Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Franzferdinand]

Hi all,

New to this forum, so please be kind . I am planning to do a year teaching in Asia, and have been looking at China, Japan and Korea. After some research I have decided that China is not for me so it is a toss up between Japan and Korea.

The thing is, I have a medical condition that is manageable most of the time, but can leave me in serious difficulties if things go wrong. While I was researching China I came across this article on a website for expats - http://www.chinasplash.com/archives/184.html - and it all seemed like sensible enough advice.

What I would like to know is how easy it is to deal with the health services in Korea. I know that question would be easier to answer if I revealed my condition, but I don't feel comfortable doing that on a public forum. I guess what I want to know specifically is:

1. What is the standard of medical care in Korea compared to the US or Europe?

2. If I end up in Korea, how do I go about notifying my local physician or hospital of my condition in advance, in case it flares up, in which case I would probably not be in a state to explain anything to them.

3. What kind of support to the language schools etc generally provide when it comes to pre-existing medical conditions.

4. Has anyone else in the same situation as me gone with the option of an online medical record system, in case of emergencies, accidents etc?

I know these questions are kind of vague, but any insights or advice from those of you in country would be really appreciated. Thanks guys, and it's nice to be a part of this forum.

[dadaclonefly]

Since your condition seems to be quite serious, you could very well be denied a teaching visa if you are honest about it with immigration. I have no experience with this myself, but I have heard about people being denied for medical conditions. Since you don't want to reveal your condition, you should do some research on your own to find out if it is grounds for denial. Maybe call a consulate and ask, or look around the various forums.


If you lie and try to hide it, you are putting yourself in a dangerous position with regards to your health and safety. Your visa could also be revoked if you are discovered to have lied down the road.

[ttompatz]

[Franzferdinand]

Thanks very much for the quick replies guys. I guess the situation in Korea regarding medical checks etc is going to be a pretty big obstacle for me. It's weird, because from what I can tell to apply for a job/visa in Japan having a medical condition is not really a big deal at all, as long as it is not something contagious, which is my case it is not. I wonder why the Koreans are so hard-assed about it?

I checked about the online health records with the guys at my-medi-info mentioned in the ChinaSplash article, and from what they told me it looks like the records are accessible from anywhere, from anyone who you authorize access to, like your physician, and you can get an emergency card to carry with you in case you are unconscious or something.

The toss up between Korea and Japan is starting to lean heavily towards Japan, which is good and bad because I think that without all of the other considerations Japan would have been my first choice anyway. Trouble is, the job market in Japan is tighter than a dog's ass adjusted for ducks (joke repeated at the bottom in case you haven't heard it), whereas in Korea it is a lot easier to get a job teaching. Would appreciate it if anyone could confirm whether my assessment here is accurate.

Out of curiousity, for those who have made it in Korea, how does the health system work for your medical history? Are the results of your medical check etc put into some kind of database, so that if you are admitted to hospital the staff can look them up? If not, how do you deal with this - do you have to fill out a form listing your previous medical problems every time you visit a doc?

I looked around the different Korea forums for a sticky on health issues in Korea, but couldn't find one. Anyone know of one, or be prepared to make one? I guess if you are healthy then it is pretty low on the list of priorities when you have to sort out finding a job then dealing with all the hassles of visa and housing etc, but there must be other people in my situation.

Anyway, excuse the long post, must be a bit hyper today . Any help would be much appreciated, and as a token of my gratitude here is the dog joke


One day two Newfies were discussing which was the best dog to
use as a retriever. "Buys, ya gots to get yerself one of them
yellow Labrador retrievers, but mind, ya gots to check his arsehole.
If his arsehole is too loose he'll fill up with water when he jumps
in and sink straight to the bottom."
The second Newfie says he'll keep that advice in mind and heads
off to a dog breeder in search of a yellow Labrador retriever.
"Buys," says the Newfie to the breeder, "I'm lookin' fer one of
dem Yellow Labrador retrievers."
"I have one in the kennel," replies the breeder and he walks back
to the kennels to get the dog.
The Newfie, when inspecting the dog, lifts up the dogs tail and
takes a look at the dogs arsehole.
"Buys o buys," says the Newf, "That old o-ring looks a bit slack
sure. This dogs gonna jump in the water to retrieve a duck, and
with his arsehole all slack like that he's gonna sink straight to
the bottom sure."
The breeder takes a look at the dogs hind end, reaches under the
dog and grabs it by its *beep* and gives them a quick twist.
The dogs areshole puckers up tight.
"Sorry buy," said the breeder, "I had him adjusted for quail."