This post is to serve as a source of information for any prospective teacher(s) considering employment in South Korea by Honam Global Vision Christian School in Gwangju, South Korea.

As a former teacher, I encountered numerous problems and contractual inconsistencies that should be considered before agreeing to work for this institution.

These problems included (but were not limited to) the following:

1. The school consistently paid me and other teachers/staff late.

2. The school attempted to pay half salary in December due to a mandatory 7 week school break.

3. Enrollment in the health care system wasnt completed until 3+ months after arrival in Korea. I had to argue extensively to obtain health insurance. It was a huge headache

4. Korean income tax was never subtracted from any of my paychecks. My understanding is that this is illegal and teachers could be found guilty of tax fraud/evasion and possibly be imprisoned, fined or deported. When I asked about this staff laughed and said no one pays taxes in Korea.

5. Korean pension was never subtracted from my paychecks (also against Korean law I think).

6. No severance pay is given at end of contract (this is legal as contracts are less then 12mo).

7. I was strongly pressured against having my own Korean bank account (the school attempted to set up an account for me in the name of the Korean employee, who wanted to retain full access to my account).

8. My apartment was small and run-down. I regularly had mold, pest and appliance problems. At one point my apartment flooded with wastewater.

9. I had 300,000W (~$300) heating bills EACH month during winter because my apartment was old and poorly insulated. When I asked about it school staff just shrugged and said pay it.

That all said, I was asked to teach 25 hours of regular school subjects (literature, science, math, history). While this may sound amazing (especially to current hagwon teachers) the curriculum I was asked to use was inadequate. I was basically asked to write an entire years worth of curriculum (including tests) from scratch. In general, the school expected teachers to work as many hours as needed (40hrs per week minimum) to adequately prepare for classes, grade homework etc.

Lastly, weekends are not guaranteed off days. Teachers are asked to work weekends (usually one weekend per month, 8+ hours per day) for certain school events with no extra pay. Teachers are also required to participate in school field trips (3+ days away from home each Semester).

There are other things I could say here. However, in order to not be malicious I will simply offer my own personal opinion: don't work at this school. Simple as that.

If you are considering this school you should ask whomever you interview with to speak with any one of the five North American teachers that taught the 2010-11 academic year. The school will be able to provide email address' for me and any of the other teachers. We'd be more then happy to have a conversation with anyone considering employment at this school.

Sincerely,
A former English teacher at Honam Global Vision Christian School, 2010-11