Michelle
- 2004-09-27
After reading these messages I had to write to try to balance the situation a little.
Korea is NOT all bad guys!
I've been here over 6 months & no problems with pay at all. Always on time. I also know many people who are into their second year in Korea & have never had any problems with their school, pay etc ( just the usual problems of a lousy schedule maybe!) Everyone at my school is great, manager, teachers, even students! So just do your research before you come & everything should be fine!!
Robin Day
- 2004-05-17
Linda, IVY School is a franchise and each one is owned by different managers.
Can't generalize on how you will be treated. My best advice is as always: to come over here on your own money and check out several schools. Work for them for a few weeks and if you like the conditions sign a contract that you agree with after discussing with other foreigners.
People get burned and intimidated because they are not prepared to be tough. The owners are often quite tough. If I don't get paid I don't work. I have never had a late paycheck in 7 years working in Korea.
The managers can smell fear.
Linda
- 2004-05-16
Maxine: When you talk about the IVY ACADEMY, are you referring to the IVY English School in Cheongju?
Anybody has comments about this IVY English School in Cheongju and the owner Tim?
Michael Joseph Beauchot
- 2004-05-16
Li, I am sorry about your bad luck - i am one for one in Korea and four fo five in China :)
maxine
- 2004-05-16
Totally true.I have tried it too,three times,to work there.No pay,and if you are lucky,only half of it every month.Always some excuse they have.
I have worked for OE DAE LANGUAGE INSTITUTE in Kongju,IVY ACADEMY in Andong and POHANG TOP ACADEMY in Pohang.
Now I am working in China,some problems here,but nothing like that I had in Korea.
Andy
- 2004-05-05
It is a total nightmare to work in South Korea. The comments here are all true and then some!!
They don't like foreigners and I know as my family immigrated from S Korea so I CAN understand the conversations. I also KNOW why my family immigrated from this place and I will be leaving as soon as I finish my contract (maybe sooner).
Good luck.
Sinophile
- 2004-04-24
I need to add some balance: Some schools get foreign teachers who are secret alcoholics. This can wreck a school. They start missing classes. So foreigners are not all angels. There are crybabies too who come overseas and left a boyfriend/girlfriend/mommy back home. They will complain a lot but the fact is thay cannot adapt. Problem teachers can cost a school a lot of money.
Sinophile
- 2004-04-24
When bosses are late with pay it is best to tell them YOU will be late to work. They hate this kind of pressure. Many Korean bosses lie all the time. Contracts are a joke. They are to control you and not them. The Labour Officers rarely help, even if you bring a translator so don't waste your time or breath. There are numerous bad reports of Korea on internet sites. No big secret. You are on your own. Bosses are just as bad to their Korean employees so don't feel singled out. Few Korean workers at hogwans ever get any pension or severance pay. Many are hired part-time and get no pay for holidays. If you come to Korea or China etc. you have to come for your own reasons (money, tourism, learning etc.) and bail out if conditions become unbearable. You might make some money (most do) and you might lose (especially if you let bosses walk on you). It takes a thick skin to get by here.
Li
- 2004-04-23
: You've heard it all before 100 times and I am here to tell you
: again. AVOID SOUTH KOREA for ESL work. Lie after lie, scam after
: scam, bankrupty after bankruptcy and the old shell game of new
: owners from one week to the next. IT IS BAD FOLKS! REALLY BAD!
: Broken contracts, broken promises, and lots of dishonesty to go
: around 24/7
: Now this situation in the DPRK with the "train accident"
: and some 3,000 dead? Air raid sirens went off well ahead of
: schedule yesterday and I knew it was no#####drill as fighters
: and helicopter gun ships were burning across the skies like bats
: out of hell. A few hours later I find out about the situation in
: the DPRK. Not a real comfort feeling that's for sure. I saw two
: commercial jets get re-routed and take what appeared to be some
: kind of an evasive action near my home. Most likely clearing the
: area for a military response. Either way, it was an odd moment.
: Reading, writing and speaking fluent Korean I can tell you what
: these people think about foreigners, and it isn't not good. Why
: come work for them? Good pay? SURE..., IF you get paid it is
: great money compared to China. Most however DO NOT ever get paid
: on time, or in full, or at all, while the owners of the school
: drive brand new BMW's and Mercedes Benz and then take YOUR
: PAYROLL to the old casino.
: You can file complaints, law suits, video tape them etc. I've done
: it all. It goes no where.
: Live and learn. I gave them the benefit of a doubt three times. I
: won't do it again.
Sorry about your bad experiences. Please tell me the names of schools and city. Thanks.
You've heard it all before 100 times and I am here to tell you again. AVOID SOUTH KOREA for ESL work. Lie after lie, scam after scam, bankrupty after bankruptcy and the old shell game of new owners from one week to the next. IT IS BAD FOLKS! REALLY BAD! Broken contracts, broken promises, and lots of dishonesty to go around 24/7
Now this situation in the DPRK with the "train accident" and some 3,000 dead? Air raid sirens went off well ahead of schedule yesterday and I knew it was no#####drill as fighters and helicopter gun ships were burning across the skies like bats out of hell. A few hours later I find out about the situation in the DPRK. Not a real comfort feeling that's for sure. I saw two commercial jets get re-routed and take what appeared to be some kind of an evasive action near my home. Most likely clearing the area for a military response. Either way, it was an odd moment.
Reading, writing and speaking fluent Korean I can tell you what these people think about foreigners, and it isn't not good. Why come work for them? Good pay? SURE..., IF you get paid it is great money compared to China. Most however DO NOT ever get paid on time, or in full, or at all, while the owners of the school drive brand new BMW's and Mercedes Benz and then take YOUR PAYROLL to the old casino.
You can file complaints, law suits, video tape them etc. I've done it all. It goes no where.
Live and learn. I gave them the benefit of a doubt three times. I won't do it again.