Don't Teach English in South Korea

[@Freeator]

무슨일이 있었는지 모르겠지만 상처가 잘 치유되길 바랍니다. 일본에서 살고 있는 한국인으로써, 학사만 취득하면 영어를 가르칠 수 있도록 비자를 내어주는 나라로써, 반대로 나는 미국에서 이러한 자격을 얻을 수 있을것 같지 않습니다. 자, 내가 서울에 있을 때 나는 수많은 영어선생님을 만났습니다. 대게는 두 부류가 있었습니다. 한국어를 배울 생각도 없고 저녁이면 외국인들끼리 모여 비어퐁을하고 술을 마시며 한국을 알지 않으려 하거나 한국에 적응 못하는 부류, 적극적으로 한국에 적응하는 부류. 나는 일본에 살고 있지만 이러한 상황은 본인의 관점의 문제일 수 있습니다. 일본에서 외국인으로 살아가는 것은 매우 쉽지 않습니다. 나는 외국인이라는 이유로 집을 구하는데 약 5개월이 걸렸습니다. 그 밖에도 수많은 보이지 않는 차별사례가 있습니다. 근무환경도 다르고, 모든것이 다릅니다. 기본적으로 쉬지않고 일합니다. 근무에대한 생각이 다릅니다. 본인을 희생하여 회사를 위해 일하는 성향이 강합니다. 아시아, 특히 유교의 영향을 받은 나라는 근무강도가 악명 높습니다. 미국에서 주장하는 많은 권리가 이곳에서 납득되지 않을 수 있습니다. 조금더 전통적인 사고관 등등. 전혀 다른 환경과 상황을 이해하는 것은 개개인이 많습니다. 당신의 채널 이름을 보니 당신의 분노가 느껴져서 안타깝군요. 미국에서 원하는 삶을 살길 바랍니다.

[@au8730]

日本に住んでんの？

[@theworld4369]

대부분 원어민 영어선생 학위도 아마존에서 구입하는 가짜학위가 대부분인데 한국학교에서 확인하려고 지원자의 미국학교에 문의해도 답장해 주는경우가 거의 없답니다. 그러니 미국서 중졸 남자도 가짜학위증서 가지고 한국와서 선생질하는거 TV 뉴스에 이미 10년전에 나왔지요. 그러니 대우도 그정도에 맞춰서 해주는 거임.

[@HarryJayLee]

Though I am Korean, I feel compelled to share this with you. The Korean government offers a special visa-likely one beginning with “E”-to citizens of certain countries with only minimal requirements, primarily for the purpose of teaching English. This policy exists because the government believes it will aid Koreans in learning languages effectively. Consequently, regardless of the professional recognition you may or may not have in your home country, simply holding a bachelor’s degree can allow you to earn an income in Korea. Now, let me ask: If I wanted to work in the United States under the same conditions, would the U.S. government grant me such a visa? Absolutely not. Even with a U.S. bachelor’s degree, a foreigner is usually limited to one or two years of work under OPT (Optional Practical Training) before being required to return home. For STEM graduates, the situation is slightly better, but even then, they must secure an H-1B visa through a random annual lottery to remain employed-or else face deportation. Is this unique to the U.S.? Not at all. Securing a work permit in the UK, for example, is notoriously challenging. In fact, there is no country in the world that freely allows foreigners to engage in income-generating activities without rigorous conditions. However, the Korean government does just that, offering opportunities to those who hold only a bachelor’s degree without further restrictions. You may have found your salary in Korea unsatisfactory-likely at minimum wage. And if you’re from the U.S., where wages have risen sharply recently, that gap would feel even wider. But if that’s the case, the choice not to work in Korea was always yours, wasn’t it? Let me share an example. A Canadian acquaintance of mine upgraded his visa to an F visa through effort, allowing him to take multiple jobs, and he has lived in Korea for nearly 20 years, earning hundreds of thousands of dollars. Another friend from South Africa is satisfied with his income in Korea, as it surpasses what he would earn back home. He also worked hard to pass the Korean language test and pursue graduate studies to qualify for an F visa. Ultimately, the experience you have depends on your circumstances and willingness to adapt. While you are free to share your perspective through KZbin videos, I believe I am equally free to offer a more balanced explanation.

[@jessicalee5451]

🤣🤣There are frequent news reports of teacher shortages in public schools across the United States, Canada, and Australia. These reports often highlight that teachers lack basic rights and are inadequately compensated. A similar situation exists in South Korea.

[@debbie1724cham]

I agree with him, South Korea is not strict with giving or issueing E-7-1 Visa especially if they find your skills are truly outstanding. Their immigration government is fair. I entered South Korea on E-7-1 sponsored by my company "branch" in South Korea as a Manufacturing Execution Systems Engineer. Their point-based Resident Visa F-2 and F-5 are also both fairly given through income and language skills which are both necessary basic commodities to support oneself in the country. We get support from the government; thus we must also give something to the government, no free loaders as equal opportunities. If you get a Resident Visa and lost or decide quit your job (complaining like this in the video) then they give grace period to find a new one to support yourself and pay necessary government taxes. So far, learning all these taxation and visa details would make me give a "thumbs-up" because requiring foreigners to pay tax is not gonna cripple their system and would avoid people who will abuse as free loaders.

[@heavenlee416]

와 말씀 진짜 잘하시네요

[@travelw.b12oo3]

Indeed! SK is a racist country! Fake faces, fake voice as it is auto tuned.kpop artist themselves are abused and exploited, and the same is true with actors and actresses!!! As a result, there is a high percentage of students suicides and K-pop kdrama celebrities taking their own lives! The latest drama is how their very own president issued martial law with no valid reason. It is a progressive country... I'm sorry this happened to you.

[@DSS712]

I'm also a white American woman, and moving to Korea to teach is the best decision I've ever made in my life. It is 100 percent valid for this lady to have not had a good experience in Korea. What ISN'T okay is for her to make a video that fear mongers about everyone else having the exact same experience that she did. It is genuinely terrifying that a professional seasoned educator such as herself has such nonexistent understanding of the concept of subjective experience.

[@J.S.K.M.F]

Don't make your experience generalize! I'm Korean and working in the English academy. Here are more than 10 foreign teachers. They are well treated and work in good condition. We have many teachers who have been working more than 3 years here.

[@jbaz33]

If you're considering teaching in Korea don't let this video put you off. This person clearly has a major grudge to bear because she personally had a bad experience. She is basing her analysis of teaching in Korea off one bad school and an orientalist view of the country. Describing a free health check-up as getting "poked and prodded by Koreans" , talking about Korean Americans as "evil spiders webs" and just continually making statements about Koreans like "they/these people will lie to you" is extremely racial. Peep the racist accent @31:44. I am not denying that she had a bad experience or that she might have had a predatory manager but do not let her experience of one hagwon inform your entire understanding of teaching in Korea. There is some truth in this video like Hagwons can take advantage of the poor labour protections for foreigners and Korean work culture can be difficult. The Korean education system does have major problems but the people in your school will not all be corrupt as she says. You can avoid bad situations by researching and applying to jobs carefully and not taking low-paid jobs. And unlike she says, fellow teachers, Korean or otherwise, will help you in a bad situation. Not being able to sing and read stories to kindergarten students is not a common experience in Korea. Take this video with a massive grain of salt.

[@Kide]

I've been teaching in Korea for almost 3 years and I COMPLETELY agree with you about how the whole system is corrupt and essentially indentured servitude/slavery. I'm going through an extremely difficult and exasperating time desperately trying to switch visas and leave my current job (thankfully I'm in therapy) and I've learned so much about just how flawed, toxic and easily exploitative the E2 visa is as well as how the mistreatment of foreign English teachers is so prolific in this country. I really appreciate your video and congratulations on winning your case!

[@dontteachinkorea]

Thank you! I wish you the best of luck on switching jobs. I can only imagine how hard that is. Hang in there and stay strong! 🙂🙏

[@FreeTruthNow]

3 Years? Why don't you just quit so people don't have to hear you complain?

[@Yoliee0909]

It's not that easy to just quit in S. Korea. ​You might want to educate yourself on that matter. Watch the video vand others stories about working in a foreign country. @@FreeTruthNow

[@azizurrahman1091]

Wow that’s shocking! What about for students? I wonder what it’s like for students? My student is attending a university in South Korea 🇰🇷

[@MichaelRWright]

I'm still living here and have been for 24 years, and I completely agree with this KZbinr and you.

[@jasonshin206]

I'm a manager of English hagwon. I understand what you are talking about.. but there are a lot of good hagwons too following labor laws well.. and we offer more to foreign teachers.. I used to live in New York and Toronto.. but I think Korea is the best place to live out.. of course, there must be some culture shock and crazy education system, but it was not a choice here in Korea because we live in a very competitive area surrounded by many strong countries.. we don't have natural resources.. we have to study and be smarter...no choice..

[@khanlouis7300]

For me, It has been fabulous experience to teach English in SK for about 5yrs. No complaint. Be more positive. That's the way the cookie crumbles.

[@Lordyung89]

I worked at a public school in Incheon. I had a wonderful experience. Also a recruiter is a sales job, their purpose isn't quality it is quantity. I would only work at a public school or a proper International school.

[@Lordyung89]

Also, this is video is for Hagwons (cramschools) only. I would look into public schools. The experience is so much better.

[@Apocalyptichist]

@@Lordyung89 I understand that there are issues with EPIK, but because of the person I know who worked through EPIK and left for family reasons (she wishes she were still in Korea), I cannot believe her saying all of these issues would be the same at public schools. Namely, the issue with the "free" apartment that she had. My friend very much had a free apartment with the alternate option of a stipend. She straight up told me the way to not be screwed over is to start at EPIK then move to a hagwon or know someone at a good hagwon who can hook you up. I would love to watch a video on issues with EPIK but haven't come across that yet.

[@John-qd5of]

EPIK is not perfect either. People can have bad experiences there too, but problems with abusive management are less common than at hagwons. At EPIK, you will be paid on time. Native English speakers who work with EPIK are NOT supposed to teach alone, since they are not licensed teachers. However, sometimes, the coteachers may not provide any help or guidance, and not come to your class. If that happens, inform the EPIK coordinator.

[@John-qd5of]

I know people who had a great time at public schools. But some NETs have complained to me that the coteachers offer no help or guidance, leave them alone with the kids to teach entire lessons, and expect the NET to discipline the kids, something the NET wouldn't do. Another issue is that if you fail your evaluation, you are locked out of EPIK for life.

[@Lordyung89]

@@John-qd5of at some point though you should either have it or not. In my classes my coteacher sits down in the corner and I run the show. The students are all engaged and I deal with classroom management/discipline all on my own. It’s not easy and can be uncomfortable at times, but if the students sense that you “hide” behind your coteacher for disciplinary moments they will respect you as a peer rather than a teacher. My suggestion for all foreign teachers is to learn some of the local language and deal with classroom management on your own.

[@EmbraceMadnezZ]

나는 한국인입니다. 한국에서 일하는 많은 외국인들을 오랜시간 관찰하며 국적, 인종, 종교를 떠나 대부분 A, B로 나누어 집니다. A 그룹은 한국이 자신의 출신 국가 문화와 다름을 빠르게 인정하고 한국어 공부, 한국 문화에 대한 공부를 깊은 수준으로 합니다. 또한 그들은 기회가 된다면 한국인 친구를 사귀려고 노력하고 긍정적인 성격을 가진 경우가 B 그룹보다 더 많았습니다. B 그룹은 이와는 전혀 다른데 몇년 머물며 쉽게 돈을 버는 것에만 그 목적이 있습니다. 그것이 잘못이라고 생각하지는 않지만 이 그룹의 대부분은 아시아에 편견이 많으며 서양과 다른 문화에 대해서 끊임없이 불만, 불평을 하고는 합니다. 한국 문화에 대한 기본적인 존중이 없으며 한국어 습득에도 전혀 관심이 없어요. 한국인 커뮤니티와도 어울리려고 노력하지 않습니다. 백인이니 당연히 난 대우를 받아야 한다고 생각하는 오만한 사람들도 많이 경험했습니다. 세계 어느 국가를 가더라도 한국처럼 쉽게 외국인들이 영어 강사를 할 수 있도록 자격 요건이 낮은 국가는 없습니다. 물론 당신이 좋은 사람임에도 나쁜 직장, 사람들을 만나 불쾌한 경험을 했을 수도 있습니다. 제가 말하고 싶은 요점은 일부 사례, 경험을 기반으로 한국은 모든게 이렇다고 정의를 내리고 일반화 해서는 안된다는 겁니다. '학원', '영어 학원'은 전부 개인이 소유에요. 그렇기 때문에 경우에 따라서 부당하거나 매우 불쾌한 경험을 할 수 있습니다. 새로 채널을 파서 증오를 할만큼 상처를 많이 받았다면 당신에게 위로를 보냅니다. 문제가 있을 경우 근로기준법을 살펴보고 한국의 노동청에 신고해야 합니다. 나는 당신에게 무례하게 싶은 의도는 없어요. 단지 나는 내 경험으로 한국에 학원 강사로 일하러 오는 외국인들 중 부정적인 성향의 사람들을 많이 봤습니다. 그들은 그들만의 커뮤니티를 만들고 한국은 이게 나빠, 저게 나빠, 모든게 나쁘다면서 하루종일 한국을 폄하하고 전혀 존중하지 않습니다. 장담하건대 B 그룹의 외국인 선생님들은 자신의 출신 국가로 돌아간다고 하더라도 패배자 취급을 받거나 좋은 직장에서 일을 할 것이라고 생각하지 않습니다. 다른 국가에서는 그곳의 문화와 법, 기준을 따르는 것이 상식입니다. 나는 돈이나 벌고 몇년 일하다가 갈건데 내가 왜 그 국가에서 그들의 언어와 문화를 배워야 하지?와 같은 자세로는 어디를 가도 실패할 겁니다. 이것은 국가, 인종, 종교와는 관계가 없으며 당신이 미국, 영국, 독일, 한국, 일본 어디서 일을 하든지 최대한 철저하게 해당 국가의 문화를 철저하게 이해해야 합니다.

[@응응-g1x]

내 눈에도 좋은 부분 나쁜 부분이 보임 그리고 대부분 한국인은 굉장히 갇힌 사고를 하는 경우가 높음, 다른 국가들에 비해서, 왜냐면 교류라는 것이 불가능한 지정학적 이유가 크고 언어적으로도 그렇기 때문 그렇기 때문에 대부분의 외국인들이 말하는 불만은 이것임 대부분의 국가들과 달리 한국은 굉장히 꽉 막혀있다는 것을 알 수있다는 거임 그게 단 한 국가의 사람이 말하는 게 아님 서방 국가 심지어 아시아 국가들 조차도 이러한 점에 불편하다고 토로함 한가지 예를 들자면 한국문화에는 개인이라는 관점을 굉장히 무시하는 문화임 여러가지의 관점이 한국 문화에서의 기준에서 벗어나는 순간 쓰레기로 본다는 거임 다양성이란 것을 굉장히 경외시하고 그게 생활에 까지 퍼져있음 웃긴 것이 그 일본조차도 개인 사생활에 대해서 굉장히 자유롭다는 것임 무엇을 하든 무엇을 좋아하든 그것에 대해 지적하는 순간 지적하는 사람이 이상한 사람이 되는 게 일본임 반대로 한국은 그걸 왜 해?, 돈이 돼?, 쓸데없이 시간 쓴다, 왜 물어보는데? 등 남의 사생활을 사회적 기준에서 벗어나는 짓을 하는 순간 이런 말들이 한국에서 명분을 얻는 다는 것임 심지어 한국은 사적인 자리에서 조차 공적인 자리에서의 보여줘야하는 도덕성, 사회에서 표방하는 기준 안에서만 생각하고 살기를 바람 그러니 세상을 다각도로 보는 능력이 부족하고, 자신의 생각을 정연하게 표현하는 법을 모름 알잘딱깔센이 대표적인 예시임 말을 안해도 알아서 "잘" 하라는 굉장히 주먹구구식인 방식으로 남들에게 요구를 하는데 일에 메뉴얼을 하나 없는 무책임한 말이 한국에 대표적인 문화임 솔직히 한국인이고 굉장히 눈치를 보는 사람이면 저 말이 편할 것임 그래서 대부분의 한국인들이 눈치를 보고 눈치를 주는 거임, 서로 편하자고, 하지만 한국을 제외한 다른 국가에서 공적인 공간에서는 메뉴얼없는 주먹구구식, 개인의 공간을 경외시함과 마찬가지로 사적인 공간에서까지 알잘딱깔센을 외치는 문화는 외국인에게 공감을 받을 수 없음 한국에서 돈 벌고 싶으니 너가 한국을 배워야 한다라는 말은 현재 한국의 상황을 더 악화시키는 말일 뿐임 왜냐면 한국은 저 사람들이 필요해질 순간이 늘어나기 때문 그리고 한 가지 더, 해외가서 한국인들끼리만 노는 그룹이 상당히 많다고함 이미 한국의 문화는 어디에도 존중받기 힘든 문화인게 여실히 들어남 그니까 비정상까지는 아니어도 선호되지 않는 문화고 싫어할만 함 마치 한국인이 중국인을 보듯이

[@caseyspaos448]

Also don't travel by air. All planes crash killing thousands of people per year! And don't take Tylenol. It's tainted.

[@nathankwon2484]

On the other hand, there are also so many unqualified and irresponsible so-called English teachers in Korea. They have no passion for teaching, no love for their students and simply take on these jobs to finance their joyride in Korea. If you are getting a bad illegal deal, you probably lack qualification and are not in a position to negotiate.

[@yuo6245]

"I'm sorry to hear that you've been hurt. I am Korean. I'm not in your field, but I know there are many things in Korea that need change in many ways, including cultural practices like company dinners at the company. I really dislike them, too. So I understand and hope you're doing well. Hopefully, systems like English ones.

[@lousalome6599]

상처를 많이 받고 가신 거 같아 안타깝네요. ㅜ 한국에서 고생 많으셨어요. 😭

[@criland1348]

Thank you for posting this. I’ve seen alot of “teaching in Korea” videos but most are like new grads who wanted to travel. To see a competent English teacher who actually went to Korea and experienced the same treatment as the new grad w/ a cookie cutter degree is telling. I watched this one KZbinrs video whereby they put her in a classroom full of kids with various learning disabilities and behavioral issues. Her meals at work were the scraps left behind by her students. With her wages she barely made enough to feed herself and even that was a challenge

[@hik9800]

선생님께 아이들이 먹고 남은걸 준다니요?그런일은 절대 있을수 없는일입니다. 만약 그렇다면 공론화시키세요. 한국에서 선생님은 굉장히 존경받는 위치입니다. 선생님들끼리의 힘겨루기는 잘모르겠습니다. 그렇지만 확실한건 한국은 선생님에대한 존경이 바탕에 깔려 있는 나라입니다. 스승의날이 있을 정도니깐요.다만 저분께서 경험하신건 너무 슬프네요. 그렇지만 일반화 하지 말아주세요. 좋은곳 안좋은건 늘 섞여있으니깐요. 늘좋은 결정은 신중한 검토끝에 해야 한다는 겁니다. 늘 행복한 일만 있길 기도 할께요 😭

[@sunstricken]

@@hik9800 The respected position for teachers is a deteriorating myth. Teachers commit suicide because there's no support for them -and I mean Korean teachers themselves. That being the case, how even less support foreign teachers are getting. I'm not saying we should have more support than Korean teachers but it is to say that the system is long overdue for a re-evaluation. People want to put their heads in the sands and ignore all the bad by thinking that the 'good' can ever over ride the bad. The fact is, doing that doesn't solve the problem at all and makes things worse. People really need to learn that not all critiques are bad criticisms: critiques are made because there can be improvements.

[@DSS712]

"To see a competent English teacher who actually went to Korea and experienced the same treatment as the new grad w/ a cookie cutter degree is telling." How is that "telling?" Unless it is explicitly stated by the employer/recruiter, being overqualified for a job isn't automatically grounds for getting different treatment/expectations than people who meet the base qualifications. If I studied at culinary school and worked as a chef in Michelin Star restaurants and then I choose to take a job at McDonalds, that doesn't give me a right to criticize McDonalds for not allowing me to choose my frying oil of choice or plate the hamburgers in a more creative way. Also, I know the video you're talking about and she puts disclaimers in her video (the second one at least) about how this is just her experience and it doesn't represent all experiences in Korea. Speaking from my experience as a woman who has lived in Korea for almost 10 years, I can say that I was shocked by the lunch trays in that girl's video. I can promise you that is absolutely not the norm. Also, when schools DO pay as promised - which is indeed the norm - it is extremely easy to get savings in the bank and/or pay off student loans. This is one of the main reasons I stayed in Korea as long as I did. and fun fact, most hagwon jobs have afternoon/evening hours and don't have a designated lunch/dinner break. I would usually ear before/after work, or go to a nearby restaurant on the occasional day that I had an off-block. Korea also has an extensive system of high quality convenience stores, and so a lot of ate these triangle rice balls which I still eat frequently to this day. It's not torture, it's not inhumane, it's just a different eating schedule than "normal." But even in the morning school jobs that do have lunch breaks, I have NEVER heard of anyone I know getting leftover food scraps. Ew. Again, that is wrong, gross, and definitely illegal, and I feel awful that this girl's first impression of Korea had to be tainted with something like that.

[@lesliekatona309]

Seems like Korea can't afford English teachers.. ..yet they can afford lots of plastic surgery. Too bad Korea is screwing themselves over in this way..... will unfortunately lead to their demise. Maybe we should treat them similarly in North America.

[@rinas1931]

​@hik9800 I think I know what video they're taking about, and yes, she recorded videos of the leftovers she had to eat every day and how she'd eat after the kids, if I remember correctly. Yes, it is sad indeed. As a fellow foreigner living in Korea, I don't completely feel welcome, if I must be honest, but at the same time, I've started to understand that there's good and bad people as well as good and bad experiences that we may encounter in life and that's nothing to do with certain country' culture or society. Before I came to peace with this fact, I was slowly growing bitter towards Korea day by day, to the point it was affecting me emotionally and physically, so I decided to let go and forgive. Now I try to enjoy life, learning to treasure the happy moments and leaving behand me the bad ones. It takes time to heal. Though I understand her pain, I think the best for her is to let go of these bad experiences and to heal and learn from them. I read some comments from other here who sounded a little condescending or tried to invalidate what she might have been through, but then, yours reminded me of the kind people I've also met here. Sorry for the long speech, I just wanted to say that, but I didn't want it to sound too superficial so I added a little background story there 😅

[@hs.2118]

미국도 학교 교사들 대우나 연봉이 낮은걸로 알고 있는데 그건 한국만이 아닌데 안타깝네요. 본인 나라에서 높은 연봉받고 높은 월세와 물가를 감당하시며 사시는게 좋겠네요. 한국어도 못하면서 고연봉을 바라는건 좀 아니다.

[@frankh.5378]

Well, creating a channel dedicated to this subject shows how much you hated to work there. But did you actually learn their language and culture while you were there? Just imagine working in the States and never learning English fluently and then go to ur own country and then complain!

[@boogerlui]

You didn't invalidate any of her points, so your opinion holds no value.

[@csb9861]

I've been doing extensive research to decide whether I should teach in South Korea and bring my one-year-old daughter with me. I looked into everything from application requirements to the cost of diapers and daycare. As a single mom, I believed I could provide a better future for her there. However, my maternal instincts kept telling me that something wasn’t right. The more I learned about how children are often forced to behave like robots, attending private lessons all day until midnight, the more I felt it wasn’t the right choice. Ultimately, this led me to decide to stay in London. Then, by God's grace, I came across your video, which confirmed my uneasy feelings about this major decision. Thank you for sharing your experience!

[@QUINTUSMAXIMUS]

@@csb9861 Most people in the city I live in Gwangju doesn't have the kids often going to those academies. In Seoul, definitely. It's risky, though, to come here as a single mother.

[@naonaoent]

If you're in London, and aren't sure of the quality of life you can have here, I'd say move to another large UK city, London is absolutely crazy expensive lately, and hats off to you that you stayed with a baby. Even just moving a bit more east from London can provide you close proximity to the capital, but much lower cost of living. I moved to Zone 6 East from Zone 2 East, and the difference is incredible. But under no circumstances do you want to give up an equal, mostly fair quality of life in the UK to go to Korea and have your basic human rights as a woman taken away from you. Not to mention that single mothers are pretty much at the bottom of society, doesn't really matter why you're single. It's seriously terrible and unfair. Good on you for not going, you deserve better.

[@emmaphilo4049]

Don't go to SK, it's worse than whatever you don't like in the UK. The UK has issues but it's still a better place.

[@John-qd5of]

You have a one-year-old child. For that very reason, I would advise you to leave South Korea alone! Please do not teach there! There are several reasons. A major reason is job instability. You do not want this if you have a small child. For example, I taught at a 9-6 kindergarten for over 2 years. The kids liked me and I was rated fairly highly. I had a proven ability to teach. However, the job ended. A new job started. The boss didn't speak English. The job only lasted 3 weeks. The next job only lasted 4 months. Reason-a new boss had taken over, but the old boss had lied. He gave me a year contract but leased the flat for only 4 months. I ended up leaving Korea.

[@csb9861]

Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a thoughtful message. 🌷🫶🏽 Honestly, the more I research moving to South Korea as a single mom, the more shocked I am. I lived there for a year as a student, and my perception has changed completely. It's definitely not the same to be there as a student for a year compared to moving there as an adult citizen and trying to make a living with a child. 🫨 hope you had a great day ✨🪻

[@crunch2yy2]

As someone who grew up learning English from foreign teachers in hagwons, I’m sorry to hear about the experience you had in Korea. The learning experience i had was truly valuable. Some of the foreigners I met during my teenage years were more than just English tutors; they were real teachers. I suppose you were overqualified to be just an ordinary foreign English teacher in Korea. You had an education degree and were ready to devote yourself to teaching, but you ended up in the wrong situation and couldn’t easily get out of it. I believe it would have been better for you to teach students directly, without the middlemen like hagwons. Competent teachers will get well paid. I'm very sure about that cause my parents paid a lot to make me it's fluent in english. The advice you're giving in this video seems quite legit. I hope my country addresses the E-2 visa issue so that employers can no longer take advantage of young people like you.

[@QUINTUSMAXIMUS]

Thank you for your kind words. I teach at a university, but did teach at hagwons. I did love the students, but I did deal with dishonest and exploitive bosses then. Also, in Korea, they are paying the same salary as 15 years ago to the E-2 teachers, which is very wrong.

[@QUINTUSMAXIMUS]

@@crunch2yy2 Thank you. I don't think the government really cares. In Japan, foreigners own their own visas. It should be that way here, too. We don't have enough protection and sometimes even universities break the law in regards to foreigners. Some instructors at one university were pushed out of university housing in violation of their contract even.

[@DSS712]

Thank you for sharing your experience! I'm also a long term foreign resident in Korea and have taught at hagwons and other types of schools here, and while I have worked extremely hard, I have not had remotely the same experience as this person has had. I am thankful for the experience of every school that I've worked at, even the ones that weren't perfect (which is all of them). I will say that hagwon work isn't really targetted towards seasoned educators, but if someone truly does have a passion for teaching, a year or two of hagwon work on one's resume will open up a lot of doors to better teaching jobs in Korea, such as private schools/international schools with higher pay, more vacation time, and more autonomy in curriculum. Also, I don't think that the E-2 visa is an issue in and of itself - I think it's fine for a visa to be employer sponsored, especially when the people receiving the visa typically come from first world countries. The issue is that the qualifications/standards for operating a hagwon (and thus holding the power to sponsor an E2 visa of a foreign worker) aren't high enough. Because of this, hagwon directors tend to be desperate businesspeople rather than genuine educators, and this is what can lead to sketchy situations. IMO a Korean resident should not be allowed to operate a hagwon unless they have BOTH business qualifications and English-language educational qualifications, including actual classroom experience to be able to see things from the point of view of the teacher. I have a few friends here, both foreign and Korean, who have started their own English hagwons after being hagwon teachers themselves. Not only do they they run their academies with a compassionate, fun-centered ideology, but because they speak English they do the interviews themselves and can connect directly to potential employees. This cuts out the recruiter middleman, which is what tends to cause a lot of the confusion and miscommunications, since recruiters tend to give a more general description of hagwons and then place you in a school only after you pass the screening.

[@metchandara]

dude never ever sorry to any foreigners, especially Americans. Americans took your country and your people as hostages. They will use your country as a proxy war against China, which is your largest trading partner and also your largest neighbor. Americans never care about Korean people. Korea is a place for the US to make war with its neighbors if they have to... Don't ever ever say Sorry again.

[@encapseoulate]

I left Korea at the end of 2023 after living there for 17 years after I calculated that my public school teaching salary was less than than 2024 hourly rate of Korea's minimum wage. Nuff said.

[@georgeo2664]

And it took you 17 years to figure this out huh? Nuff said

[@rosalindash6830]

If Koreans are like this how are they different than the North Koreans?

[@John-qd5of]

@@rosalindash6830 That's a VERY good question! What do they have in common? Both countries have had dictators. In both countries, there is a tendency to follow the leader. Both North and South Korea have a tendency to follow an ideology with all the mad zeal of a new convert. In the case of South Korea, that means extreme neoliberalism. It means that while some jobs are "protected" the majority of jobs are not. It means short-term contracts with poor conditions and shrinking wages. But for the lucky minority, the opposite.

[@wordscapes5690]

Come to Taiwan. Very strict labor laws. And you can transfer your visa to another school if you are exploited.

[@John-qd5of]

@@wordscapes5690 I taught in South Korea for a number of years.I have a TESOL teaching certificate and lots of experience. Would going to Taiwan be a good idea? TBH I had a lot of fun in South Korea. I made lots of friends, and I did some really positive teaching. But there was always that fear of hagwon instability. I got the impression that conditions would be worse in South Korea. Unlike in South Korea, I would pay full rent and key money. Unlike in South Korea, I can only teach in private buhsibans, because I don't have a teaching degree. Unlike in South Korea, I would only get one day off per week! I got the impression that in Taiwan, I would also be teaching kindy, and that the parents would be there all the time, not to control their kids, but to criticise the teacher. (This is all from articles I read years ago, so it may be inaccurate now). On the other hand, you can *****TRANSFER YOUR VISA***** unlike in South Korea! That is a real plus. I was SURPRISED! So, if you want to tell me more about Taiwan schools e-maill me: [e-mail]

[@welfareleech1525]

I've been working in Daegu for 3 years and it's been fantastic. I work 1:30pm-7pm and get paid full time with the nice health care etc. zero complaints.

[@PumpkinMozie]

Rare good hagwon gigs like this definitely exist but they are not the norm.

[@welfareleech1525]

@ that’s what I’ve heard from others.

[@DSS712]

​@@PumpkinMozie They're not as rare as you think. I've been here ten years, and me and the people I know have had mostly positive experiences.

[@welfareleech1525]

@@DSS712 I would say the majority are good. They even gave me a raise without asking.

[@surfingpenguin2279]

Yea, this lady had a uniquely bad experience. I live in Korea and all the negative things she's saying about the teaching, the apartment and the wage is completely untrue in my case and in my friends case, who is at a different school. Also her slander about the culture as if they are all out to get foreigners all the time and froth at the mouth to take advantage of us is pretty gross. Its untrue and by in large they are friendly. Many foreigners of the woke variety do not have a good time here. I don't normally like to make assumptions but she seems like she's part of that variety. Probably for the best that they don't fit in here because that ideology would absolutely destroy this place.

[@cherrybomb1229]

You seem to have too many expectations and do not understand the cultural aspects of teaching in SKorea. It would be best if you went through government programs to secure your job in teaching, which is the best way to go.

[@juned1719]

If they treat their own citizens poorly in the workforce how do you think they’ll treat foreigners they don’t respect? 😒

[@handsomeX]

Exactly. Always look into how a country treats their own people in the workforce. Also how a country treats and protects their children.

[@douggieharrison6913]

Well in China the foreigners are treated 100× better than Chinese. Some of my foreign coworkers would play Mario cart outside of class while the Chinese teachers were staying late every single day calling parents and grading homework. We also made 4× their salary doing almost no work. Foreigners, specifically white ones, were put on a pedestal

[@ugghhhyoutubeisawful646]

right

[@CEOfromtheHell]

'Hagwons' or some 'English academy' are owned by private personal. Therefore, it is possible that foreign teachers may be treated unfairly or receive unfair wages. Before foreigners find a job in Korea and start working, they need to learn about the Korean Labor Office and Labor Standards Act, and if they have any questions, they need to contact the Labor Office immediately to find out.

[@ixluvxsunflower]

This is so helpful to watch. It’s making me re think this whole thing. So many KZbin channels that romanticize the whole thing.

[@kelly2444]

Other foreigners can't be trusted in South Korea, because they have their own agenda and will 100% romanticise their whole experience. I was at a hagwon and was gaslit and exploited by my school AND the other foreigners there. HOW,? I blindly trusted the other foreigners, but they were desperate koreaboos with no home life and/or skills to hustle, in their own country - so wanted to stay permanently in SK. I was swindled out of money by the school and the other foreigners agreed with what happened.

[@CariW90]

Or maybe some KZbinrs had high expectations and they’re just negative about it because it didn’t work out for them. I’ve seen some KZbinrs who went to Korea to teach English and are still there and probably even dating or married.

[@propertymanager9149]

people romanticize English teaching job in korea? LOL

[@DSS712]

@@CariW90 Yep this happens to a lot of us hahaha

[@EliaraEldor]

Girl, remain bless. I just find your video. And it’s not related to my case but everything you’ve said makes sense and is helping me

[@abbe1abbe156]

Queentivia posted a video about a Korean American guy too who was very scary. He locked her in a room at night, turned off the light and yelled at her. Maybe you both worked for the same company.

[@CoachKnapovicEAFC]

I have been living abroad since 2011 now and I have researched working in Korea quite extensively. It's such a shame that you had such a negative experience and I find that the negative experiences usually come from Hagwons and not as much from EPIK who do seem to be more willing to help you. I do feel as though you are generalising a country and a people based upon one horrible experience in addition to other people's experiences without adding balance to the argument you are trying to make. Everything you have experienced is NOT an accurate portrayal of every school or company within education in Korea. One thing I have learned with living in a number of different countries is that to get along you have to go along. This is not unique to Korea or Asia but life in general. Adapt or leave basically. You are not going to walk into a job and be treated as you would expect straight away. Of course, there are basic things that you can expect like getting paid on time and not being expected to be able to communicate 24 hours a day. That is fair but Korea is not the only country that expects you to toe the line when you are working and living there. With any job you go into you have got to be able to put everything you know at the door and leave it there if you are going to get any enjoyment or learn anything from a new experience. I feel like you either went to Korea with the wrong mentality or you were just incredibly naive about what you were walking into. EPIK is probably a safer option for people moving to Korea who want to teach English and after that I would suggest they get themselves into an international school that has an American or European management team. At least with EPIK it is a government programme and you will have more respect for your rights than a Hagwon that is just a money making machine. While you don't have control over the place you are going to be placed that is made very clear before you even apply in the first place. If you apply for EPIK and then later decide not to do it because of that one particular factor then you have just wasted your time and everyone else's because you didn't do the research. As I have said to many a qualified teacher (not EFL or English in general) that you shouldn't do EPIK because you don't need to be working with a co-teacher. The programme is generally set up for young people or students who want to travel and this is the government's way of getting English taught to some level across the country. I can accept that the summer and winter camps is a bit of a pain but during the school holidays you have lots of time at your desk to get all of your planning done for pretty much the rest of the year and then you can enjoy Korea with more free time outside of work. There are positives in something if you look for them. Jumping through hoops in order to get a visa to work in another country is not unique to Korea. I would need a school in the US to sponsor me in order for me to apply for a specialist visa. Even though I qualify for a specialist visa, without that sponsor it's a no go. In Russia I needed documents apostilled and I need to take an HIV test in addition to submitting finger prints. So that's rather a moot point to make in order to try and deter somebody. Unless you are within the European Union with an EU passport then moving country is always going to have hurdles to jump over. What people need to realise is that effective and accurate research is the number one thing when it comes to moving to another country. Without doing your research properly you are going to end up in the exact position that you (the person in the video) have experienced. Understanding the culture is of particular importance and there is no excuse for not being able to have some understanding of the culture of the country you may be moving to for work. I spent a lot of time researching the EPIK programme with the idea of moving to Korea and teaching English (I have a CELTA) but ultimately I decided that it wasn't for me based upon the research and where I wanted to take my career. The culture I find interesting but I am a man so I end up being treated differently in Korea (which is not right or fair and women in Korea are trying to stand up against that now). Now I am a fully qualified primary school teacher and I am looking to take the leap with an international school in Seoul. Wanting to do something and doing it the right way is important. To anyone watching this video, take the points made into consideration but ultimately you have got to put in the work hours with your research before you can come to a valid and educated conclusion as to whether or not you want to move to Korea and teach. With the right mentality and preparation you will significantly reduce the likelihood of being put in this position.

[@criticaloptimist]

Working for a Japanese ceo at a Japanese company in the states meant I witnessed many things prohibited by employment law. I can only imagine what that would be like teaching English there.

[@calimoss]

I can't stand it when people equate teaching in South Korea to "slavery". Slaves didn't have the option to quit, hop on a plane and go home. Shame on you.

[@cherylhastings1609]

No wonder there are so many k drama themed stories about Korean corporate culture especially their education educational systems. You have got your own real life kdrama. Glad to hear you made it home safe.

[@yoshikorieben8069]

You're never welcome to korea.

[@positronicbeats7496]

And people making that garbage are also treated like sh*t by TV producers. Whole culture is like American culture but 1,000% worse (unless we're talking about k*lling brown people then america always wins)

[@Cameronnp]

유투브 제목을 너무 노골적으로 만들었네요. 한귝인으로서 당황스럽습니다. 다친 마음이 잘 치유되길 바랍니다.

[@johanreiners3202]

I've been teaching in Korea for almost 18 years and love every moment of it. I'm sorry to hear about your horrible experience, though. However, it's important to note that your experience cannot be generalized. Like any other country, Korea has its dark side. However, living and teaching here can also be an enriching experience. I'm sure that the positive stories balance out the negative ones. So, if you want to teach in Korea, make sure you understand the culture as thoroughly as possible. Do not expect to work according to a Western way of thinking and Western cultural practices; it simply doesn't work that way.

[@jusblaze99]

CAP

[@nikicarrie4071]

It can bc others are speaking out

[@sunstricken]

Those who say good things are quite possibly also doing so under the fact that saying anything bad about Korea can get any of us in trouble. Those defamation laws are no joke. And she's even said in the beginning that it IS her experience. Many people do have horrible experiences but as always there's a swift comment from people who defend Korea and try to downplay ANYTHING negative. Let's normalize being able to LISTEN to critiques also realizing that good experiences are just individualized experiences or from Stockholms.

[@DSS712]

Ive been here almost 10 years. As soon as I finish this video I'll be writing a comment with the same message as yours. This woman clearly came into her teaching job with an extremely closed mind and high expectations, and it boils my blood that she is framing things as a generalization for how every foreigner's experience will be. The bottom line is it's a JOB. Moreover, it's a job in a foreign country. Moreover, it's work that is targeted for young people who want temporary employment, not as a vacation for high maintainance people who have an established professional background in their home country. And yes - it IS absolutely free housing. That's the #1 reason I stayed here longer than planned. The moment she started talking about being inconvenienced by the freaking health check i stopped taking her seriously. I'm paused now at the part where she is making borderline racist remarks about Korean Americans and their "role" in this supposed system.

[@DSS712]

​@@sunstricken No, she isn't claiming it as her experience. The phrasing she uses throughout the entire video, using "you" as a pronoun instead of "I" indicates that she genuinely feels that everyone who comes to Korea will in fact have the same experience that she did, and thus she made this video to deter other people from giving it a chance. She seems incapable of differentiating her subjective experience from the potential experiences of other people who have much different personalities, backgrounds, values, perceptions, and expectations compared to her own.

[@actualizinganna]

Taught in Korea for one year.. I loved Korea but my workplace was terrible. No breaks and never able to leave. Severely bullied my my coteacher and even though the bosses saw it and would talk about how horrible it was nothing was done because I was basically the bottom of the food chain as the youngest foreigner …

[@John-qd5of]

I sometimes wonder if, because the coteachers are dealing with little children, the default policy is to treat the adult staff like naughty children who need to be punished and put in their place.

[@UserName-xb7xi]

I also loved Korea and hated the schools. Lasted a year as well. Since then I have passed through Korea multiple times as a tourist. Looking forward to my next visit!

[@PumpkinMozie]

The foreign teachers working at hagwons are the equivalent of dancing monkeys. The hagwon owners could not care less if they are effective at teaching, ONLY the illusion of teaching to keep the parents happy.

[@DSS712]

Yeah, and for an entry level teaching job, this is actually a really big sell! This kind of work is not aimed at seasoned career teachers. I worked this job as an entry level teacher and it was a very valuable experience that kicked off my long term residency in Korea. However - whenever a seasoned teacher in the USA asks me "I'd love to see Asia, should I take an academy job in South Korea?" I'm frank with them that they will likely be uncomfortable with the low educational standards and so it likely won't be an enjoyable experience. Not just because of the boring lesson plans, but also because they will be working with 22 year old college grads who know nothing about teaching and are there to party it up in Hongdae.

[@Stellatale]

Hagwon is def not a good choice, better go with big company ,goverment facility or collage would be much better.

[@TravelWithMe-sn2my]

Agree with you! I have taught English in Korea. I have experience in the Hagwon and public school. The E2 visa is awful. I personally think English in Korea is dead. There is no need to teach English there. Skip that place. If you are coming because you want to live in Korea, okay that is fine but do not teach there. The E-2 visa in Korean means English conversation. So this means, the English Teacher on a E-2 visa is not suppose to teach grammar, math, science, etc. Hagwon's and even some public schools do not respect this, or do not even know the E-2 regulations or care to learn and follow it. The obsession with Korea is problematic. Korea has become expensive. If you want to pay your student loans, teaching English Korea is not the place. Thank you for sharing with the public. Sure there are some people that have had good experiences. But please do not thing that this is the case for everyone. Even though my experience in Korea has not been horrible but there has definitely been many negative experiences, yes I had some positives as well. Do I recommend to teach in Korea, no stay away. Again if you want to experience Korean culture, do not teach English. If anyone has questions feel free to message me.

[@davidp2847]

Do you know anything about the ENOW academy?

[@John-qd5of]

@@davidp2847 No, but I taught in Korea for 4.5 years. What does the contract say? I was in Korea until late August, so I know something about contracts. I think that the details of a contract can tell you a fair bit about the academy's general philosophy, and the way it will treat you. Thus, if there is anything in the contract that seems nasty, that is probably a bad sign. Likewise, if there is anything in the contract which contravenes Korean law, that's a sure sign that the school is breaking the law already, and is a red flag. For example, if there is no health insurance or pension, it means that the hagwon views you as freelance, not a salaried employee. That's breaking visa laws right there. If they are vague about your duties, it may mean they want to add extra duties. They may even try unpaid overtime. If they don't mention holidays, you will get none. That's also illegal. Also, accommodation may be a problem. For example, I applied for a job just before I left South Korea. The Skype interview went well. But I went to check out the joint in person. The head foreign teacher said a lot of impressive stuff about their teaching methods and ***good communication*** with Korean staff. I was excited. But then the assistant director told me there was no accommodation for 6 months, even though I had been promised it in the interview, and in the job ad. Oh, surprise! This was miscommunication-and a broken promise. It contradicted what I had been told. I got the contract after the interview. It was full of financial penalties for quitting (this is illegal). I was told I would get 11 vacation days. Okay, but I needed the director's permission to take more than 5! Illegal! National holidays weren't even mentioned. Yikes! The vacation section concluded with a long angry rant about latecoming. Then, finally I had to sign a promise NOT to take legal action against the school! What, did someone already sue them? If you see stuff like that, it is a sure sign of trouble. However, the biggest issue for me was no accommodation, and no goshiwons near the school. This is all rather sad, really. You see, I had worked at one stable hagwon for over 2 years. The director was thinking I might stay longer, but the owner was not. This year, all the hagwons that showed interest were brand new, and awful. For further help, about your hagwon, go to reddit: r/thehagwonblacklist.

[@cosimo7770]

The above text by a teacher of English contains seven errors of grammar, syntax or usage.

[@Shirley.sThirties]

I think the most painful part about all of this is the fact that other foreign teachers will not have your back 😭 it’s so scary!

[@Jimalcoatl]

This is not universally true. At my last two hagwons, the foreign teachers all had each other's backs. It was really nice. We basically formed an informal union and told the director that we would all walk off when they did shady shit. That may have been a rarity, but when everyone is just one more bad experience from a midnight run anyway, it does give you the leverage to affect change or at least demand better treatment for yourself and your colleagues. I now reccomend that every hagwon teacher be ready to midnight ruun at a moment's notice. It's the most powerful tool you have for standing up for yourself until the visa laws here get changed.

[@juahl]

​@@Jimalcoatl what is a midnight run?

[@Jimalcoatl]

@@juahl It’s when a foreign teacher buys a plane ticket home or to another country and just disappears without telling their school/employer. It's often one of the only options to get out of a bad school because of the letter of release laws.

[@juahl]

@@Jimalcoatl Ahhh! Gotcha! Prayers your situation improves. 🙏🏻

[@Jimalcoatl]

@@juahl My situation is fine now. I moved on from that job as soon as my contract was over.

[@yasminbarry7941]

Yes, there are other former teachers in Korea who are reporting the exact same situation. Exemple: Queentiwa here on KZbin

[@DSS712]

Please take youtubers/influencers' reviews of Korea with a grain of salt. People who do vlogging tend to be far more likely to portray an overly negative view of things. The bottom line is that if you aren't open minded to new experiences and new cultures, you aren't going to have a positive experience working in a foreign country. Period. It isn't your employer's job to make you feel like you are in a movie or on a fun vacation. It's work. And in my personal experience as well as the personal experience of the vast majority of ESL teachers I've met in my 10 years here, it has been a great opportunity to make GOOD money, have a safe place to live, enjoy wonderful health insurance, and get to know new people and new cultures.

[@sociolocomtsac]

Plenty of other former teachers who had a great experience and saved up a good sum because the low cost of living and quality of life is higher than what teachers would be able to have in the US.

[@jessicagreen3963]

Unfortunately these same people had good views until they left...they couldnt speak on their actual experiences due to deportation ​@DSS712

[@RogerFusselman]

I'm a long-time expat in Korea. My experience has been much better than the stories and circumstances described here. Taught at hogwans, schools, and universities. Learn how to navigate the country, hear the worst cases, then decide if you want to come here or not.

[@Wendy-fi5hb]

I wish I saw this video a year ago. Now, I'm stuck in a public school with toxic Korean co-teachers who bullies me. Anyway, I hope this video helps a lot of people who wants to teach English here to rethink their decision bc this is not work; it's purely abuse.

[@chocoholic5645]

Co teacher bullies you?Hard to believe(don't mean u are lying)as long as I know Koreans we are more willing to help foreign teachers TT. So bad and still hard to believeTT. Why would the teacher bully us.

[@QUINTUSMAXIMUS]

@@chocoholic5645 Well, one of my friends worked at a public school back in 2007 and one of the teachers even stole money there, and the principal begged the foreign teacher and his Korean girlfriend not to tell anyone because he was going to retire. One of my friends left Korea in 2007 because of some toxic relationship with her co-teacher. She couldn't handle how she was treated. I once got very sick at a hagwon because my hagwon lied to me and made me work almost double the hours. I was too tired. I almost took my first principle to court. You better believe these stories.

[@nikicarrie4071]

Leave. They don't deserve us

[@nikicarrie4071]

​@chocoholic5645 no they're not they're terrible humans

[@Stayblessed-n4p]

​@@chocoholic5645no they re awful racist human beings..

[@kelly2444]

I keep coming back to this video, mostly as I feel validated as I also had a terrible experience, but also hoping it goes viral and more people are warned about this dishonest and corrupt system.

[@thsu8]

Why do you people think Korea is any different from Japan or China or Vietnam or Taiwan or Thailand?

[@NBA-yh9rl]

한국의 직장 문화는 많이 개선 되긴 했어도, 아직까지 한국 MZ세대들에게도 힘든게 한국직장문화입니다. 매운 한국 직장문화를 경험하신듯한데, 한국인들도 작은 회사등에 취업하면 비슷한 일을 겪습니다. 한국의 직장 상사들은 선을 넘는 간섭과 회식 참여 강요등을 요구하죠. 아직 한 10-20년은 지나야 이런 직장 문화는 바뀔듯 합니다. Korean workplace culture has improved a lot, but it remains challenging even for the MZ generation in Korea. It seems like you've experienced the harsh aspects of Korean workplace culture. Many Koreans also face similar situations when they join smaller companies as like 학원 hakwon. Korean bosses often demand intrusive involvement and enforce participation in after-work gatherings. It will probably take another 10 to 20 years for this kind of workplace culture to change.

[@LJ2025-l3v]

I just saw a video that a German girl had some bad experience with her whv job in Australia,I mean it not Asia but also western country,this kind of unfair bad thing happened everywhere,it only depends on the different hummer being,not the country or areas,that's the point...

[@drv4543]

This video is an invaluable resource. Thank you for such a comprehensive breakdown!

[@azizurrahman1091]

I agree thanks for this insight

[@natyramento9044]

I am an Asian (Filipino), their people considered as a 2nd class citizen truth of the matter is “racist” attitude. Anyway I am now in Toronto proud to live here peacefully, Canadian accepted me as Healthcare worker. They need teachers in Toronto I invite you to apply a job. Again I am glad you told the truth about it. Remember confusionism culture.

[@John-qd5of]

I am torn in 2 about South Korea. I have had some successful teaching experiences there, but also some bad ones. I made many friends in that country, and in some ways, I love the country. I left, recently, and I miss it. However, Korean schools often break labour laws, and as you say, Koreans can be racist and xenophobic. I had a great 2.5 years at one school. This year, I was at different school, and it was just nonsense. I got fired, and left Korea. Like the lady in the video, I have shown myself to be a good teacher. But it could not protect me from a bad school. Even though I am white, and a native English speaker, some Koreans compared me negatively to Americans, and Canadians! The immigration system is also very racist.

[@iigel352]

im sure this account is made by filipino too

[@PumpkinMozie]

Saying that drinking after work is “just a part of the culture” is NOT an excuse. It is definitely still creepy and distasteful no matter what, and a lot of Korean women say the exact same thing.

[@DSS712]

This culture is gradually changing. I've worked in a variety of ESL settings in Korea over the past decade, and I've never (as a white American woman) felt pressured to drink alcohol with my coworkers. While I have gone to my fair share of company outings, the dates are announced in advance and it was never a surprise. On the rare occasions that a company outing is announced last minute, nobody has ever gotten offended by me or someone else politely declining to attend. While I obviously can't speak to this woman's unique experience as I was not there, I CAN speak for other foreigners I've met, including myself, who have struggled within the first few months in Korea with confidently yet politely setting boundaries. You're all alone in a new country, and so it's easy to get caught in a bad habit of telling yourself you need to please everybody and make everyone like you. Once you get settled though, it becomes much more obvious to yourself that you are honestly free to decline these types of invitations because 1. you don't HAVE to be close with your coworkers, and 2. Even if you decline invites for bonding activities, your coworkers value your work more than they value your social presence. In other words, if you put a lot of focus and effort into your job, you've already proven yourself to be a valuable member of the team. However, if you don't get the work done, regularly show up late, complain a lot before proving your competency, immediately question the way things are done before even trying it, etc, AND ON TOP OF THAT you also don't go to the company outings, that's when you start drawing negative attention to yourself - because now, your boss and coworkers get the idea that you don't have any interest in contributing to the workplace morale and are just taking advantage of the company's visa sponsorship in order to go travel and eat kimchi and have fun in Korea.

[@anon19086posts]

Same experience in Saudi. Loved the country but major toxic work environment

[@John-qd5of]

The best things about Saudi are probably the dark night skies in the desert, the lovely mountains, and Jeddah. Oh, and I lived in a nice hotel next to Loo Loo Hypermarket! My contract was only for a month, a deliberate choice on my part.

[@ugghhhyoutubeisawful646]

interesting

[@orangeb2981]

Thanks for sharing your experiece on youtube. My wife also worked in a hagwon, so I know how tough your life can be as a English teacher. You opened up a conversation about bad sides of hagwons and teaching environment, which I think is neccessary and should be discussed. I hope that people who are in charge of these hagwon or have an influence see this video and improve the foreign teachers' teaching conditions because i think its better for both sides to have a good experiece teaching and continuing teaching for their hagwons not having to replace with new teachers all the time. I really hope that these kinds of discussion gets spread and see the real change happening. Hagwons need to let foregin teachers to choose their vacation days.

[@Lovmyself]

7:15 I'm just gonna eat kimchi lol. Didn't expect you to say that, hilarious

[@QUINTUSMAXIMUS]

While I understand you being disgruntled, but the X on the Korean flag is horrible. That's like an attack on all Koreans for your experience. I have worked at a couple of bad hagwons, but I wouldn't put an X on the flag. It's not respectful.

[@KuopassaTv]

You are horrible. Please stop commenting here.

[@DSS712]

This whole video is disrespectful. Instead of just admitting "I'm clearly not the type of person/demographic who could get much out of a teaching job in Korea," she takes zero accountability for her negative experiences and just decides that Korea - as well as Korean Americans - must be objectively awful. I've reported this video actually. I doubt it will do much, but as an American white woman who has lived in Korea for almost a decade, this video is just so disgusting to me.

[@EmbraceMadnezZ]

​@@DSS712Im totally agree with you.

[@josephkenrick6770]

I've been teaching Koreans online for years. I taught in country previously. Every word reeks of bitterness. I wouldn't want you to be my teacher either.

[@isamukim1693]

You would make a much worse teacher for sure... (and an even much more worse person as a matter of fact)

[@DSS712]

​@@isamukim1693what a solid comeback, personally attacking someone you know literally nothing about. Take my applause.

[@lesliekatona309]

Stupid comment..... some Koreans are nice people....but there's also a lot of crooks there.

[@Yemella1]

Thanks for the video. Don`t forget to mention that Korean teachers get extra pay for English camps while Foreign Teachers have it embedded into their contract as free labor. I`m just disgusted at this point.😤😤😤

[@nikicarrie4071]

They're 1940 racist to black people. They actually physically put their hands on BP

[@azizurrahman1091]

Noooo I had no idea! 😮

[@John-qd5of]

You are talking about EPIK, which is in a death spiral. An EPIK teacher told me that foreign teachers used to get the extra pay for English camps too.

[@DSS712]

Don't forget that the Korean teachers get paid less at a baseline level, AND don't get housing benefits, AND have the additional burden of talking to and managing the parents

[@sophiesong8937]

​@@DSS712 this.

[@mcostagirl123]

I agree. While I’ve never worked in South Korea, I was hired as an English teacher in Japan and had a very bad experience that made me feel really bitter towards the entire country for years afterwards. Between my own experience and several stories like these I truly believe that these countries actively hire eager foreigners, specially ones who aren’t fluent or can’t speak the language at all, so they can take advantage of us. My own experience was too long to share in detail, but I’ll share some of the highlights here. I began training as soon as I was picked up from the airport. There was no opportunity for me to freshen up, to eat anything, or to drop my things off where I’d be staying. My training lasted only a day and I wasn’t given a manual or any instructions on what to do in different circumstances. I was dumped at my apartment at night without any food, without telling me where I could get any, or explaining how to use anything. Since all the instructions in the apartment were in kanji, I couldn’t figure out how to turn on the heating and had to sleep in my coat. Everything I learned I learned on my own. I was instructed to get to the school without anyone showing me where it was nor explaining how to get there. I found my way to the train station, on my own, but nobody spoke English and I didn’t understand what I was doing so I got lost and was late to work. I was fired the next day. They waited till 8 PM to meet with me and had me travel to the school only to tell me that I was being fired for being late. They even had me sign this document, fully in Japanese, without anyone translating for me. They basically just told me what the document stated and kept staring at me till I signed it. They offered me no choice and told me I had to leave the apartment right away or pay them $200 to rent the apartment for the rest of the week. I was in a small town where no one spoke English, Google Maps wasn’t a thing yet, and I had no idea where to find a hotel or how to get a cab, so I agreed to pay them. Even though my Visa was still valid for the rest of the year, they lied to me and told me they were having it cancelled so I believed them. The American woman who interviewed and hired me ghosted me. She never answered my calls or offered any help. My coworkers also told me that they were shocked that I was fired, that they were told I decided to go home. None of them offered any solutions though. I tried to apply for work right after, stating I was already in Japan, but kept being turned down because they didn’t want to go through the trouble of getting me a Visa, which I thought I no longer had. Someone flat out told me he would’ve hired me right away if I still had a Visa, but I’m not sure if I didn’t explain it well or he didn’t know the laws either, but he didn’t tell me my Visa was still active. So ultimately, I left Japan in shame. I never sought legal advice because it didn’t even occur to me that anything that happened was illegal. I just assumed that the laws were different there and that’s just the way they did things. I also didn’t tell my family because I was so embarrassed. I essentially dealt with it all alone, which I wouldn’t recommend. Let me be clear, this is a predatory system that takes advantage of our love for these countries and their cultures to pay us crap wages, to rob us of our free time, and to pull all kinds of shady and illegal activities. In spite of how bitter this experience made me, I eventually got over it and currently love Japan again, though I would never teach there again. I’m now a proper English teacher with a Master’s Degree and have been teaching in the same school for the past 4 years.

[@maireadmacbeath4548]

Many thanks for posting some of your story. So very sorry you had to go through all that but it's a warning to us all. It's obviously a terrible problem which is just being swept under the carpet - I've watched so many stories similar to yours on YT very sadly. Very glad about all your success and of your loving Japan again - many wouldn't be so forgiving!

[@mcostagirl123]

@ Ty! It was a very sad time in my life. I left everything behind to go there and ended up with less money than when I arrived.

[@saichandra7762]

Where are you currently teaching now? Would you say only teaching is bad in Japan or other professions like IT are equally bad for foreign workers?

[@mcostagirl123]

@@saichandra7762 I'm teaching in my home country. I don't think teaching is an easy profession, but I wouldn't call it bad. To be clear, it's not teaching as a whole that's a problem, it's this system where shady companies hire foreigners they can take advantage of.

[@DancingSk3L3tons]

As someone who's traveled extensively across the globe it amazes me how many westerners think other countries hold our values. That going to another country you might even have the same rights and privileges you have here. You don't. If you think Korea is bad try the middle east lol you will be singing thank God for America reeeal quick 😂

[@alexhue752]

If you're considering high paying job with lots of benefits don't go into teaching English in any country. Do something else. This job is reserved for backpacking expat type without English degree. Problem is there are so many foreigners wanting decent jobs without competitive skill. Where they are too many supplies less demand. Get a grip.

[@scatz4994]

If you don't want to go back to your home country because of issues, i can understand that, but to stay in Korea and have to endure all this crap? hell no. I would even invite you here in the Philippines. Work here instead. Sure, it's not that much in pay, but with your current savings (if you have any), business is easy to start here. Even though the work culture in SOME companies are pretty bad, it isn't even near as bad as what I've heard in these Korea and Japan work horror stories. As an employee, you definitely can retaliate.

[@malachite3]

Thank you so much for sharing your experience. It would be nice if you could further your channel to compile a set of interviews from other foreign workers, who have worked in other sectors and job fields of Korea and from different countries. This would help people make a more informed decision before choosing to work in other countries.

[@deasvail99]

EPIK was a good program and made my time worth it. I had a brief hagwon stint (until it closed down 2 months later), and it was terrible. I received three weeks of paid vacation with my EPIK contract back in 2011 and was able to travel to the U.S. and Japan. Work was 8-4 Mon-Fri. Sometimes, you were expected to go to teacher dinners and events, but they were fun, in my opinion. The health check was fine with me, it was part of my EPIK orientation. Yes, they poke and prod you and make sure you don't have TB, but it wasn't bad.

[@DSS712]

Exactly. This woman's video is the perfect example of someone who shouldn't teach in Korea - someone who is closed minded to new cultures, wants to go on fun vacations, and has high expectations for things to cater to a Western mindset. It's frustrating that she doesn't seem to cognitively understand that not every Westerner has the same closed-mindedness as her.

[@language-n-learning]

My EPIK experience was generally good, but at faculty dinners, it's the Koreans who are close-minded as they will torture you if you don't want to drink or sing. It's a horribly controlling culture with almost no concept or respect for different cultures or different personal choices.

[@Justcetriyaart]

I'm glad more and more of this is coming out and more people, the koreans themselves are posting as they can about the real issues that arent' safe.

[@joanncolon8617]

Thank you for sharing. Fortunately, I had a mostly-positive experience teaching in Korea for 6 total years between 2010 - 2020. However, one thing that bothers me to no end is how the Korean government, school admin, or whatever powers that be don't really care--or want--the kids to truly learn to speak English. If they did, why did they take away all the foreign teachers from the middle and high schools but allow them to stay in the elementary schools? The kids may get a grasp and some confidence to speak English in elementary school but that gets stifled and killed off in middle and high school, where they have to focus on reading and grammar. I get the teachers try to prepare them for the Sunung (uni entrance exam), but why not change that exam to focus on English speaking instead of reading and grammar? This is what's done in some European countries and those people speak better English than Koreans. I think English is treated as a subject like math and as a cash cow. It's all about the money, not actual learning. Sadness. 😢

[@Kunfucious577]

I bet korea will start self imploding in a few years. Our culture is based on Confucius and it’s all about hierarchy and your place in it(class system). Elders, rich people, government officials are at the top and you don’t question them. You do as you’re told whether it’s just or not. This culture is so ingrained into the culture many on the bottom will accept it as a fact of nature. This mostly went away after ww2 but is coming back. Slowly at first but very quickly as of late. It’s especially true for the wealthy. This mentality was how Korea was left so far behind the rest of the world in the late 19th century and it will happen again if it isn’t addressed.

[@warrior29363]

Come to Colombia. I studied in the British counsil. people pay a lot of money to have british or american teachers. you will live like a rich person in colombia, also the colombians will adotp you.

[@InquisitionFren]

Some of your points are certainly valid (such as the illegal contracts), but the overall whiny drama queen attitude is detrimental to your argument. Especially when you display a complete lack of awareness of the basics of their culture and expecting Koreans to conform to Western social norms

[@Stellatale]

What I think about this video is you need to know some language if you want to work in another country. Because they will give you some contract before let you in some "apartment" for work and they will go detail about your salary and payment. If they are not talking to you about it I'm sorry. but even korea's system looks corrupted. everything is on going with contract. and hagwon is very bad place to work. it is normally small company with lots of temp ppl and one greedy owner. it is same as any other small company in korea. working at collage or goverment facility would be better for foreign ppl.

[@마리-o9r]

아무래도 상처받을 일들이 많을텐데 잘견뎌주고 좋게 봐주고 한 사람들이 가끔 있어서 그나마 다행이에요. 각 나라의 문화와 역사가 다르기에 나타나는 사회적, 교육적 문제도 다릅니다. 저도 잘알아요. 교육적인 면에 많은 문제가 있다는 걸!!!

[@scarletred522]

That's why so many foreign English teachers that "escape" SK...

[@meggrotte4760]

Sounds like Taiwan. I was told the same thing. Yes I would not want to be a teacher in the US. But it's not so easy teaching in Asia as people make it seem to be. I think I can say that I'm thankful that I have a job in Taiwan. My school is nice. I wish I could you know do what they're asking as far as motivating the students to talk I tried really hard but they either like me or they don't Believe me I'm always trying different things. Yeah you have to be careful about that there's all over Asia. Will Taiwan doesn't have vacation days but if you're sick I've never had a company not honor their contracts. There's no overtime but I don't mind about that because like I said I can live here and provide for my basic needs and rent an apartment That's pretty much how I've been paying back my student loans. I have a stress disorder so I can't work 40 hours a week but I can do about 25 a week. It's the best option for me as far as you know trying to live and thrive. I don't know what Korea's like but I was curious.

[@deefunz4]

Thank you for this video! Sometimes I miss Korea and I watch Vlogs, but I’ve never seen any person as thoroughly researched as you and is honest and action oriented to solve it! It was really hard for me to explain to people what was happening when you’re there and you already have a visa and you’re held hostage. I’m sorry you had to go through that but I know it really really really really well what happened to you?

[@octopusfly]

Great video. You give solid advice. Your observations and deductions are accurate. It was very brave of you to stand and fight... hopeless, but valiant. Consider yourself to be " Lucky in your bad Luck," So much worse could have happened to you. Yet, you escaped and lived to share your warning. Thank you for sharing in such detail. I've been in South Korea teaching English for over 22 years. It's behind you now and you learned so much. Best of luck to you in all of your future endeavors. ~An American in Korea 🇰🇷

[@nikicarrie4071]

Tf😊

[@MichaelRWright]

I have lived here (Seoul, Korea) for 24 years and are on my way to another country, but I have had many friends and EVERY single thing you've said here is completely true. Completely!! Stay safe and listen to this video.

[@DSS712]

@@MichaelRWright why did you stay for 24 years then

[@MichaelRWright]

@@DSS712 I stayed in Korea with my family because it is so very safe and we love/loved it here. We may move back in 2 years. Korea is really a very beautiful place. The food and people have treated us and others kindly, very kindly. There are many expats that live here; however, in the teaching communities (학원 - academy) it can be exactly as described. In the actual Universities and or International school it's the complete opposite in 9/10 cases, in my opinion.

[@DSS712]

@@MichaelRWright Also a long term foreign resident here! I agree about the safety, food, friendliness, etc making this place a great place to live (at least when compared to the USA where I come from) Just a disclaimer that the rest of the comment is probably stuff you already know, but I'm mostly posting it for people who are curious about teaching in Korea and happen to run across this comment. I don't think it's really fair to compare hagwons and university/international school, since they are generally targeting two very different groups of potential employees. University/international teaching absolutely has significantly better benefits, but it's also a straight up career path that requires a teaching experience, certifications, education related degrees, and even a graduate degree in the case of university work (and preferred for international school work). They typically offer two year contracts for employees and many people stay longer than that period. Hagwon jobs on the other hand, are not designed for career teachers. They are heavily marketed as work that is both short term (1 year contracts) and entry level (degree can be unrelated to teaching, ZERO prior classroom experience required, pre-made, easy to follow lesson plans). While the work is brutally demanding and often doesn't promote the utilization of researched classroom strategies, IMO it is a great foot in the door for young people (early/mid twenties) who are working for the first time and want some independence/new experience/job experience/savings (obviously this only works when the school actually pays you what they legally owe you, which unfortunately didn't happen for this youtuber so I understand that her experience was soured. But the vast majority of people I've met in 10 years in Korea get paid what they are owed.) On top of that, one other thing worth mentioning is that once you are actually in Korea and have worked for 1 or 2 years, you will be at a huge advantage in terms of finding your next job. Both because you have more on your resume, and because you can interview in person and see the school, you will have MUCH more control over future job quality than you would have as someone applying as a first timer through an international recruiter. In short, I don't think it's fair to just dismiss all hagwon work with a blanket statement of "slave labor indentured servitude" because depending on your individual goals and experience level, the pros and cons can absolutely balance out in many cases to make it a worthwhile path to explore. Hagwon work completely and utterly totally kicked my ass for the 3 years that I did it, and I am thankful for every day of that experience because it was what I personally needed at the time.

[@MichaelRWright]

@@DSS712 I totally agree with your assessment ...100%

[@cheezellopp9865]

Complaining about western govts not warning their citizens against teaching in Korea reeks of a lack of accountability. Sure, let's create a nanny state because you are incapable of doing your own research before making massive life choices. Is it possible for anyone to be at fault for making a decision that turned out poorly for them, or is it always because of some big bad system that took advantage of them?

[@martinbak5789]

Everywhere you go, there are both good and bad people. Overgeneralizing may make others see you as one of the bad ones too. Seek out good people and good friends, and ask for their help. Being overly negative won’t help you find a good solution. Many foreigners are satisfied and happy with their work. Meet with them. I hope you manage well.

[@jchae35jc]

I think you've clouded your mind with high expectations and entitlement coming from the states. It's not because it's S. Korea, but what I gather of your views of the parents, children, and fellow teachers. You've also surrounded yourself with complainers. Misery loves company they say and you've proven that.

[@DSS712]

Yep I've worked with people like her at hagwons and they're insufferable. People who have clearly never heard the advice "pick your battles" and just acted offended over anything that isn't immediately logical from their subjective viewpoint. Like you said, this usually happens when someone is surrounded by entitled complainers, they think that is normal and then when they are finally exposed to people who have the ability to tolerate mild discomfort and focus on the bigger picture, they say "oh those people lack confidence and refuse to stand up for themselves" rather than considering that if everywhere you go smells like shit, it might be time to check your shoe

[@Yubin_Lee_Doramelin]

I'm really sorry for your opinion based on your experiences which became mentally traumatic. As a person who attended schools in Korea and relied on lots of native teachers during about nine years - elementary 3rd to high 2nd (excluding several years in non-English-only kindergarten), I slowly thought my attitude toward native teachers might be egocentric. I really liked English classes with them, but simultaneously, this preference of me might place them under illegal contracts... Actually, these kind of contracts are still prevalent (especially in small firms), because of cultural lag... I know that English education system in Korea is kind of... "off the manual", so there are many problems besides illegal contracts, visa, and more things you mentioned. I'm so afraid that the whole system can't be fixed entirely in short time, but I really wish that our generation could fix these multiple tangled problems, which might be solved by reseting and re-modeling the entire Korean education system. P.S. I don't want you to have a nightmare every day which depicts your horrifying experiences in Korea. If your mental disturbance caused by this continues and effects you in a negative way, I recommend you to go to psychiatry. Please, stay healthy.

[@jeffmccord575]

I rarely spent time out with employers or other Korean teachers. I found the Korean teachers didn't always have a good grasp of English, but they had no benefit from backing me up on issues. It is all that cultural stuff where you never question or correct a superior. No just in English either. When I wanted to do stuff with other teachers. There were teachers at our Hagwon and others in town. World Cup was going on which was an excuse to support the home team and get lost in Seoul. I get where you come from about teaching methods for kindergarten. It's just like that k-12. Teaching to the test is the way they do it. What they wanted at the time was someone that engaged with the students and had a skill like being funny animated or musically inclined. Teaching there is a lot like my current job in the US at a juvenile prison school. There is a method and have to adapt. Not everyone is cut out for the job. I have empathy for you. I've been there. Never ran. The first time manager told he would F me up I was scared. When I realized it was a common threat I challenged him. That was long ago. Would I ever go back? Yes but never to work there again. I'm 51 with a bachelor's degree. Not great for teaching young kids. The pay range is about the same as it was in 2013 when I left. The top end requirements are higher. Lastly the B.S. is the same. There are so many great aspects to Korea . The reason their system continues to flounder is that there is never ending supply interested native English teachers.

[@nikicarrie4071]

Privileged

[@lesliekatona309]

Many hogwons are owned by gangster types

[@jeffmccord575]

Singing...My wife (a Korean) taught her students Halo by Beyonce. Supermarkets would have canned music. Halo would come on and kids would be singing it by their parents. big selling point.

[@t-and-d-productions]

16 year vet native teacher in Korea. Never really had a big problem, but know a lot who have. A good thing that has just pretty much just started was a Foreign Language Teachers Union, which is recommended by the Board of Labor.if you do decide to come, I would consider joining.

[@FeedMeJuice]

This sounds like Creverse. I’m going with Epik, my friend has been there for 7 years and she loves it. I only want to be there for a year so hopefully everything works out. I’m going with money to set aside to do the run if anything doesn’t go well lol.

[@AWildBard]

I've been in Korea for about 18 years now! I realized very early on I got lucky. However, my work experience in the US was also not great. I never had a really good job. Mainly because I didn't get the kind of degree that leads to a job. I sometimes worked three jobs and usually had two jobs. Most of my pay went to the rent and sometimes I couldn't quite afford to pay for car repairs with the old used cars I had to own to go to work. I never had health insurance except when I was in the military. In the US I survived. But in Korea, I felt liberated from the harshest realities because my job now covered rent ( free ) and health care ( reasonably priced. ) I paid off 50% of my student loans in one year and the other 50% in 5 years. I can understand that if you are mistreated, you would be making a "dont teach in s korea video." I would have done the same. But the maker of this video is also very lucky to have a good history of work experience in the USA. She is qualified to go back home and get a good job and live in health and security. I really do not have that option. A lot of Koreans graduate from university and live with their parents for 5-10 years trying to get a good job. Life is good for the ones with good jobs. But there is an element of the rat race in Korea. People are overly competitive. This is also true in the US, but in the US it's easier to escape the rat race nowadays.

[@UserName-xb7xi]

Thank you for posting. I worked at 2 hagwons in 04 and 05. Hated it. Got fired from my first and resigned from the 2nd. I always regarded that period of my life as kind of a failure but you made me think more that the system sets you up for failure. As a dude, I experienced some of the things you did minus the sexual harassment. Here’s hoping that your life bounces back.

[@jonnypop100]

You seem to be a problem as well I’d like to hear both sides

[@James_zai_dongbei]

You gotta advocate for yourself teaching ESL in Asia. Negotiate everything, and don't let yourself get bullied. You have to be flexible though, get into the culture and use being a foreigner to your advantage. Some people are naive, like no shit you can't trust recruiters. It's capitalism man, exploitation is the name of the game. You're never a slave though, just bounce if it sucks.

[@peterdeneke8401]

I also had a bad experience. I was fired my second week . Im nervous to file a report with MOEL in case they dont pay my salary and I cant leave the country.

[@perfecthollywood]

why would you not be able to leave the country?

[@v2cantthinkofahandle]

what is your situation now?

[@peterdeneke8401]

@@v2cantthinkofahandle I filed a report after I left korea, but it got rejected

[@v2cantthinkofahandle]

@@peterdeneke8401 sorry to hear that ): hope things are going alright for you now

[@CHASE88888]

I did it in Japan for 20 years different story same thing! I did a few videos on it.

[@519djw6]

I teach English at the university level in *Japan*, but before I got my graduate degree I was working for several so-called "English Conversation Schools." I'd like to get some input from those who have experience teaching in *both* countries, and how the situation may differ between the two.

[@gracekwak6666]

HarryJayLee - you made it remarkably balanced without any cheap,emotional approach. Tks for your effort 👌

[@jojon4272]

Thank you for sharing. I've been watching some videos about Americans who teach English in countries like Japan or South Korea, and the overall consensus is "Don't." Thank you for being honest

[@balggeun]

한국은 아직 나아가야할 것들이 산더미입니다. 한국의 20세기 역사를 둘러봐주시고, 아직 우리는 노력중에 있다는걸 알아주셨으면해요. 한국은 특히나 교육분야에서 심할정도로 잔인하고 치열합니다. 관련 종사자로 있으면 그것을 목도하게 되며 숨막히는 기분을 느꼈을거에요. 교육자로서, 고통받는 아이들을 보는것이 쉽지는 않을테죠. 하지만 우리는 언제나 그랬듯 앞으로 나아갈 것이며 방법을 찾아서 나아질 것 입니다.

[@0shadowgrace0]

instead of your advice being "give up go home" maybe "get educated don't trust korean companies"

[@504sweetiepie]

I'm on my last leg in teaching in Korea and this is all true. At this point, its exhausting. I love the kids and many of my co-workers and i have ok rapport but the culture of it all is taxing. My day is mostly made to see the kids happy because they usually come stressed. There's only so much to do though😅 I would like to leave sooner but sadly theres no plan once back in the US~

[@swhaster]

I'm very sorry about your experience. Most of these work horror stories I hear tend to be about private academies and their program directors. As far as the education system in S.K. and the pressure that is put on kids, it is my belief that they are a sophisticated form of child abuse. Even with this enormously obnoxious pressure put on kids, most private academies and schools alike are not serious about English education. The reason for hiring foreigners is to primarily provide an experience with a Westerner in classrooms. This is probably one of the reasons why so few of these foreign teachers have a degree in education and lack teaching experience. So even with the enormous pressure put on kids to do well in school, as far as the quality of actual English education is concerned, it isn't up to par. If you look at the English proficiency of an average college graduate after 10 years of English education it's underwhelming. The proof is in the pudding. I've heard that many older Korean English teachers know English grammar better than most native English speakers but lack practical language skills. They can barely speak or write in sentences.

[@AccentAmbassadors]

Even in america company group chats will bombard you. I dont join group chats

[@jaysondeasisministries]

Hi, is it a good idea to be a home school teacher in Korea? I have a job proposal to teach 2 kids. Pls.give me your insight.Thank you.

[@livedontleave]

It is same to korean not only english teacher

[@CapricornSunAndMoon]

Now you all know how much it is to be treated as a foreigner in another country. Hopefully, you consider that when you go back home and learn to treat immigrants better.

[@sapphirexwind]

Oh, I did get New Year vacation with GEPIK but I did have to go do winter and summer camp…. I don’t feel like it is worth it anymore in Korea the amount of pay hasn’t gone up enough… and the cost of living is higher now. The other Korean teachers that are new will be jealous as you get paid the same but don’t have as many duties as they have… which isn’t our fault. I feel like international school could be completely different, I’d like to hear from someone’s who has done that. I also got sick my first week there - which I just went to the pharmacy as I had 712 food poisoning (my fault for ordering jjampong) and my last week and had to stay at a friends house which confused the building owner and the school.

[@KW-hk5kw]

Although I agree with some of your points, other points are making generalizations. Have been teaching in Korea for nearly 20 years and love it. Yes, I have heard of some shady English academies and practices, but I have also heard of many good cases as well. Just seems like you had a pretty crappy experience which left a bad taste in your mouth. My word of advice is before accepting a job, research the academy/school. There are forums with plenty of foreigners giving their opinions of academies/schools.

[@ritas3696]

Way to be dismissive of someone else's experience! YOU and many others have had a great experience...yay!! However, there are literally plenty of videos from people who have done their research, asked questions, etc. All the things you're supposed to do when moving to another country and they STILL ended up having a horrible experience. I would say that "bad taste" in their mouth is warranted.

[@sunstricken]

Still being armed with knowledge doesn't negate negative experiences. Also, she's not just being negative, she's providing additional information so as a WARNING video, which this is, it's good to be able to hear both sides.

[@djajsksl]

한국인으로써 부끄럽다...제발 제대로된 고용 및 지출을해라 운영할때...

[@edm6645]

Your experience doesn’t dictate the whole world

[@lindatisue733]

Yes, the E2 visa and any work visa in Korea needs to be reformed. Teaching in large academies are usually not good. Even some university jobs are bad, WS in daegu has a well earned notorious employer . That said, I had a great experience teaching in Korea. My first boss was the kind of person I would give my bank PIN code. After 25 years, I am still friends with him and his family. Then I worked for two universities, both were very good jobs. I got pay statements, my severance pay and holidays. Sexual assault occurs everywhere, and some western countries do very little as well, especially "date rape" situations. In Sweden it took almost a year before my assualt went to court. The person plead alcoholism and put into treatment, not prison. "Bad actors" are responsible for the strict via requirements. So the FBI background check was instituted by the Korean government when a foreign teacher was found with thousands of porn photos of kids from his hagwon. The Apostatized diploma was instituted because there were too many well made fakes were used to get visas. US Embassies DO NOTHING but issue passports. They are not going to help with employers.

[@chunkyhairlesscat]

girl…. is the accent while retelling the story necessary? 😅💀

[@Pamela-zv1ln]

Can you sue the recruiter on the USA side

[@ths7686]

The problem of the E-2 visa becoming tied to the employer and the corruption that has gone with it a.k.a making the employee a slave to the employer is all thanks to an 1984 French Man Scandal. A French man who worked as a dish washer with high school level English came over and got a job at a random hakwon, teaching adult women and he bragged about dating a lot of his students and having relationships with Korean women.... this got published in a news paper, which a korean living abroad read and told the korean government... then the korean government made law of tying down the teachers to their schools/ employers. MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THING TO REMEMBER ~~~~ Korea is ONLY a developed country when it comes to infrastructure, economy, and technology.... Socially, it is still a very very much a developing country society!!!! Korea only gained developed country status back in 1995... So only one generation of Korean, those born in 1995, who are 29 years old, and after are basically comparable to youth back in Canada/ USA.... and this is also a generation that are more open to getting married with the Western English teachers of all ethnicities, shapes, and colors.... but if you go a generation back to the parents and even to the grandparents, you'll notice how huge the gap is!!!

[@CptDavis]

I'm planning to work there as a factory worker. If educated licensed teacher is abused there, how much more if you're just a factory worker? Now I'm hassitating to work there