Korean Job Discussion Forums

[eamo]

Here's a recent story of a 47 year old high school teacher in Cheongju who would go into work at 7am and leave at 11pm. A 16 hour day. He had been doing that for 8 years before he dropped dead.

Korean only. A translation would be great.
http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=001&oid=098&aid=0001954162&


I'm constantly amazed at how hard some Koreans push themselves. This education system here has some serious issues. Teachers and students are suffering too much.

[Cerriowen]

Did he *really* die from working too much?

Or did he die from closing the windows in his classroom and sufficated?

[VanIslander]

[Gamecock]

Well I will say that public school teachers can put in some long hours...but suffering? I like my co-teachers, but they are some of the laziest people I've met. The bed in the nurse's office is nearly always occupied with a teacher "doing prep" in his/her free periods. As well, a stash of beer and soju is kept in my office for nights where the teachers must "work late." And just today all our classes were shortened to 30 minutes and the students sent home at lunchtime so that the teachers could all go on a "business trip" to a nearby school and play volleyball, eat out, and get drunk together tonight...

[poet13]

We did a half day last wednesday so the teachers could have a social and still leave at 5.

[bovinerebel]

[agoodmouse]

Well, public high school teachers, especially those at schools whose work hours run from 8am to 10:30pm, are suffering. I wonder what percentage of high schools require students to stay until 10:30pm? I've heard a great many do. Anyone know?

[eamo]

[eamo]

[mikeyboy122]

My hours in public are 10-6. Then see ya. Never more than three or four classes a day. On friday, none. Just speaking practice at three. boring, but banking. No complaints here.

[curlygirl]

Don't confuse time spent at work with "working". I put in my 20 teaching hours a week and do tons of prep during the other 20 hours (public school normally = 40 hours a week). My fellow teachers? Well they put in a lot more hours of 'bum on seat' time but I very much doubt they do more actual work than me. While I'm doing the head down bum up prep, they're doing the head down, on a pillow, snoring their head off time. But to listen to them talk..."Oooh I worked till 9 p.m. last night, ooh poor me." Oh really? And how many of those hours did you sleep for eh?

[IncognitoHFX]

Yes, I read somewhere that despite the long Korean working days, the actual productivity rate is a lot less than Western countries. Just because you're at work, doesn't mean you're actually working. Sitting in front of a computer playing games and chatting on your cell phone might as well constitute work here.

If it was as dire as you assume, then Korea would have no economic reason to sell entertainment or leisurely devices. But it does.

[esetters21]

[RACETRAITOR]

One of my adult phone students told me that he works from 7 to 10. I told him that's insane, and mentioned that it must be bad for his children (11 and 13 years old I think). He seemed to think it would be better for them if he worked his ass off to have money for their education, rather than raise them and act as a role model.

[esetters21]