Korean Job Discussion Forums

Snowkr · Joined: 03 Jun 2005

Is this happening everywhere?

In my city, Wonju, all of the hogwons have to send teachers to a seminar (apparantly once a year) regarding immigration policies. This seminar is held from 9am to 1pm this saturday. I don't really mind being chewed out with threats of deportation for this and that but on a saturday? I was also told that schools who employing foreign teachers who don't attend will be fined.

Any thoughts...?
Most of us (if I'm not mistaken) are not being paid to attend this thing either.

Grotto · Joined: 21 Mar 2004

Its bullcrap!

Every year they rattle the cages of the hogwan owners and have 'mandatory' meetings. I never went to any of them when I was in Korea.

I just told the boss that if they wanted me to go it was overtime and full expenses all the way. Its not in my contract and that is that.

Never heard another peep until the next year.

Dont go!

BadEgg · Joined: 08 Jan 2006 Location: UK

Last year, in Anyang, the city government decided that all hogwon teachers, Korean and foriegn had to attend a mandatory "teacher training" day on a saturday. Me and the other foriegn teacher just said "screw that" and didn't go. Never heard anything else about it.

Return Jones · Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 2:55 am Post subject:

I agree with Grotto. I'm going on my fifth year in Korea and have never been required to attend any of these alleged meetings. The only place I hear about them is on this board. Strange.

Pak Yu Man · Joined: 02 Jun 2005 Location: The Ida galaxy

It's just a bunch of small people in small dead end jobs trying to stir up some trouble and make themselves feel important.

When nobody shows up they'll again feel useless and unimportant and have to deal with their meaningless lives in some other manner.

SeoulMan6 · Joined: 27 Jul 2005 Location: Gangwon-do

If you had a job back home in the US/UK/Canada/wherever, and your boss said, "hey, we've got an annual training meeting on Saturday morning", would you tell your boss to go stuff himself?

If you would, then you'd probably be fired or at least reprimanded and put on notice. So why do you make such a stink over a single meeting in Korea?

Sure, it sucks. Sure, it's Saturday. But most jobs in this world come with occasional hassles that have to be dealt with it. It's once a year. Deal with it.

Grotto · Joined: 21 Mar 2004