Ha ha ha. I just checked with SMOE. Is it really still 1.8 million to start? They use to give 500,000 won rent subsidy. But it's more expensive now if you want to get your own place. Prob a million with no or little deposit? Out in the provinces, EPIK increased perks and certain things a bit each year until 2009. Then, the market became flooded and it never increased after that. It was still good for several years in comparison as hakwons were loading up on hours and cutting back pay a bit or other perks. The exchange rate was horrible during this time if you were Canadian or Australian however. So, it got cancelled out somewhat if you had large debts to pay. The recovery in the rates over the last 4 or so years has been quite helpful and made up for a lack of a payraise. But the opportunity to get up to 2.7 million won plus 100,000 or more for multiple school allowances and another 100,000 for being in a rural area, plus the renewal bonus and the rent allowance (slightly lower than Seoul but cheaper rents was 400,000). Some slight overtime, plus rent allowance could make it equal 3.5 million won a month. Was great to rise to that level over time by 2011 or 2012 or so. Had a bad exchange rate to make up for. The recovery late 2014 in the rates made it feel like I got another pay raise. Still ok in 2019. But in another year or so with rising minimum wage and living costs it will begin catching up to me. Haven't had a raise in years. The hakwons should be paying upper 2.0's say 2.8 to 3.0 at least, especially when they took away one of the flights just because they could. But more of you foreigners should push back against this. If you bend over and take it nothing will change. If you're American and you get 2.1 plus one way flight instead of round trip like before, you're really making 2.0 million a pay cut. Then inflation has cut it more from 10 years ago. Then, in 2006 and 2007, 2,000,000 won was over 2100 US dollars. Now, it fluctuates in the range of 1700 dollars or so? I honestly have no clue why Americans would even come here anymore, especially if there are places where the economy is doing well. I may have to go home and do a trade or something in Canada because this is increasingly dead end. It is ok for me now. But if no pay raise soon, it will be crap for me as well.
[/qA long time ago EPIK was begging people to come and make the program work out the standards were lower then and the pay didn't go downhill yet. Nowadays it's all about cheap labor and having a foreign looking person in the classroom to make teaching English seem more legit. If you're highly qualified and they reject you it's their loss they will get what they paid for. uote] A while back I met people who were working as NET's in EPIK schools and having a great time. Some of them were what might be termed "older guys" but they were enthusiastic and had a great work ethic. They had also worked in accountancy and journalism before. They seemed to have a relationship of equals with the co-teachers, and yes, the salary was higher. I am really not sure that standards were lower then. I do think EPIK was more welcoming then. A lot of the changes to EPIK may be ideologically motivated, and part of it may be due to governments that are somewhat risk-averse and xenophobic. That's my guess anyway.
Quote from: Kayos on April 04, 2019, 07:56:43 amRural is 200k :pNot in my neck of the woods, unfortunately. Although, if you're a masochist and want to live on Ulleung-do, then rural pay is 500,000 won!
Rural is 200k :p
Quote from: kyndo on April 04, 2019, 08:02:39 amNot in my neck of the woods, unfortunately. Although, if you're a masochist and want to live on Ulleung-do, then rural pay is 500,000 won! What kind of apartment or living space would they give you there?
Not in my neck of the woods, unfortunately. Although, if you're a masochist and want to live on Ulleung-do, then rural pay is 500,000 won!
