Korean Job Discussion Forums

[billg]

I thought about bringing this up on the International Job board but since it looks like Korea or Taiwan may be my most probable destinations, I thought I would ask it here. I wasn't sure whether this should have been asked on the working in Korea or living in Korea boards sense it seems to involve both. Basically, how easy/difficult is it to bring significant others to live with you when teaching in Korea? Do the schools frown on it? It just seems that living in Korea would be a lot easier if shared with someone you really care about.

[Homer]

I would say it depends on your situation in Korea.

If your spouse will not be teaching at the same school and accomodations are part of your job contract then the school might object to you having someone living in accomodations provided for teachers.

If you get your own accomodations or if your spouse works at the same school or another school then it is no problem.

Finally, if your spouse comes to Korea with you and does not have a teachign job, speaks no Korean and is not going there to study...what will he-she do for the whole year???

Working on a tourist visa these days is not exactly a smart move.

These are the questions you need to ask yourself or at the very least provide more information here if you want a clearer answer.

[kermo]

I would not recommend bringing a girlfriend/boyfriend unless the relationship is near-permanent and/or you already have experience living together.

Living in a foreign country, away from family and friends, can turn a minor tiff into a fractious disaster. It's tough to take a break from one another, and life is just more complicated in general, so stress tends to run high (especially when you're first settling in.) I've seen it happen before, surprisingly quickly.

Tread carefully. If you've got a great relationship just burgeoning at home, stick around for a while, or kiss it goodbye.

[Hater Depot]

There are couple positions advertised regularly on the job board.

[seoulkitchen]

Twice my ex-hagwon hired couples to teach. They shared a studio and both couples actually survived the Korea experience.

Things to beware of:

In the winter the girls went through a depression that was hard on their relationships.

Also, as this was on the edge of Seoul, neither of the girls had any western female friends to hang with. (They were here at seperate times). It's much easier for guys to get friends here.

Working at the same school could be stressful sometimes because they didn't have many chances for alone times.

But, I am happy to say that both couples are back in Canada and doing very well. They said the Korea experience was a lot of work but well worth it.

And most important thing to beware of is the guy getting 'yellow fever'. If that happens you can kiss that relationship goodbye. (personal experience here, oops)

Good luck!

[swade]

My husband is here with me in Korea. He��s not working here but doing his own things via the web. I told my boss before I signed the contract that I was married. My boss thought about it for about 1 hour and later told me that he didn��t have a problem with it (why he would since he��s not married to the guy, I don��t know).

My only concern was finding a school where I would get single housing – no roommate. My husband has a family visa (it was very easy to get since we are legally married) and we live our lives here as would anywhere.

[thursdays child]

Only problem is making sure you have accomodation large enough for two. Especially if working in a large city you may well end up in a 'one-room' studio apartment - that would kill even the most harmonious relationship

[ejmlab]

I'd have to agree with the above posts. My wife is here on a dependent's Visa so she doesn't work. It's been very difficult for her to find friends and we live a very quiet life outside of Seoul. One of the big problems you may encounter is housing. As some of the other posters have pointed out most contracts provide for either shared housing or studio housing. Since I've been in Korea for several years I was able to pick and choose my jobs based on housing and general conditions. However, if you're a first year teacher I think you can expect a studio apartment. Having said all of this, if your significant other plans on working and can get an E-2 visa I think you will find many jobs that are looking for couples. Universities often like couples because they can have 2 teachers occupy one apartment. Hope this helps.