Korean Horizons - Teach English in South Korea

Generally in English & Korean, it stipulates the conditions & responsibilities of your position. Quite a lot are translated to enable both parties to understand each other. If an issue arises, the English translation always takes precedence.

Duration - Almost always, they are for a set period of 12 months, with the exception of winter & summer camp positions, which last for around 1-2 months.

Responsibilities - This section lays the ground work for what you are expected to do. Of primary expectation is that you - the teacher improve the conversational ability of their students. But how do you do that? Well, a lot of contracts are detailed & others are not. They may include class preparation, lesson planning, developing the curriculum, tests & evaluations, attending meetings, extracurricular activities, assisting the Korean teachers, substituting classes & other duties designated by your employer. If you have not taught English before, it's not as easy as you might think! If you don't already have one, it might be a good idea to take a TEFL course.

Place of work - You can only teach English for your employer & only at their place of work. Teaching private classes is illegal here in South Korea. Do it at your peril. If caught, you could lose your position.

Working Hours - With public schools, there are 22 classes per week. For an elementary class, each class is 40 minutes long. For middle & high, they are 50 minutes each. Since these are government positions, hours are the same as the civil service - 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. However, given the teaching schedule, a lot of schools are flexible with this. For private academies, there are usually 30 classes per week. Each class is between 45 minutes to 1 hour long. Hours are dependent on the age group of students that you teach. Kindergarten & elementary run anywhere between 9am-6pm; elementary to middle school from 2-9pm; high school students go for a few hours beyond that & adults classes usually involve split classes as these students can only study in the mornings & late in the evenings. Hours for these classes are between 6am-10am & then again from around 6pm until 10pm. These times are not absolutes & differ slightly from academy to academy.

Salary & Overtime - The focal point for all.
Salaries (& how they are determined) differ significantly between public & private.
The Public School pay scales are as follows:

Requirements
Level	Pay per month	Bachelor(a)	Experience(b)		Master(a)		Certificate(c)
3	1.9m to 2.0m	Yes	No		No		No
2	2.0m to 2.1m	Yes(d)	1 year	or	Yes	or	Yes
2+(e)	2.1m to 2.2m	Yes	1 year as Level 2(f)
1	2.3m to 2.4m	Yes	2 years	and	Yes	or	Yes
1+	2.4m to 2.5m	Yes	2 years as Level 1(f)

KEY :

a - Any discipline
b - Full time classroom experience
c - CELTA, PGCE or TEFL 100+hrs
d - if Major is in Education or English or English Literature then 1 year experience, a Master's or a teaching certificate is not required.
e - if Master is in Education & Bachelor is in any discipline or Master is in any disciple & Bachelor is in Education then 1 year as Level 2 is not required
f - Contract renewal at the same school

Additional monetary benefits may also apply to these positions (such as provincial - 100k per month, rural- 100k per month & also multiple school allowance- 100-150k per month.) The maximum that can be made in a government public school is 2.85m won per month.

The pay scale for private academies is ambiguous & does not follow set rules. Generally spanning from around 2.0m won, it can go as high as 3.0m won (although rare.)

Airfare - Standard with all contracts. The employer provides for your trip to South Korea, from your point of entry. It would be reimbursed shortly after you arrive. It amounts to a lot of money, so within the clause there are statements that provide reassurances for the employer. Usually, if you quit or if you are dismissed within the first 6 months, you would be responsible for repaying the initial flight costs. It is reasonable considering your employer has to regain that cost from the investment it has made in you. After the 6 months point, if you leave for any reason, you are no longer obliged to repay it. On completion of the contract, your employer would provide you with a returning ticket to your home country.

Housing - Almost always a single, studio apartment. Rent free & includes a bed, table, chairs, TV, separate kitchen facilities, refrigerator, washing machine, separate bathroom with a western toilet & sometimes an air-conditioner. Utilities (electricity, gas & water) are not free & how much they cost depend on how much you use them. It can range between $50 to $100USD per month. Internet access (you must have your own computer / laptop) & cable tv are optional & run at about $30USD per month each.

National pension. It represents 9% of your income. It is mandatory for you & your employer to contribute 50% each towards this amount. The American & Canadian governments have an agreement with the South Korean Government. The good thing is that you can get the entire 9% back once you complete your contract. To get that:

1. Visit your local pension office
2. Complete application form
3. Provide your bank details in your home country
4. Provide them proof that you are departing South Korea

The process takes between 4-8 weeks.
UK, Irish, Australian or New Zealand citizens do not have the same agreement. So, you will not be able to get a refund on your contributions once your contract is complete.
South African citizens are the only citizens not mandatorily required to pay into the pension.
For further information, click here.

Medical Insurance. It is also a compulsory deduction from your monthly salary. It is currently 5.08%, for which you are responsible for half of that & your employer is responsible for the other half.

This insurance does not cover your expenses completely.

If you are receiving treatment at a hospital as an in-patient, then you would be responsible for 20% of the total medical cost. The medical insurance would cover you for the rest.

If you are visiting a doctor and/or paying for a prescription, then you would pay up to 3,000 won when the total cost is equal to or less than 15,000 won.

If you are visiting a doctor and/or paying for a prescription, then you would pay up to 30% of the total medical costs if it is more than 15,000 won.

These figures vary also depending on where you receive treatment.

For further information, click here.

10.

Severance payment - It is a requirement for all employers to pay a severance payment to all employees completing a 12 month contract. Any contract less than 12 months, the employer is under no legal obligation to provide anything in terms of a severance payment. It is equal to one full month's salary, only paid on completion of contract.

11.

Vacation - By law, there must be a minimum of 10 working days of paid vacation (not including Saturday or Sunday) per year. For the public schools, most provinces provide 14 paid working days vacation. Gangwondo & Jeonnam provide 35 calendar paid days vacation. They have to be taken in line with the school's schedule.

12.

National holidays - They are paid holidays.

Korean Holidays
2008		2009
January 1st	Solar New Year	January 1st	Solar New Year
February 6th	Lunar New Year	January 25th	Lunar New Year
February 7th	Lunar New Year	January 26th	Lunar New Year
February 8th	Lunar New Year	January 27th	Lunar New Year
March 1st	Independence Movement Day	March 1st	Independence Movement Day
May 5th	Children’s Day	May 2nd	Buddha’s Birthday
May 12th	Buddha’s Birthday	May 5th	Children’s Day
June 6th	Memorial Day	June 6th	Memorial Day
August 15th	Liberation Day	August 15th	Liberation Day
September 13th	Chuseok	October 2nd	Chuseok
September 14th	Chuseok	October 3rd	Chuseok
September 15th	Chuseok	October 3rd	Chuseok
October 3rd	National Foundation Day	October 3rd	National Foundation Day
December 25th	Christmas Day	December 25th	Christmas Day

13.

Sick pay - Unlike back in the west, Koreans work even though they are sick & quite often they expect the same from us. It's their culture, not ours. Doesn't mean that you are obliged to work, but your employer would expect it for small conditions such as a headache or a cold. Obviously, if it's serious then you can't work. However, not many allowances are made in private academic institution contracts for this provision. Usually it amounts to around 3 days per year, for which a doctor's note is required. For public schools, they recognize the importance of this aspect & provide 15 days of paid sick days.

14.

Special leave - In the unlikely event that something does happen to a loved one, the employer usually gives consideration & provides for a short trip back home. Your employer would not provide for your transportation costs.

15.

Resignation & Termination - If you don't like your position, you can resign as long as you give 30 days' notice. Your employer can only terminate your contract with justifiable cause. This includes breaking the law, being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, continuous unsatisfactory performance, continuously late for work or another justifiable reason. For the first 2, the employer can dismiss you with immediate effect. For the rest, your employer must give you 30 days notice.

We hope that this information has been able to answer the questions & / or issues that you may have.
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