Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Scotticus]

So I just got an invitation to an interview at Dongguk. However, looking at the contract it seems like I'd be signing up to get repeatedly kicked in the balls.

1) 2.7 (which isn't bad, but I've got that offer or higher from multiple other schools)
2) No housing or housing allowance.
3) No benefits or severance.
4) Enforced camp-work (as compared to optional at the other schools I've gotten offers from).
5) Enforced "teaching services, other than regular classes."
6) Enforced work on a "research project or activities" and "English Clinic."

To my question: anyone have experience here? Is it as bad as it sounds? Just on the contract alone, I'm considering not even bothering to interview now that I've seen the details.

[Cerriowen]

No benifits? F that. About 1/3 of our income is from benifits and housing. 2.7 is just the normal 2.3 if you have to pay rent. You should be getting several weeks or months paid vacation. Pension (90-100 per month contributed) and severance. Airfair should be around 2m a year....

All in all, a public school teacher gets:

350,000 paid in housing
90,000 pension
50,000 health insurance
(that's 490k/mo)
2,000,000 severance
2.600.000 airfare
(if you divide that by 12mo, that's an extra 383k a month)

So really... with a base salary of 2mil, we get an extra 883 a month in benifits. (I'm roughing these numbers off the top of my head... don't quote me on exacts!!!) You'd be working for less than your average elementary school teacher, who has 22 hours a week (or considerably less) to teach, and 18 hours to sit around picking their noses.

Plus we get 20 paid working days vacation, 15 paid sick days, and the benifit of probably not getting screwed over in our contracts (probably... most likely)

[Milwaukiedave]

I don't know anything about Donnguk, but it seems to me like universities in Korea are moving away from arranged housing (provided by the university) and toward housing allowances. Does anyone else have an opinion on this?

[bassexpander]

Wow... won't be working there!

Enforced camps? No OT for those, I assume? They've gone downhill.

I don't agree that unis are moving away from paid housing. They have just hired a lot more waygooks, and have no campus buildings to put them in. That's our case, anyway. Lots of foreigners in unigwons these days, ya know.

I also think that, when some schools remodel, they're probably more interested in adding an additional academic building than a new teacher housing complex. That kind of thing would happen once in 20 years at a school, though.

[Scotticus]

Oh, sorry. I should have been clearer.

It says you have to teach for one month each break for the camps (so I'm assuming you have time off as well, but obviously much shorter if a whole month is shot at a camp). It DOESN'T say anything about being paid extra for it. Only extra pay is for the "teaching services."

As long as the extra work was compensated it wouldn't be bad. I just don't like how a lot of the stuff isn't spelled out. Of course, this IS Korea so even if it's in the contract that doesn't mean it'll be honored...

[hogwonguy1979]

in seoul provided housing is virtually unheard of. hongik used to provide chonsei of up to 100mill you paid them 6.5%/year on it but they became such a pain about it lately that nobody was getting it. sejong still has a few apartments left but that was a while ago

some univs do provide a housing allowance but again in seoul it aint much 300-500k and you still have to come up with the deposit which can run 3-5million. tell me anybody back in na who can come up with that plus airfare?

since we came back in 2002 not one school we've been at has offered airfare. some of the schools out in the sticks will offer that