent years. I grew up believing money would not be an issue since I knew I could do all the things success demands, provided opportunities exists. Things are tough now days so you will still be doing good if you're doing $28,000 to $35,000 in Korea or home country. Better yet, if you end up with a certification or 2 year technical degree, you will probably fare a whole lot better than with a traditional bachelors and even a masters degree.

My sister has only a GED, but a 1 year LPN nursing certification and is earning like $35,000 a year. A friend has a 12 week IT certification and is making an income in the low 40's. Another friend has 3 weeks of truck driving school and earns somewhere in the mid 40's. Many friends have a bachelors and some a masters, but can't find work paying more than $18,000 to $25,000 a year. It just goes to show that college is actually a burden on us today.

[The_Conservative]

[mspencer1983]

[reactionary]

I've also heard the unemployment for Korean grads is quite high. My GF graduated an American university and is back in Korea. She hasn't been able to land anything.

[Thunndarr]