Korean Job Discussion Forums

hojusaram · Joined: 26 Jan 2003 Location: Kangwon do South korea

Post deleted by me - forum not appropriate place to be talking esl matters in a positive way. Happy Holidays.

Corky · Joined: 06 Jan 2004

Are you serious or are you joking?

SuperHero · Joined: 10 Dec 2003 Location: Superhero Hideout

I don't know of a single university job that offers airfare. If you want airfare go work in a hagwon.

laogaiguk · Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Location: somewhere in Korea

Kimchieluver · Joined: 02 Mar 2005

I don't see why you are upset if it wasn't in your contract. By now you should know that loyalty to a school (hagwon, public school, university) counts very little in this land.

Look on the bright side. You had what I am assuming a decent job (you stayed there for three years) and they are not trying to screw you out of anything. I know you probably are qualified as a professor so I will just give you a little reminder of what I had to go through at a hogwan.

Three years of 5-6 days vacation (they tacked it on to weekends and long holidays and I didn't really get to choose when). Late payment every month was the norm, it was never a mistake or just a day late. 2 sick days in 3 years. I worked at one academy for two solid years, had my own housing and they still wanted to get out of paying my severance. They even begged me to stay for another year. A box of gim (dried seaweed) that they passed along to me from one of the students parents (2 times) for Chuseok. An awesome reference letter. That all I got for two solid years of work with only taking one sick day and doing much more than what was in the contract.

hojusaram · Joined: 26 Jan 2003 Location: Kangwon do South korea

Sorry, but I don't think I said upset anywhere did I? I did say I was disgusted that a University would not provide a return trip home from a solid commitment to a three year contract and no complaints.
I leave my university in the knowledge even though I had no incentives whatsoever I had an enjoyable time and enjoyed teaching quite a lot.
I had some great pals over the years here (7 to be exact) and had a lot of ups and downs in the early part, but overcame all the obstacles and learnt to bite my tongue where necessary.
I went through the Hogwan stage, the Epik stage and the University stage and that extra part time work phase. I have travelled extensively throughout Korea and seen what it has to offer, more so than most teachers who have an experience in this country.
I don't have any comments to make any more about the good or bad of this country, it isn't worth it and if you spent time in these chat forums you would go mental just by the sheer volume of crap that passes through it.
I was just mentioning that I thought it was ethically wrong that a university would not fly you home as when you work in most foreign countries the least the company that employs you can do is fly you home. It is both a moral and ethically right thing to do. I have never worked in other contracts where you didn't get flown home, I didn't bother to check on this at entry to my country ( I don't deem it was something to be concerned about at the time). I guess if I ever worked in this contract again I wouldn't be so lax in checking the specifics will I?

laogaiguk · Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Location: somewhere in Korea

hojusaram · Joined: 26 Jan 2003 Location: Kangwon do South korea

What I said was I had a 3900 airfare to pay, I dont say I expected them to pay that did I? I would expect them to pay my fare portion of that, that is all. My family is my responsibility and NO (I think I made my self clear about that in my last email), there was no mention of an airfare in the original contract.
I think maybe you missed the whole point, but not to worry.

Sina qua non · Joined: 20 Jun 2006

Son Deureo! · Joined: 30 Apr 2003

So... they never promised it to you when you agreed to take the job, and now you're disgusted because they're not giving you what they didn't promise you? I don't get it.

It sucks that airfare is so high around Christmas time, but how is that the university's fault?

the_beaver · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

hojusaram · Joined: 26 Jan 2003 Location: Kangwon do South korea

Well thats the biggest pile of rubbish I have ever heard. How strange that people should flip on abnoxious manners button switch when I simply mention something I thought to be ethically wrong. When there is this assumption that everything should be written down on a contract? I think if you look really really hard you will notice that you are in Korea! If you have been here any amount of time you would realise that not everything is written into a contract.
And contrary to your simplistic belief pattern, most good universities do actually offer their Professors a return airfare or airfare upon completion of contract, whether written or not, one only has to browse the ESL job adverts for University Professors to find this information.

Hotpants · Joined: 27 Jan 2006

If it's not in the contract, then I certainly wouldn't expect a charitable offering to pay for my flight.

SuperHero · Joined: 10 Dec 2003 Location: Superhero Hideout

denverdeath · Joined: 21 May 2005 Location: Boo-sahn

Dong-seo does...after two years...

http://www.eslcafe.com/jobs/korea/index.cgi?read=21380

I've worked at three as well, and only had the airfare once.