Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Aelric]

Well, I've hit my savings goal and I'm thinking that perhaps I want to roam a bit earlier than I planned, maybe around the winter vacation. I was wondering if anybody has been able to legitimately get their EPIK contract shortened at the cost of severance in order to avoid having anything to pay back or at least not look like a stain on a resume.

If not, then if there are any runners here, what exactly did you have to pay back? I know they deny your severance and you have to repay airfare and the initial 300k won settlement allowance, but I already got a one year bonus as I'm a bit into my second year now. Will I have to repay that as well? Was there anything more?

I'd prefer to do this nicely and I will probably last at least until the end of the school year, but I'm about ready to hit greener pastures sooner rather than later.

[Aelric]

60 views and no replies? I swear, any thread I touch dies and any I make is avoided like poison. Do I need a breath mint?

[nathanrutledge]

No, you can't shorten your contract.

Pulling a runner means that you leave, without telling them. Thus, you don't pay anything back. You stick it to the Man and go away, never to return. It's a pretty sleazy thing to do, reserved only for the worst possible circumstances. It sounds to me like you just want to quit and be a vagabond. That's messed up.

Assuming you DON'T mean run and you just want to quit, I'm not sure about EPIK, but GEPIK says you don't have to repay the flight IF you've been here for more than 6 months. You'd pay your bills, they'd keep the severance and the flight back money and you're on your merry way, free of the stain of running.

But I must ask, how long have you been at the job? How much time do you have left? Why don't you just suck it up, finish the contract, save some EXTRA money, make the employer happy, then go enjoy the world? The world will still be here when you're done, and if it isn't, you wouldn't really care at that point, would you?

[Aelric]

Well, I've been here going on 14 months now and while the job isn't a problem, I'm getting sick of being treated and outright called a child molester and AIDS spreader. Playing bogeyman to all this nations woes and frustrations was not something I signed on for. I'm also just not living the life I want to be here, and as many on these very forums say quite often, if you are not happy: leave. I wish I could take the job with me.

And that is why I want this to end on as good of terms as possible. I'm not down for 9 more months, but I think I could do three. I realize the renewing was a mistake, but mistakes happen.

Point taken about sucking it up,but I don't think I'm doing myself any favors staying here and picking up more and more bad habits. I want to get home, and get into grad school ASAP instead of wasting time here when I no longer need the money.