Korean Job Discussion Forums

[meangradin]

I don't want to be an alarmist, but I own a hagwon in Ulsan and we were recently summoned to a government run meeting informing us of proposed changes to E-2 regulations. Basically, the rules are the same as before, criminal record checks (inside of Korea and from native countries), original degrees, etc... HOWEVER, these documents are to be handed in every year, and these rules apply to all employees, E-2's and F visa holders alike. Suffice to say, the hagwon owners went ballistic, as it is yet another example of the govt. making out lives more difficult.

I should note that the criminal record check requirement was vague. I asked a govt. officer what he meant by a criminal record check; was it an intra-Korean record check or an actual FBI check? Of course, he did not really know, but thought it meant the FBI as well as the Korean check.

[schwa]

I bet what was meant was an annual local check, in line with the newish public school policy (for all teachers, Korean & foreign) to submit a simple form with ID number & signature to the local police station to run against the national criminal data bank.

Anything more would be stupid. I really dont believe immigration honchos are stupid. One rationale of the ramped up entry requirements was to streamline & simplify immi procedures for law-abiding longtermers.

[ttompatz]

[TheUrbanMyth]

[jrwhite82]

[Riker]

South Korea has become a losing game when you calculate all the time + money just to get over there.

But the lemmings will still line up in droves for a job that doesn't pay health care, pension, and 30+ hours of teaching kids per week.

Unreal...

[tideout]

At

[PatrickGHBusan]

First of all this is not in effect as of yet. Second of all, like many such "new" regulations, it stands a high chance of being relaxed and modified before becoming official.

So, in essence, keep informed but perhaps its a tad early to pass judgement on the "viability of Korea for foreign teachers"

I know that sounds good and makes a loud bang but seriously now....


Still, working abroad has always been and always will be a comparative game. Foreign workers will go where they feel they get the best overal package in line with what they prefer. Korea will be chosen by some, China by others. Another issue is what can be called natural evolution of the asian esl-efl market. As such a market changes things happen. Look at Japan, over 15 years it went as the top ESL destination to a flooded market where requirements for jobs are higher and expenses for teachers are also higher. Korea will be no different and as the market shifts, the types of jobs and people that end up there will shift. Clearly the chinese market is wide open for the mass of entry-level positions with little to no requirements. That is a typical spark to grow an ES market populated with foreign teachers: ease of access and slightly improving pay conditions along with reasonable costs of living. So, what you will likely see is a shift for Mr or Mrs BA holder in anything with no experience from Korea to China.

The Korean market will then either struggle or move into another stage. Jobs for qualified teachers will however remain and the pay for these will remain far above the entry level positions that now flood the market.

Up to each of us to then decide where we feel the best opportunity lies.

[earthquakez]

As someone who used to get more pissed off with Korea than they should have over the past year but decided to stay on, I have to say that while these changes sound like more inconvenience, the more I hear about the insanity of Japan where I used to work, the better I feel about Korea.

The dysfunction and weirdness of Japan has really manifested itself with the 'Let the peasants be radiated for the sake of a farming minority and for preserving face' (deliberately sending radiated vegetables and other food from the danger areas to other parts of Japan for children and others to eat and making children eat them for school lunches over the protests of parents) as well as the sheer 16th century type of official responses to all aspects of the Fukushima and surrounding areas' disasters.

Japan's deeply ingrained autistic elements even after such an immense crisis should scare off anybody normal from working there. I honestly think Koreans would have come out fighting against such abuses of the population in the aftermath of a nuclear tragedy.

As for China - a country that sees nothing wrong by law in forcing women to have abortions, conducts public excecutions to serve as a warning to the masses, has its army running factories that openly manufacture fakes and industries based upon stealing the intellectual property and patents of the world, and harvests organs from prisoners not yet excecuted including those who have spiritual beliefs the regime opposes hardly offers a normal alternative. In China you also have to jump through hoops including medical check ups with a byzantine form and you cannot travel freely throughout the country.

Korea is a bastion of normality compared to these two, is far cleaner and better than other Asian countries, and is not excessive in its demands for documentation though it is a pain in the neck to get the information together.

[jrwhite82]

I knew you'd come around earthquakez

[hagwonnewbie]

I never submitted a national cbc and I'm still teaching on my e-2

[Riker]

I've had many friends move from Japan to Korea and vice-verse and the opinion is always the same.

Japan, even in its depressed state is WAY better than Korea, just for the simple fact that you can openly do Privates and nobody cares. Also not being a visa slave to your work does wonders for the stress level.

The fact that you can't do privates without fear of deportation makes South Korea an annoying undertaking for sure.

I know guys in Saudi Arabia who do [Mod Edit] privates and nobody cares. The School even lets him use his office. SAUDI ARABIA !!!

Privates and Visa security are the holy grail of ESL teaching, and South Korea has neither.

[big_fella1]

[TheUrbanMyth]

[Zyzyfer]

Worrisome stuff if it goes through.