From somebody who's been in Korea and knows a few things
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Since this website is coming out of my head and through my fingers, I think it might help if I introduce and talk about myself. Not because I want the attention or think that highly of myself, but different people have different ideas and opinions based on their own experiences. Knowing what I think might help you to better understand my words.
Some might think my opinions are "tainted" by who I am. Maybe they are, or maybe those who think me "flawed" have tainted opinions or preconceived notions about me or about Korea. Regardless, I will be candid and honest. As Carole Pope once said, "This is who we are, take it or leave it."
Who am I?
I'm a mid-30s white male, a lifelong resident of British Columbia until I came to Korea. For about twenty years I lived in a small redneck town that was anti-gay, where bigotry toward native people is common, and door to door religious salesmen were commonplace. And I don't agree with those three forms of hate (or any other, for that matter).
I'm an atheist, a non-smoker, a light drinker, and openly state that dope is for dopes. Korea is not Canada, and drug use is a crime. If you want to get high, stay at home. (Even in Canada, I have no patience for marijuana morons.)
I tend to be an inquisitive person and don't accept things I am told without question. (Which is why the RCMP rejected me, because I ask too many [good] questions and think for myself.) Unless I know the reason, I resist blind obedience, and many people don't like that. That turned out to be a problem in Korea where individuality is not prized highly.
Why should anyone listen to me?
Smart people learn from experience. Smarter people learn from other
people's experience. Or to use an old maxim and joke, "The older
I get, the smarter my father was." (Not my old man, at least.
He still refers to blacks as "darkies", if you can believe that.)
No insult intended, but the younger someone is, the more they tend to think they don't need to listen, that they have time to make mistakes. Maybe, but wouldn't it be better to spend that time doing things other than apologizing for your mistakes and fixing them? Most people who come to Korea are fresh out of college and have never travelled before, some never having worked before even at McDonald's. They have no experience about anything, let alone Korea, it would behoove them to listen to someone who has been where they are going.
I don't claim to be worldly and all-knowing, but I have been here awhile and you haven't. And though I am not twenty-something anymore, neither am I old. Old is not an age, it's when your body can't cash the cheques your ambition wants to write. Mine still can and I have lots of ambition left. When I was 21, I was just like you and thought I knew everything. Then I grew up.
How did I get here?
For several years I tried landing jobs teaching in Japan and was rejected
because the only way in at the time was the JET program (Japan English
Teaching) and they have an agist bias, nobody over thirty is accepted.
I never did get a job in Japan, much to my regret ("Anata wa nihongo o hanashimasuka?"). During May 2001 while looking over job boards at the local college I ran across a posting for teaching in Korea. I thought, "What the hell," and applied. Within six weeks, including the time it took to renew my passport and ship my documents to the recruiter in Korea, I was on a flight.
There are only four qualifications for teaching English in Korea. I fit
the criteria, so I was hired:
- Are you alive and breathing?
- Do you have a Bacherlor's Degree?
- Are you a native English speaker?
There is a strong bias against non-English countries. A South African I worked with was told by the director to lie whenever he met parents and say he was from England. - Are you caucasian?
Whether people like to admit it or not, Korean schools want white faces. If you are a Canadian of Korean descent (a "kyopo") you will be paid less, and if you are black, getting a job will be very difficult. You will be judged by your picture, not your skills. If you doubt me or think I'm a racist by saying this, check the internet for the comments of non-whites who worked (or tried to) in Korea.
Korean schools want Canadians because our accent is very neutral, not heavily accented like the British Isles or Australia or the southern US. Koreans also like the fact that we are not Americans, especially when anti-US sentiment runs high. (In May 2004, a group of Koreans attacked an American soldier in Shinchon, and the soldier stabbed a Korean during the assault.)
Another reason Koreans want white faces is because many think non-white means non-English speaking. The reality is, Korea is a society that judges heavily by appearance. When you arrive, take a look for any handicapped or blind people. Other than as beggars, you won't see them.
Why did I stay?
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On a beginning English teacher's salary of 1,800,000 won (approximately C$2000 as I write) your income taxes are C$300 less and you don't pay approximately C$400 in rent, and that is every month. Over a year, that is C$8400 in your pocket instead of a landlord or CCRA. And if you are smart about money and live cheaply, you could easily save another C$500 per month.
Show me a job in Canada where I can save as much as C$15,000 per year and I will take it. And that's not counting the bonus month's salary received at the end of a typical contract.
Although Korea's economy has slumped slightly since 2001, this is still a worker's market. Raises aren't as generous anymore but people working here can find new jobs immediately once their contract ends. Plus, opportunities for similar pay in Taiwan and Japan are readily available, especially to experienced teachers. (Most employers in Japan won't hire first-time teachers without a Master's Degree, but experienced people are another matter.)
Why am I writing about it?
I write because, like most people who come here ignorant of what to expect I would have dearly loved to have some of this information beforehane. It would have made adjusting so much easier, it could have kept me out of some trouble, and I could have been smarter with my money. That's especially true of people who hate this country from the get-go. So many midnight runners come with blinders on and end up miserable and in one case I knew of, potentially suicidal.
Too many people talk about the good things without mentioning the bad, and when you finally do read about the bad, it is inevitably poisoned by anger. My intention is to tell the facts without bitterness, and hopefully make it palatable for recruiters to pass on to prospective teachers.
That is, again, a reason I ended up writing this to begin with: the recruiter
who brought me to Korea asked me to. It's probably because I am one of the
few recruits they brought over who stayed in contact with them, not because
of my scintillating personality.
Regardless, I did it for the benefit of others and hope that at least one
person finds it useful.
Sincerely,
K
PS: Yes, I am a Rush fan. �eal with it.
(Exit, stage left!)
