Korean Job Discussion Forums

hockeyguy109 · Joined: 22 Dec 2008 Location: Daegu

Hi everybody,
I feel terrible asking this question (because I'm trying to quit), but I was wondering if most hagwons allow cigarette breaks for teachers? What kind of smoking rules do they have?

Bibbitybop · Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Location: Seoul

Pretty much every Korean male smokes, often inside buildings and even in private rooms in schools.

For breaks, you probably have time between classes to do whatever you want.

hockeyguy109 · Joined: 22 Dec 2008 Location: Daegu

Does that mean you can smoke while teaching kindergartners? lol
Not that I would, but that's amazing. The univeristy I just graduated from had "designated smoking tents" in the less busy parts of campus.

VanIslander · Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 2:45 am Post subject:

cigarette breaks?

what is this, 1976?

(I guess Korea is a good three decades behind in many things, so this may be one of them)

sojourner1 · Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 2:55 am Post subject:

I smoked in my 1st year at a hagwon on the roof of the school. It was a 3 story building with a 4th floor with no ceiling where you could climb stairs and the roof was like a floor. You typically have 10 minutes between classes scheduled back to back. Some 10 to 12 year old kids downed me for stinking like a big cigarette which is a positive sign that the kids see where the adults are going so wrong with all this pollution. Korea is indeed one big cigarette smoker so it's still quite socially acceptable to smoke, even in nonsmoking areas, becuase it seems to be tolerated to be inconsiderate of others. Not only with smoking, but with a whole slew of things. This is where so many rants about the assclowns originate from.

In Korea, guys break no smoking rules all the time with no repercussions where you can smoke in nonsmoking bathrooms, hallways, stairwells, broom closets, or just anywhere away from your students. Male Korean teachers and office staff smoke around students at school and it's no big deal, but I wouldn't do it.

Thankfully, I don't have to worry about all that nor inducing heart disease on myself anymore since I've quit. As for the smoke and chemical pollution, it really is bad in the cities. Korea is one smokey joe. If you like to smoke and drink cheap stuff, then Korea is 7th heaven.

I'm no Picasso · Joined: 28 Oct 2008

Sucks to be a female smoker. The male teachers are smoking all over the place -- left, right and center. But I have to have a renegade male teacher sneak me into the men's room while the VP is occupied and hope the other male teachers who come in and out don't rat me out. In the meantime, I have to walk past the "smoking" room with the door swinging open and closed wafting the sweet odor directly into my face.

Camp is a great time for me, though. Just hit the teachers' bathroom on the fourth floor where the offices are empty, and lock the door.

hockeyguy109 · Joined: 22 Dec 2008 Location: Daegu

So are female teachers not allowed to smoke, even in "smoking rooms"?

Bibbitybop · Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Location: Seoul

^ Culturally, no, but I'm guessing I'm No Picasso is not part of this culture.

Western women smoke anywhere that men smoke. The brave Korean women will also smoke freely as a man would, even if it still brings the "*beep*" comment from the smoking ajossi passing by.

crosbystillsstash · Joined: 12 Oct 2008

Check out the stairwell.

aka Dave · Joined: 02 May 2008 Location: Down by the river

Interesting story, and this is absoultely true.

This tenured professor, about 15 years ago, used to teach at San Francisco state, I don't even rember what. He was a legally blind guy, and also a heavy smoker.

Back then they passed one of the first laws banning smoking in Uni classrooms, but he wasn't going to have any part of it. He taught the class from outside the class room, through a window, smoking all the while. I met the guy at a conference, and he swore it was true.

Ruairi · Joined: 30 Nov 2008

Classic. Sadly those kinda profs are going the way of the dodo it seems. Universities aint what they used to be.

justaguy · Joined: 01 Jan 2008 Location: seoul

I love cigarette breaks.

yingwenlaoshi · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Location: ... location, location!

I love cigarette breaks, too. I only had 5 minutes between classes at my last job (but I didn't work that many every day). Now I'm back to 10 minutes between. Makes a big difference.

The second last job I had was an afterschool program with WIN EDUCATION WHO SUCK where we had 5 minutes between classes and were not allowed to smoke on school grounds. AND WE HAD TO CLEAN OUR CLASSROOMS! What a bunch of jerkoffs.

I'm no Picasso · Joined: 28 Oct 2008

Perceptioncheck · Joined: 13 Oct 2008