| I live in Gyeongju, South Korea. I am an English teacher | | | | - Medical insurance - 50 % paid by your school, and |
| for a private academy in Korea. In this article I will give | | | | 50% paid by you. |
| you a brief breakdown as to where you can expect | | | | - General visa assistance |
| to work once you get here in South Korea. | | | | I will tell you some quick facts about Korea. |
| When you are looking for work as an English teacher | | | | - Korea is an interesting country, with a strong mix of |
| in Korea, you can either work at a public school (run by | | | | western and eastern culture. I live in a town with only |
| the Korean government) or in a private academy (also | | | | 250,000 people (tiny by Korean standards) and there |
| known as a hagwon). Most often, those working in | | | | are two McDonald's in the town, and many other |
| public schools have got better working environments | | | | western food outlets. Pizza and pasta are common |
| and more benefits. As a hagwon is a private | | | | favorites amongst Korean children. |
| academy, most employees only work in the afternoon | | | | - Koreans are, in general, friendly to foreigners and are |
| and in to the night. I personally work from 2 pm until 10 | | | | nice to live with. I haven't had any trouble with any |
| pm. It can seem rather tiring, but it does give you the | | | | Korean people, and was accommodated when I |
| freedom that a public schools' hour do not (Their | | | | needed help. |
| employees work from around 8 pm until 5 pm). | | | | - Gyeongju is also known as Kyongju. It is not a |
| General working conditions, for both places of work, | | | | common name, but it can pop up on occasion. |
| are as follows: | | | | In summary, Korea is an interesting place to work and |
| - Teaching hours: 120 hours per month. | | | | live. It can and will provide you with many surprising |
| - Pay: about 2 100 000 Korean Won. | | | | situations. It is a beautiful country and relatively easy to |
| - Paid airfare from your country, and back home after | | | | get work here as a teacher (provided you are |
| you complete your contract. | | | | qualified). I have been here for only three months, but I |
| - Provided accommodation - be careful with this one! I | | | | am loving it, and learning more every day. |
| got a bad deal here. | | | | |