Koreans generally take one of two views of tattoos: that they are satanic or a sign of gang membership. I have a tattoo on my... well, somewhere, and Koreans at the saunas still freak out when they see it. (In the Korean military, they forcibly remove tattoos from recruits' bodies with lasers.)

Either way, tattoos that are potentially visible have to be hidden, even if this means wearing a long sleeved shirt in the summer.

If you are a woman, limit your jewelry to studs both for the sake of appearance and safety. Korean kids love to grab and pull on you.

Men can't wear earrings of any kind on the job. (The 5cm sleeper for my Hallowe'en pirate costume was a different matter....)

If you have any other piercings, hide or remove them and don't discuss them with the kids. Anything you say in class can get back to the parents and then to the director.

Your hair is the most noticeable feature when people first meet you, so make sure yours is conservative enough for working. Follow these guidelines and you should be alright.

• Avoid hair colouring. If you insist on doing it, make it look natural, such as streaking or going from brunette to red. Drastic change is unacceptable to Koreans.
• No unusual hairstyles. No excessively long hair on men or excessively short hair on women, and definitely no mohawks. If you have an unusual haircut and are hired, it means the employer accepts you as you are, so don't change it except to a "normal" haircut. Major changes in appearance are unacceptable.
• Very short hair on both men and women is standard in the US military. Keeping your hair a minimum length (4cm for men, 10cm for women) can help prevent being mistaken for an American soldier. (This is especially important in certain areas of Korea or when encountering intoxicated and belligerent Koreans.)
• Shaved heads are rare in Korea except on buddhist monks. However, Koreans usually don't react badly to seeing them on Koreans or on foreigners.

For men, these are good guidelines to follow on facial hair:

• If you are hired with facial hair, you can probably keep it but it MUST be neatly trimmed and short. My directors didn't like mine but didn't harangue me either.
  
  
• If you have no beard, you must be clean shaven every day. (If yours is one of the few schools that opens on Saturdays, then my condolences to you).
  
  
• Men cannot grow facial hair. If you shave off a beard, you can't grow it back.

  If you insist on growing a winter beard, start it during Chusok, a five day holiday in October. Be sure to get approval from the director and always keep it neat.

• Wearing facial hair may be advisable for your personal safety.

  The US military does not permit facial hair and most Koreans are aware of this. I have encountered more hostility in public places when I am clean shaven and less when wearing a beard or goatee, and other caucasian men report the same thing.

As I have said, appearance counts in Korea, and directors want their schools to look professional. You don't have to choose comfort or presentability, you can have both.

• Presentable shirts are a must, no t-shirts allowed. Men should wear polo shirts or lightweight cotton dress shirts. For women, blouses and other conservative tops are ideal. If you have cleavage, hide it.
  
  
• Dress pants or khakis should be the norm, and knee length skirts if you ladies wear one. Jeans and shorts are out of the question, even in the summer.

  Buy lightweight cotton or silk clothes. The humidity in Korea during the summer in Seoul and Korea is unbelievable, and -10�C is the coldest temperature I have seen in three Korean winters. (Prove you're a Canadian and impress the Koreans! Wear short sleeves during the winter!)
  

• Presentable footwear doesn't mean choosing between sneakers and dress shoes. A good pair of black walking shoes (Reebok, Adidas, or whatever) can pass for dress shoes and are comfortable enough for everyday wear.
  
  
• Suit and tie for men and business dresses for women are almost mandatory when teaching adults. A blazer with matching clean khakis may also be enough. In fact, you should have at least one good set of clothes (bought in Canada or Korea, it doesn't matter) for formal situations such as school presentations or meeting the parents. The tree-planter look might be acceptable where you are from, but not here.

  (Almost all the Korean teachers you work with at hagwons are women. I and other westerners have been invited to several weddings. If you go, do you wear jeans and a t-shirt, or a presentable suit or dress?)

Speaking of being propositioned for sex, it happened to me once. I was in Yeosu (a town on the south coast) for a weekend and a fat middle-aged woman approached me. At first I thought "You're a little too old, big and ugly to be on the game". Only twenty minutes later I realized what she was after. It made my skin crawl.

Dating on the job is bad news in any country. Even if you and your boyfriend/girlfriend/partner keep it out of the office, inevitably you will become the source of gossip.

Directors will fire the Korean employee and not the foreigner, but only because of the cost involved. Some do it to prevent office romances. Some Koreans think that Koreans and foreigners should not date anywhere or anytime, let alone get married.

If you meet someone in Korea and hit it off, great, but keep it away from the workplace. Do you want a reference letter at the end of the contract or a place on a blacklist?

Instead of listening to and spreading rumours, be more concerned about not being the cause. If you hear something, check the facts at the source, and whatever you do, don't repeat any rumours. High school ended years ago, so act like it.

Think of it this way: If you talk about other people behind their backs, they are more likely to talk about you. If you don't spread gossip and they talk about you anyway, at least you have nothing to apologize for.

Simply stated, keep your mouth shut. You don't just work with these people, you socialize with them too. The same thinking applies in reverse - anything you say to them outside of work, even if you expect it to be secret, will eventually get back to the workplace.

If you can't control your mouth when you are drunk, either drink alone or don't drink. As the saying goes, "A drunken man's words are a sober man's thoughts."

Also remember that in Korea you are the odd one out. As a foreigner you can be more easily spotted if you do something inappropriate, especially where you live or work. Word can quickly get back to your employer or the immigration office.

Don't play favourites, don't have a teacher's pet, and don't have a whipping boy. When kids see that some children are treated differently, either better or worse, they notice.

Having said that, giving encouragement to weaker students is still a good idea. Helping less able students up to the level of the class is not special treatment. Stop bullies from mistreating smaller children but don't play mother hen either.

Being silly in class doesn't work more than once or twice. Kids follow your lead, and if you are goofing around, so will they. It is the quickest way to lose their respect.

All work and no play, etc. is still true. It's okay to have fun, but make fun a part of learning (eg. Simon Says and body parts) and not just a way to kill time.

If you say you will bring something, bring it. If you promise the kids a game, play. But whatever you promise to do, keep your word. Kids are less willing to listen to liars (breaking promises is a lie in their eyes) and that unwillingness to listen includes your classes, not just any other promises you make.