Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jodie1903]

I've applied for a job with ILS in Busan, but instead of offering housing they are giving housing allowance. I would have to pay the key money upfront as well as the flight to Korea. Can anyone give me some advice on whether or not this is a good deal. This will be my first time teaching and don't know anything about how this "key money" works. I've been looking for work in Busan for a long time so if offered the job should i take it or is it too risky?

Thoughts?

[Porksta]

Pass.

[schwa]

How key money works: you put down a substantial amount of your own cash (typically 10 to 20 million won for teacher-style living) as a deposit. You're meant to get it all back when you finish the lease. You need to have your real estate agent research the owner's solvency (a normal procedure) before signing. You semi-assure your money's safety by registering it at your local court building.

As a newcomer, as Porksta suggests, you probably dont want to go there.

Keep looking for another offer that flies you here & simply houses you.

[DaeguNL]

Very risky. You will have to pay for your own flight, and likely put a 5,000-10,000 deposit on an apartment. You will be locked into a one year lease, and if things don't work out with the school, it will be a nightmare.

[Overture1928]

[Troglodyte]

Depending on what benefits the school is offering (in particular, the salary) then it might or might not be a good offer. If the pay is standard then it's a bad offer.

You haven't mentioned whether or not you've ever been to Korea before or whether you can speak Korean. If you can' speak Korean and aren't familiar with life in Korea then you should avoid this option of housing allowance. It's inconvenient and may be very difficult for someone coming fresh off the boat. You'll have a lot of stuff to worry about and this will only add to the stuff you have to deal with. If the situation at the school gets bad then they can simply fire you with no problems for them. You on the other hand will be left to resolve a lot of problems. Problems which could potentially bankrupt you and leave you stranded here without a way home and without a visa (and no job = no salary = no way to pay the rent). This is a situation that you should avoid at all costs. If you're fluent in Korean and familiar with life here (which I doubt if you aren't familiar with how key money works) then it will just come down to whether you have the key money (or are willing to stay in a goshiwon) and whether the school is offering good enough compensation for the inconvenience (of finding your own housing and paying for your own flight).

Busan is a big place and there are always new jobs opening there. Have you asked the recruiters why none of them have given you any offers yet? Or if you did have offers, why you weren't accepted? Either there's some part of the story that you haven't told us about or else there's something wrong with the way you're job hunting. Tell us the whole story (and ask the recruiters for more info) and we can probably give you some advice on getting a better job offer than this one at ILS.

[Dr. Lipschitz]

Is it the ILS in Centum city?

About the apartment: you can easily get a newish one room for 3 million down and 300-350 a month rent. You could even get a loft apartment in that price range around d Gwangali. 3-5 is possible, it's possible to go even lower on the key money.

[jodie1903]

Hi, its Namgu

[jodie1903]

during the interview they did say they would help find accommodation, but i want to find something where i don't have to pay too much key money in advance

[wanderkind]

[Weigookin74]

[Weigookin74]