Korean Job Discussion Forums

[margaret]

I have found a job through Korean Teachers Club and until now was very satisfied with the offer and the speed and quality of communication. Now something mysterious has come up. I signed the contract maybe 5 weeks ago, and sent them my paper work for my E-2 a month ago. I told them I would like to know my flight details soon because my boyfriend is coming with me and we'd like him to be able to fly on the same flight. So suddenly over this issue communication has broken down. They called me last week and confirmed my date of availability and nearest international airport. I thought I'd hear from them soon, but didn't. I emailed them again yesterday and again, nothing. The weird thing is that I'd think that it would be cheaper for the school to buy the ticket ASAP. I can only guess possible reasons for this:
1) They won't buy my ticket until my paper work is processed over there because they don't trust me but don't want to say so.
2) They are hoping to hire someone else even though they signed a contract with me and will only send me the ticket if they can't find someone else.
3) the recruiter has some kind of deal with the airline to make it to their advantage to buy last minute tickets instead of buying in advance.
This seems different from the usual Korean last-minute-itis as all of my other interactions with the recruiter and school were amazingly fast.
Anybody have a similar experience or a better guess as to why this is happening?
Margaret

[Ya-ta Boy]

If you took a poll, I'll bet the majority of people received their tickets etc. the day before they took off or two days before at most. I would bet next month's salary on it.

[billyg]

So funny, I woke up this morning thinking I was going to call the school I signed a contract with to threaten them over the departure date info. I received some emails from people saying the same thing, that your flight info will arrive 2-4 days before departure. I'm starting to realize that the patience game has already begun. I too had day to day communication with my hogwan director, but the moment they received my contract and additional docs, I recieved one phone call in the last three weeks. I guess this is just the way things work and you are already subject to them, even before the wheels of the plane touch the runway. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[Real Reality]

Why should they work hard for you? Why should they send you the information early? Why can't you wait until the day before the flight leaves?

Foreigners Experience Difficulties in Living in Korea
Overall living conditions, including education, housing, medical care, transportation, immigration, and access to the Internet are pointed to as inconveniences. Not only inconveniences caused by different systems and customs in Korea, but also special discriminating practices, such as the practice of submitting two years of monthly rent in advance like a deposit, which is required of foreigners just because they are foreigners, are ubiquitous.... An official in the International Cooperation Division of Seoul City admitted, "The same complaints regarding visas, transportation, education, and environment are raised every year without being solved, due to the lack of cooperation from government agencies involved and their passive attitudes."
by Jae-Dong Yu Soo-Jung Shin, Donga.com (July 4, 2004)
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2004070522448

96.5% of Young Employees Wish To Work Abroad
It is reported that 96.5% of the young employees in Korea wish to work abroad. According to a survey conducted by Korea Recruit (www.recruit.co.kr) from Aug. 30 to Sept. 2 to 4,710 employees between age twenty and thirty, 96.5 percent of the respondents (4,543 people) answered that they wish to work abroad.
Chosun Ilbo (September 6, 2004)
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200409/200409060026.html

For Housing Rentals, Foreigners Easy Victims
Foreign residents in Seoul are preferred over any Korean tenant by their landlords because they are paying several times as much as what Koreans are paying for their rent, realtors and industry sources say.
by Byun Duk-kun, Korea Times (August 28, 2003)
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200308/kt2003082818233111970.htm

"No chair for foreigner" GM Daewoo head told
He may be the president of GM Daewoo, but he is still an outsider in the Korean car industry. The Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association has decided that Nick Reilly, a Briton, cannot be the new chairman of the organization. The automobile association's rule states that only Koreans can lead the industry grouping. Mr. Reilly has thus stepped aside to allow his vice president, Lee Young-kook, to head the organization.

An official at the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association said it was unthinkable in a global era to have a regulation that denies a foreigner chairmanship. He added that Carlos Ghosn, Nissan Motor president, could head the Japanese association.
by Kim Tae-jin and Lee Ho-jeong, JoongAng Daily (January 18, 2005)
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200501/17/200501172228551609900090509051.html

[ajstew]

If it's anything like I'm experiencing with a travel agent right now... it has to do with the travel agents themselves being unable to sell the tickets themselves at the discounted price to people, hagwons, etc... because they do not have the March prices just yet. This the travel agent in my case, said that he should have it by the end of the week

[the eye]

Margaret, just wait until you get here....
"new cuhlass tooday. u teachy now, ok?"

...and Real Reality, your references are meanigless, get some sleep.

[Tiger Beer]

[eamo]

Probably in your case they want to get all the paperwork done before they buy your tickets.

But you will notice when you are here one of the Korean traits......They will never pay any money until the last minute.

For example. If it's your payday and they have a choice of transferring your money to your bank account in the morning or the afternoon they will always do it in the afternoon. Late afternoon!

[dulouz]

Maragret, I recommend you not come here. If you are lured by the plane ticket, de lure your self. Its really bad here, you will regret it. Japan and Taiwan are much much better.

[billyg]

Dulouz, you said the same thing to me in another thread. Please elaborate on what you mean. Are you being facetious or are you truly serious? If you are, sell it to me, tell what the lure of Tawain and Japan are, in comparison to the supposed nonsense of SK.

[dulouz]

1) Korea is uglier than Japan and Taiwan. Its just uglier and lesser in culture and accomplishments. Korea is a Japan knock off and a bad one.
Taiwan has better weather, its tropical and closer to SE Asia fun spots.

2) After the scams, the pay is the same. The memories will be much much less soiled.

3) Taiwan has the same walk up and get a job atmosphere but without the airfare and bonus scam.

There is no free lunch, no free bonus, no free airfare.

[dulouz]

billy, my advice is to actually come here. Work and save your money, rely on getting no airfare and no bonus. You will get the airfare to Korea but none other. Come for three months and travel lite. Pull a runner, go to Bangkok for a month and get a CELTA, then go to Taiwan. After that contact year, you can come back if you want but until then, you are bannished from working in Korea. CELTA is a desired credential but much less so in Korea. It ain't about teaching here. if you come back, expect a little trouble about your past but not from the authorities, from the schools. Lie to them if they ask.

Really, Taiwan is beautiful and warm. Japan is a real experience and Korea is about spitting and little else.

The Koreans promise you everything. In a way, it like phone sex and you keep calling back. They are wonderful with small pieces of humanity, extra kimchi, a cup of coffee, a slice of apple but this facet is poison.

[billyg]

So, your saying that you need to already be there to truly reap the benefits? Fair enough, if SK does not work out, I'll hitting you up for the hook up... you down?

[Real Reality]

Relaying the news

Lead Actress of 'The Scarlet Letter' Commits Suicide
A popular South Korean movie actress who played a gloomy mistress who committed suicide in the film "The Scarlet Letter" hung herself on Tuesday, local police said. Lee Eun-joo, 25, was found dead by her brother in the dressing room of her apartment in Seongnam, just a few kilometers south of Seoul, they said.
Yonhap News (February 22, 2005)
http://www.yonhapnews.co.kr/Engnews/20050222/300100000020050222150439E5.html

EDITORIAL: Fatal waves of depression
These are all gloomy signs that a growing number of Koreans are suffering from the long recession. Even more depressing, suicides resulting from economic difficulties have risen to new highs since the financial crisis of 1997-98. The nation is already known for having the highest suicide rate among the 23 OECD members. It is perturbing that the suicide rate moves in parallel with our economic indicators. So does the divorce rate in Korea, which ranks the second highest in the world after the United States.
The Korea Herald (August 27, 2004)
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2004/08/27/200408270011.asp

Suicides Hit Record High in 2003
By Bae Keun-min, Korea Times (September 22, 2004)
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/biz/200409/kt2004092214480811860.htm

Suicides in Han River increasing, police say
by Bae No-pil, JoongAng Daily (May 23, 2004)
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200405/23/200405232335541139900090409041.html

69.1 Percent of Poll Respondents Unsatisfied with Life
Those replying "We live without a hope" with regard to the country's recent politics, economy and social affairs accounted for 69.1 percent in a poll conducted by the Korea Gallop at the request of the Chosun Ilbo.
by Hong Yung-lim, Chosun Ilbo (August 8, 2004)
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200408/200408080035.htm

[dulouz]

The reason you are choosing Korea over Taiwan and Japan is because of the airfare, bonus, housing and lots of jobs. You have to fill out a bunch of forms to work in Japan, not so here.

You don't know squat about Korea and never cared to learn until someone dangled money in front of you. I think you worry and rightly so, its stessful, moving to a new place and a new life. It also makes you vulnerable.

The teaching experience is valueless, the money is so so to so so minus. Yes, come here for awhile, see what its like and leave after a few months if its bad. Expect to be dissapointed. Quitting on 30 day notice is preferable but you won't go to hell if you run.