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ESL Korea FAQ: |
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This FAQ is based on my and several other peoples experiences in Korea. Last updated 2/01. |
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"What doesn't kill us makes us stronger."
-Nietszche
"The greatest happiness is to vanguish your enemy: to chase him before you; to see his cities reduced to ashes; to rob him of his wealth; to see those dear to him bathed in tears; to clasp to your bosum his wives and daughters."
-Ghengus Khan |
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(1) What Should I Bring With Me To Korea? |
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(15) Can I Work In Korea On A Tourist Visa? |
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(2) Can I Enter Korea On A One Way Ticket? |
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(16) I'm 45-55, Will That Be A Problem? |
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(3) Can I Get A Job Without A Degree? |
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(17) I Want To Leave My Contract. What To Do? |
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(4) What About Getting Dental Work Done In Korea? |
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(18) My Boss Won't Give Me A Release Letter. What Can I Do? |
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(5) Whats The Best Advice You Could Give Someone Thinking Of Coming To Korea? |
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(19) How Do I Do A Visa Run To Osaka Or Fukuoka? |
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(20) Whats The Story About Teaching Privates? |
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(6) Is Korea Really As Bad As The People Say It Is? And If So Why Don't They Leave? |
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(21) How Much Should I Charge For Privates And Other Part-Time Work? |
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(7) What Questions Should I Ask My Prospective Employer? |
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(22) What Exactly Is A Release Letter? |
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(8) What Should I Look For In A Contract? |
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(23) Whats The Story About Recruiters? |
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(9) Which Is Better, The Country Or the Cities, Seoul Or Pusan? |
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(24) How Big A Percentage Of Hagwons Are Actually "Bad"? |
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(10) What Do I Need To Know About Korean Etiquette? |
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(25) If Koreas So Bad Why Go There At All? |
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(11) What Do Things Cost In Korea? |
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(26) How Does Korea Compare To Taiwan And Japan? |
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(12) Can I Save Money In Korea? |
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(27) When And How Can I Pursue Legal Action? |
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(13) Whats The Weather Like Over There? |
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(14) Can I Buy In Korea All the Usual Things I Can Get At Home? |
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(1) What Should I Bring With me To Korea? Items that can be hard to find esp if you're out of Seoul include deodorant, tampons, antiperspirant, brand name drugs like Panadol etc. General items to bring include duvets or other bedding (they usu don't provide), plenty of clothes esp if you're an outsize, smart clothes or a suit for guys (they will treat you totally differently if you wear a suit). Lastly bring at least a couple of copies of your degree, your birth certificate and plenty of cash just in case things don't work out at the first place! |
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(2) Can I Enter Korea On A One Way Ticket? Usu you can get in OK with a one way ticket (I've done it several times). However some times the airline will require you to purchase an ongoing ticket before boarding. |
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(3) Can I Get A Job Without A Degree? Legally you need a degree to get a work visa and legally teach English here. I have heard of a couple of exceptions where people have worked without a degree but those jobs are few and far between and they typically weren't very good jobs. Try Thailand or Taiwan. |
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(4) What About Getting Dental Work Done In Korea? Its possible to get the services of a US trained dentist in Seoul. As to the quality of normal Korean dental work there are varied reports, some say its fine, others report problems. Personally I wouldn't get any dental work done here unless I had to. |
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(5) Whats The Best 5 Pieces Of Advice You Could Think Of Giving Someone Coming To Korea? Don't many would say! But if you're looking for a challenge you might consider the following:
i) Adapt. If what you're doing isn't working change what you're doing. It can take some learning to get along in Korea. A little diplomacy, politeness, flattery etc can go a very long way in Korea. Keep the big picture in mind and try not to focus on all the little inconveniences that inevitably occur and that may include things like substandard housing, the odd lie and cheating (if you're really getting ripped off you should try and change jobs), weak curriculum, babysitting operations, xenophobia, unpleasant boss etc. If you get into a major tiz every time somebody rips you off a bit on your overtime pay, or on your taxi fare, or because they lied to you about your apartment etc then you're probably have a rough time here. So leave western moral expectations at home, keep things in perspective and you be much happier.
ii) Make an effort to learn about maximizing your teaching skills. Yes teachers do sometimes get fired, sometimes with just a days notice. Sit in on other teachers classes to pick up tips, copy copy copy, have a look at the fun educational games on Daves Cafe http://www.eslcafe.com/ideas/index.html etc. Basicaly the better teacher you become the better things will go at work which is where people in Korea get stressed out. After all you don't hear of tourists here getting stressed!
iii) Type of hagwan: For you first tour of duty try and start at a well run chain school with a strong curriculum. A small mom and pop operation may not be able to give you the support that you need. Also If you're not from Nth America and you have a strong accent try to avoid teaching adults since they will complain and complain and mostly behind your back to your boss. ie teach at a kids school like ECC. This will also enable you to avoid those early morning classes (starting at like 7:00 am) that teaching adults entails. In fact even for those without accents try to avoid split shifts, Saturday work, and lots of compulsory overtime, if you can.
iv) Try and talk to at least two (theres always one with a brown nose) before signing anything. You will probably have to be in country if you do this since they are usually reluctant to give out email addresses. Ask them lots of questions including things like how many teachers have left before completing their contracts, do they pay in full and on time etc. Refer to question 7 for other questions worth asking.
v) Learn Korean. The more you learn the better things will go with your boss and your students.
For a fuller exploration of these questions refer to the link: Korea Tips |
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(6) Is Korea Really As Bad As People Say It Is? And If So Why Don't They Leave? Some people have a rough time here, many others thrive. However almost all leave eventually. You don't tend to get the 20 year vets like you see in Japan. I've seen very few who have been here over 5 years. |
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(7) What Questions Should I Ask My Prospective Employer? Actually instead ask all the teachers there these questions like: How do you like the place, what teachers left their contracts early and under what circumstances, do you get paid fully and on time, what are your class sizes, and is overtime optional etc?
Extra questions to ask for a university job include: Whats the deal with vacation? How long is it and does it get taken over with compulsory teacher training? Do you teach kids as well (a lot of Unis have been "hagwonised") or just university students? How many compulsory office hours do you have to do on top of you 15 or so teaching hours? |
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(8) What Should I Look For In A Contract? No weekend classes, overtime optional, no split shifts, severence pay, that you can moomlight etc. Avoid clauses where you are too heavily penalized for not finishing your contract (like having to pay them back the recruiting fee). Bear in mind though if you add extra clauses it takes longer to find a job where the director will agree to them. Eg even with just a couple of extra clauses like: only in Pusan, pay 1.9 or above, no compulsory overtime, you might spend a couple of months looking instead of the usual couple of weeks. |
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(9) Which Is Better, The Country Or The Cities, Seoul Or Pusan? The answer to this will vary for various personal reasons. Generally the country may be pretty but Pusan And Seoul are where the money is with those privates. Also you might find you get lonely in the country after a while. Seoul again pays better than Pusan on privates but is also more expensive. |
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(10) What Do I Need To Know About Korean Etiquette? Surprisingly little. Be aware of the hierachical nature of Korean society. Always be polite but assertive when necessary when dealing with your boss. A bow when saying hello or goodbye goes down very well. Don't call people by their first (given) name (except with kids) unless they ask. You should address people like your boss with their title, and in the case of your boss thats "Won Jung Nim". Always accept something with your right or preferably two hands, never you left hand. When drinking you fill each others glasses and of course with two hands (unless it casual, or you're good friends etc). |
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(11) What Do Things Cost, How Expensive Is Korea? Broadly speaking there are two sets of prices in Korea, one cheap and the other relatively expensive. The things that are usu cheap are anything "Korean" like Korean food (around 2-3000 won for a good cheap meal), transport (the subway and buses are usu only 600 won), utilities (usu around 70000/mth all up) etc. The things that are relatively expensive in Korean terms (although often normal in Western terms) are anything that is "foreign". This is not just things that are imported like foreign spirits (very expensive) but even things produced locally like strawberry jam, pizza (around 13000 won), MacDonalds Combo (approx 3700 won), a cafe coffee (up to 5000 won). |
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(12) Can I Save Money In Korea? That depends a lot on you. Certainly the potential is that to save quite lot, even over half of what you're earning. On the other hand many people don't save anything in Korea. I've seen people go through their whole months wages in two weeks, and then they have to ask for an advance to get through the next two weeks. And they did this month after month. They had a weakness for drinking imported alcohol on a regular basis. Some things are expensive in Korea (see previous question) and if you are unable to change your consumption habits slightly you won't save as much. |
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(13) Whats The Weather Like Over There? Personal preferences play a large here but personally I think it sucks! Californian weather its not. Its kind of like New Yorks weather. |
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(14) Can I Buy All the Usual Things I Can Get At Home? Not quite. Things have improved a lot over the last few years but there are some things that are difficult if not impossible to obtain esp outside Seoul. These can include decent outsize clothes, deodorant, antiperspirant, tampons, some brand name drugs like Panadol. |
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(15) Can I Work In Korea On A Tourist Visa? Well not legally of course. There are some people who work here (full-time) illegally but nothing like say Taiwan or Thailand. Basically the authorities take a pretty dim view of it and they have people going round checking up on the schools to make sure they're legit (although theres ways to avoid this - see question 20). If they catch someone they can be fined up to 3 mill won (although 1 mill is more typical) or face jail time of up to a year. Also they usu deport you (with none or up to two weeks notice), but not always. |
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(16) I'm 45-55, Will That Be A Problem? In Korea usu not (unlike say Japan); there are lots of older teachers around. They may have a definite preference for youth (along with blond and female!) but its a teachers market here, so, no problem as long as you're Nth American. The only thing is it might take you a little longer than average to land a job and you probably won't get one of the better ones. |
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(17) I Want To Leave My Contract, What To Do? If you want to leave Korea, no problem, just go. You can either do it by the book (if you think your employer will pay your last months salary) or via a "midnight run". If the latter leave on the weekend and tell no one. Once you're through customs you're home free. When your contract expires you can freely apply for another job. If you want to get another job in Korea you need to obtain a "Letter Of Release" which may require a bribe ("recruiting fee" from your next employer) to your present employer.
Another increasingly popular option for those wanting to stay is illegal but many people have got away with it without immigration noticing and that is simply by just leaving the country, coming back and applying for another job and work visa and then going to Japan once more to pick up the visa. A good variation is to get a new passport with a new identification number but you may will need your birth certificate etc to get a copy.
The last option for those wanting to stay in Korea is just to get a tourist visa and work illegally until your old contract expires. See question 15. You need to know how to do this safely though. See question 20 for details.
One of the best solutions if you have the money (you're need around US$2000 set up reserves) is simply to leave Korea and go and work somewhere else like Taiwan for a stint. |
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(18) My Boss Won't Give Me A Release Letter, What Can I Do? First you can try and get people to put pressure on him like from the franchise head office or the Foreign Workers Rights (their new page is still under construction) group ph 02 508 1745 (click here), They will refer you to the proper authorities. Still it seems that basically if he doesn't want to give you one he usually doesn't have to. People usually then end up paying him off or getting their next employer to pay it. |
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(19) How Do I Do A Visa Run To Osaka Or Fuokuoka? For a one day visa run you can fly to Osaka and coordinate the flight schedules, train schedules etc so it all flows smoothly. I have heard a one day run to Fuokuoka is possible if you get the early morning ferry over. See the long FAQ for details. |
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(20) Whats The Story About Teaching Privates? A vital area of interest for a lot of teachers. Most do it but its very illegal and not just with privates but also with all part-time moonlighting (at least without immigrations permission in the latter case).
The real question for teachers is what are the risks (for consequences see question 15) and how can they be minimized? First privates and company work is safer than moonlighting at hagwans. Don't carry textbooks to apartments, be nice to security guards. Carry a dictionary so you can say you're learning Korean. Don't work for new schools, immigration checks up on them. Don't do anything stupid like print business cards (someone did!). |
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(21) How Much Should I Charge For Privates And Other Part-Time Work? As much as you can! For privates there are a few things which may affect how much you can charge including how many are in the classes (more kids means a little bit more money), the type of classes (generally business classes pay the best but bear in mind you need to keep them amused and women sometimes have difficulties) and also location. For privates in Pusan you can charge 30-35000/h. In smaller cities you may be lucky to get 30000. In Seoul you can get up to 45-50000/h (these rates are for one hour blocks, its lower for larger blocks) if you're competant (and Nth American). |
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(22) What Exactly Is A Release Letter? Its a letter from your boss that you need to obtain before you can legally change jobs in Korea. All it has to state is that your boss releases you from your contract on such and such a date so that you are free to sign another one. Make sure that the letter is stamped and preferably notarised. |
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(23) Whats The Story About Recruiters? They're dodgy. But no more dodgy than most hagwon bosses! A usuful source of jobs but use with caution and verify whatever they tell you with the other teachers already there. |
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(24) How Big A Percentage Of Hagwons Are Actually "Bad" And How Many Are "Decent"? Most are "okay" these days but certain practices are still widely prevalent like not freely issuing release letters. Korea still has the worst rep in Asia and the world by far. |
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(25) If Koreas So Bad Why Go There At All? It has several advantages esp for first timers. Not many places around the world will pay for your airfare and set you up in an apartment for free. Many teachers arive in Korea with hardly a dime to their name. Just lots of student loans! |
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(26) How Does Korea Compare To Taiwan And Japan? If you like to party Koreas the place to go, they have bars everywhere. Also it has many financial advantages mentioned previously and its generally easier to save money there than super expensive Japan. Most teachers who have tryed Taiwan or Japan though don't go back. |
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(27) When And How Can I Pursue Legal Action? Firstly you can check out an English version of the labor law on the ever helpful Pusan Web.
The usual cause of legal action is getting paid. To see how somebody successfully obtained their money go to this how to guide: How to Collect Severance Pay in South Korea. Just remember not everyone was as successful as that teacher and try and eliminate all your other options first. Heres a list of lawyers and legal authorities you can go to for advice and action:
Ministry Of Labor. Has a list of all the local branch phone numbers you can call. You will need a Korean friend to help.
US Embassy. They have a long list of lawyers.
Association of Foreign Workers Human Rights
Ph: 02-7955504
Foreign Workers Legal Clinic
Yoksam-Dong, Kangnam-Gu, Seoul
Ph: 02 5081745
Foreign Worker's Labor Counseling Office
Jeo-Dong, 1 Ga 27-2, Jung-Gu, Seoul
Ph: 02 7792049
Seoul Bar Association Foreign Workers Law Office
Mondays/Thursdays.
Ph: 02-34768080
Bar Association Counseling Foreign Workers:
Ph: 02 5210030 |
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