Korean Job Discussion Forums

chilgok007 · Joined: 28 May 2006 Location: Chilgok

Are there any foreigners in Korea who work in fields that are not in any way related to ESL (besides military jobs)?

PRagic · Joined: 24 Feb 2006

Sure, but they are probably not posting on this ESL Cafe board!

chilgok007 · Joined: 28 May 2006 Location: Chilgok

OK, allow me to modify my original question, if I may.

What types of non-ESL jobs are available to foreigners out here?

I guess that in itself is a pretty broad question. I know a couple of people who visit a few times a year on business, but I have yet to meet any non-teachers who actually live and work in Korea, whether it be for a Korean company or an MNC. Of course, I know they exist somewhere. I'm just curious as to what they do. In China, non-teaching foreigners are as ubiquitous as the spit on the sidewalk...

PRagic · Joined: 24 Feb 2006

Join AMCHAM and go from there. Thre are also some foreigners working in trade facilitation. Korean inward FDI is a fraction of China's. Korea does employ some engineers, and there are a good many kyopo working in finance/exchanges. There are a load of russians doing trade here, as well as some other minority E. Europeans and Africans. Again, it is odd that you ask this on an ESL board.

PRagic · Joined: 24 Feb 2006

Join AMCHAM and go from there. Thre are also some foreigners working in trade facilitation. Korean inward FDI is a fraction of China's. Korea does employ some engineers, and there are a good many kyopo working in finance/exchanges. There are a load of russians doing trade here, as well as some other minority E. Europeans and Africans. Again, it is odd that you ask this on an ESL board.

huffdaddy · Joined: 25 Nov 2005

Captain Corea · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Location: Seoul

There's always acting and dancing Smile

Pa Jan Jo A Hamnida · Joined: 27 Oct 2006 Location: Not Korea

A few months ago when I was holiday. My friend in Busan asked me why I couldn't work in my current company's office in Seoul. Admittedly, it would be great (no split shift!) but I imagine the language barrier might pose a problem.

poof · Joined: 23 May 2005

Factory work - predominently SE Asian immigrants
Construction work - ditto
Modelling - Russians
Bar work - Eastern European
TV work - some weirdos get on TV here - no acting skills or looks required, it seems
NGO work - all sorts, but largely unpaid
Kitchen chefs - anyone with the right talent
Shipping/dockwork - lots of E Europeans

Unless you're a fluent Korean speaker, you can't expect any job which you couldn't get back home. Why would a country employ a foreigner in top positions if they couldn't speak Korean?

Juregen · Joined: 30 May 2006

diablo3 · Joined: 11 Sep 2004

so, you see, you look for the jobs where english is used. The IT & T industry is one example. Even if they speak Korean, when they use the tools, they must be used in english. You have a chance, and then you can start learning Korean on the way.

Good luck

buylow sellhigh · Joined: 18 Oct 2005

R-Seoul · Joined: 23 Aug 2006 Location: your place

I'm not an esl teacher, but i did get the job offer before moving out here. You do meet other foreigners working for the bigger companies; Samsung, LG, HSBC etc all have them. And yes it can be a pain going to meetings where 80% of the time Korean is spoken or being asked to look over documents that are in laughingly poor english. Another big minus is the long hours, 9 to 5 simply does not exist here.

Don't bother with AMCHAM, i went to 1 meeting and it was just middle aged Korean men plus the odd white face all with some vague link to US business.

Probably the best way to get your foot in the door is by doing english editing for one of the larger companies & then working your way up.

JZer · Joined: 13 Jan 2005 Location: South Korea

You can definitly find foreign Engineers working here for Samsung, Simens, etc. I just met an American Engineer yesterday.

ella · Joined: 17 Apr 2006