Korean Job Discussion Forums

[R. S. Refugee]

I don't just pass on any scary rumor-mongering that I come across regarding the travails of English teachers in Korea. But this is from a site I visit that has a couple of very knowledgable sources on it including a westerner who owns a large hagwon.

Here are a couple of posts from last Sunday and Monday. If anyone can come up with any info to disprove the accuracy of either, please let me know and I'll take them down. I hope someone can disprove them, but I seriously doubt it.
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Post 1
A draft bill in [the Korean] Congress may contain bad news for university and college workers on E2 and F2 visas. It states very clearly that only those who have a Masters (or higher) can receive employment from mid 2009. The Congresman who tabled the Bill is rather powerful and is the leading political figure in Korean education.

The same Bill also makes allowance for the introduction of those in the Philippines with Masters or higher to work in Korea, with a wage cap of 1.5 million. This latter part will become law this year - as Korea has been found to be in breach of international laws in employment areas. EPIK has agreed to adding the Philipines to the list of countries from which it will hire.

[The westerner hagwon owner] can comment more I am sure following his recent trip to Manilla where teachers are preparing to come to Korea - a training program set up by Seoul Board of Education to licence teachers (holders of TESOL certificates) has just run its first course for 100 teachers - taught in part by him. He mentioned he will give more infomation when he has time (his school is booming to the point of 230 students in January alone and swamping him in work)
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Post 2
For those who can read Korean, you can see in the National dailies, Joongang Ilbo, page 6, that Congress has agreed to bring Indian teachers and Philippine teachers to Korea, as it says in Korea, to replace unqualified foreigners.

Congressman Lee Ju Ho is leading the campiagn. He says that he expects that over 75% of teachers will be from these countries within two years. His power is strong. You can see him standing next to the President elect in the photo.

For those who think Korean families will not wear this radical change, the report goes on to smear foreigners with lists of crimes they have committed (against kids no less). The PR war has begun in full ernest.

The Hoggy Association ... is recommending schools wait to hire Philippine teachers at half the price. 1.2 million it says.

There is a direct reference to F2 holders. Teaching will become a series of steps starting with supplying original sealed degrees and transcripts, showing your tax number for private teaching, (your last three tax returns) and approval from the new office inside the Office of Education.

Families hiring an F2 who do not comply wth the law are up for 5 million fine plus tax audit plus other penalties.

Korea is changing its thinking rapidly. It looks like a revolution is under way in education. The winners and losers are obvious.

The front page of the Joongang also slams ex pats for no teaching qualifications. They refer to the few who have TESOL certificates from credible sources. They say Sookmyung University (3,000,000) is credible.

Time to think about future employment opportunities, I guess.

[hari seldon]

Ju Ho Lee:

C.V.: http://www.kdischool.ac.kr/faculty/resume_eng.asp?f_key=26

[Hyeon Een]

[Kimchieluver]

How many Philipinos can afford 3,000,000?

[Rteacher]

Well, Lee Ju Ho seems to be very well credentialed, including a Ph.D in Economics from Cornell University and an M.A. in International Economics from Seoul National University.

He probably figures it would be more cost-effective for Korea to use Indians and Philipinos at lower pay-scales since the government plans to have many more classes taught in English (and smaller class sizes...)

I figure I'm good for another year here - maybe two at the most (at which time I'd be close to 60 anyway...)

[R. S. Refugee]

[Kimchieluver]

I am at the top of EPIK's pay scale. I have an F5. I do not do privates. I have paid taxes for 5 years. I have lived in the same city for 5 years. I have good credentials and lots of experience. Let me say this.

EPIK has been hiring Filipinos for after school programs since 2004. All they needed was an F2 and a degree. Some of them had worse English than Korean high school students.(Others and I interviewed them, but they took even the ones that failed the interview)

Let me say this. The memos are a big IF. They can publish every single alleged crime that foreigners have committed against students. This will not dissuade privates. Nor will the 5 million won fine.

F2s that currently do private lessons can easily be certified and receive a tax number. I know 5 people who have them and I don't live in a big city. Their biggest complaint is having people qualified (more like trusted)to refer their excess to.

They can demonize entire ethnic groups in the press. They can hire cheap teachers. With a salary cap of 1.5 million and the requirement of a Masters degree, they may snag a lot of East Asians but not enough.

What is being done here is nothing but politicking. Making it seem like they are trying. A simple paint coat washing. In the end. There will still be plenty of NA E2s making a living and as far as I can tell, most of the F series visa holders will not lose a wink of sleep.

[TheChickenLover]

I would also like to point out that salary caps are for THOSE teachers from the less desirable countries. They will not put salary caps of 1.5M on teachers from the developed 7 countries. The money for the education demands are actually insulting to them since it makes it very clear that they are not worth paying as much as a teacher from a developed country. This is common practice here.

Those from the developed world are 1st in line to get positions. We are the cream & will also be accepted first. The rest that has not been filled will be filled up by those from less desirable regions.

Also, the previous poster stated, this is pure politics. Don't believe everything you read in the paper. It's an election year, & people make all sorts of promises that later get forgotten or "unable to be fulfilled due to public sentiment". If you remember the last gov't plan to relocate the capital near Taejon, that seemed like a sure thing according to the president until the opponents bogged it down. In the end, nothing happened.

The current teachers here have zero to fear. I'm also on an F-5 at the top of the EPIK pay scale. I have credentials & have lived in the same city for the past 8 years. We are gold, the south asians are merely a filler until a proper accent is able to fill in their place.

Chicken

[fromtheuk]

Why doesn't somebody email the congressman who has proposed these ideas, via the email address given on the link posted on this thread?!!

Or if somebody emails a recruiter with this info, I am sure with their knowledge of Korea they could explain how likely it is this will come into effect.

[blade]

[hari seldon]

I think the new administration's ambitious plans are encountering some opposition: http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/266275.html

[R. S. Refugee]

[bassexpander]

Am planning to capitalize on the money that can be made because Korean parents don't want their kids to have a filipino or indian accent.

[bassexpander]

[Beej]

Maybe its time to start a smear campaign of our own. Every time we talk to a students mommy we can throw out random gems: "I just got back from the Phillipines and boy was their English so bad, I had dinner at that new Indian restaurant and I couldnt even understand what my waiter said." Etc..