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Vix
Joined: 18 Jun 2010
Location: Seoul
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 Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 7:15 am Post subject: Moved to a goshiwon, are you kidding me? |
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So I recently moved to a new school. Before I went I was promised I could stay in my old school's apartment. Of course that fell through for some BS reason so I had to move into their previous teacher's apartment. While it wasn't awful there it was very old and had some mold issues. My boss a month later pulls me aside and told me she felt that apartment wasn't the best as it is old and she can move me to a better one if I want. Of course I said yes because mold long term probably won't do me any favours. Then yesterday I get to see my new apartment. It's not an apartment it's a goshiwon. It is so small I can't even fit a single bed in it. I suppose it has the benefit of being brand new. So new in fact they haven't even finished the building yet. Or the one next door. I asked about this and they will be finished building it in October, so I will be woken by banging at 6am for 4 months too...yay 
I get the feeling I was moved so the Hagwon can save money from the bigger apartment I was in before. I wouldn't put it past them. Is there anything I can do about this? I was promised an apartment not a cupboard! I really don't think I can stick out my contract in there, it's too depressing the walls squeeze in  |
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marsavalanche
Joined: 27 Aug 2010
Location: where pretty lies perish
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| Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 7:30 am Post subject: |
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I've stayed in a goshiwon for two months when I was looking for work in Korea. Depressing is right.
How long are you into your contract?
If you were promised an apartment, someone will come here and tell you to contact the labor board.
My advice?
Prepare a fresh set of docs NOW (no seriously, get to the police station with a Korean friend TOMORROW and take the fingerprints for a CBC) and pull a runner. Sure you may end up living in a goshiwon ironically looking for work, but I can't imagine a school expecting you to stay in a goshiwon for an entire year. I don't care if it's Korean culture, that's inhumane. |
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jrwhite82
Joined: 22 May 2010
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| Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 8:40 am Post subject: |
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| I don't know if a runner would be necessary. Why don't you just tell your director that a goshiwan is not suitable as a long term house. He has to know that you wouldn't want to live there all year. Tell him you'd be happy to stay there until YOU AND HIM find something better together. This could be a great opportunity for you to get a say in what apartment you live in. |
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ssuprnova
Joined: 17 Dec 2010
Location: Saigon
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| Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 11:11 am Post subject: |
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| Just say no. |
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DaHu
Joined: 09 Feb 2011
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| Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 4:27 pm Post subject: |
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I'll actually be moving INTO a goshiwon next week.  |
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Julius
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 8:00 pm Post subject: |
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| jrwhite82 wrote: |
| I don't know if a runner would be necessary. Why don't you just tell your director that a goshiwan is not suitable as a long term house. He has to know that you wouldn't want to live there all year. Tell him you'd be happy to stay there until YOU AND HIM find something better together. This could be a great opportunity for you to get a say in what apartment you live in. |
Right. Try negociation to bring the desired result here.
If you sense that they are not going to help, then you give an ultimatum. |
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NohopeSeriously
Joined: 17 Jan 2011
Location: The Christian Right-Wing Educational Republic of Korea
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| Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 11:58 pm Post subject: |
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You do know that there are haunted stories about goshiweon among Korean students, right?
You would also find unemployed 27-29 year old Koreans at a goshiweon if you're lucky.  |
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koreatimes
Joined: 07 Jun 2011
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| Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 12:09 am Post subject: |
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The good news is when you do your runner, you won't have to run 
Just stay in the same goshiwon and pay them until you get a new school. |
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marsavalanche
Joined: 27 Aug 2010
Location: where pretty lies perish
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ontheway
Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Location: Somewhere under the rainbow...
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| Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 7:50 am Post subject: Re: Moved to a goshiwon, are you kidding me? |
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| Vix wrote: |
So I recently moved to a new school. Before I went I was promised I could stay in my old school's apartment. Of course that fell through for some BS reason so I had to move into their previous teacher's apartment. While it wasn't awful there it was very old and had some mold issues. My boss a month later pulls me aside and told me she felt that apartment wasn't the best as it is old and she can move me to a better one if I want. Of course I said yes because mold long term probably won't do me any favours. Then yesterday I get to see my new apartment. It's not an apartment it's a goshiwon. It is so small I can't even fit a single bed in it. I suppose it has the benefit of being brand new. So new in fact they haven't even finished the building yet. Or the one next door. I asked about this and they will be finished building it in October, so I will be woken by banging at 6am for 4 months too...yay
I get the feeling I was moved so the Hagwon can save money from the bigger apartment I was in before. I wouldn't put it past them. Is there anything I can do about this? I was promised an apartment not a cupboard! I really don't think I can stick out my contract in there, it's too depressing the walls squeeze in |
It sounds like you're in the early part of your contract. If so, you should politely thank them for moving you, but explain that the new housing will not do. You need decent housing if you're going to survive in Korea. It costs money to set up housing, (more than most teachers realize) and you appreciate it, and you'll be happy to help them look for something suitable, but you can't stay in the goshiwon.
Talk to your boss. Be calm, firm and politely persistant. Try to set up an appointment with your boss to look for a new apartment the next day - before or after classes etc. Not next week, tomorrow, or better yet, if possible, today.
Give it a week or two before you go to the ultimatum stage. |
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ajosshi
Joined: 17 Jan 2011
Location: ajosshi.com
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| Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 4:04 pm Post subject: goshiwon |
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goshiwon.com
couple videos for complete newbs |
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robinsoncrusoe
Joined: 22 Jan 2010
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| Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 5:13 pm Post subject: Re: goshiwon |
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| ajosshi wrote: |
goshiwon.com
couple videos for complete newbs |
nice. |
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natasha12
Joined: 26 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 10:13 pm Post subject: Hi Vix! |
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| How did that turn out for you,Vix? |
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Hotpants
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 2:10 am Post subject: |
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Unless the job itself is a good one, I would think about moving on, since what you're being offered for 'housing' sounds a joke by relative standards. I won't comment on the goshiwon part, but the novelty of living next to a construction site wears off in about...5 minutes.
If the job is worth holding on to, I would suggest asking your school for a housing allowance instead and arranging your own place. Unless you're in a district like Gangnam, you can get your own place at not too great a cost. |
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Vix
Joined: 18 Jun 2010
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 4:50 am Post subject: |
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| Yeah I am still looking for a job. I might try and get Gepik for September. My boss won't give me 2 mins of her time to talk about it. Not good. |
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