Navigating Korean Work Culture
Imagine you are a 12-year-old student. You begin your school day at 8:00 am and finish classes at around 3:30 pm. From there, you take a short break and head to a three-hour after-school English class from 4:00 - 6:50 pm. Your day, however, does not end at 6:50 pm. You quickly go to the nearest GS25 and grab a prepackaged kimbap before attending math or science courses until 10:00 pm. You finally get home and are exhausted, knowing each lesson includes studying, homework, and assignments due in two days. Welcome to the daily life of some of my Korean students, a culture that I found myself in the middle of as a teacher in South Korea.
From February 2020 to May 2022, I worked in South Korea at English academies. In Korea, they are called Hagwans 학원, or 'cram schools' because they cram students into continuous learning. In my first year in Gwangju 광주광역시, I worked as a 1st-grade homeroom teacher who then taught after-school three-hour English acquisition courses that incorporated social studies, science, and language arts themes. My Hagwan followed a 'no red holidays' policy, which required me to teach students who attended classes on national holidays. My school also had a zero sick day policy that would cut your pay by two days if you called in sick. My work realities reflect a hectic yearly schedule for Hagwan teachers, who, like their students, require a strict dedication to education.
With that background, let's go back to the title of this blog: "Navigating Korean Work Culture." Working in Korea brought me joy and beautiful experiences. However, it also produced stress to my body and mind. I coursed those realities through an appreciation of Korea. With that in mind, here are five tips for navigating Korean work culture, particularly when teaching at a Hagwon.
1. Appreciate Korea's Nature
When living in Gwangju, I often found myself in the nearby mountains called Mudeungsan 무등산. Nature brought me peace and calm. A thirty-minute bus ride cost $1.50 and transported me into the beautiful mountains of Jeollaldal province. The same concept applied to me when I lived in Jeju-do 제주도, an island just south of the Korean Peninsula. In Jeju-do, I would take a bus or drive my car 10-30 minutes to the nearest coastline and detach from Hagwan life by reading The Lord of the Rings and watching the sunset on a beach. I could even find an escape when I substituted in Seoul 서울 for a month by taking a bus to Bukhasan 북한산 on the weekend. So, whether you live in a metropolitan city or a countryside island, I highly suggest appreciating Korea's nature.
2. Take Advantage of Cheap and Safe Transportation
South Korea has some of the world's most convenient and safe transportation. When living in Gwangju, my friends and I routinely took weekend trips to Busan, Yoesu, Goeje, Damyang, and more cities in southern Korea. My favorite trips were to Jeonju Cultural Village, which offered rich experiences filled with Korean history and art. These trips were possible because it is cheap, safe, and clean to take inner-city buses across the country. Moreover, when I lived in Jeju-do, I bought a reliable car from an ex-pat Facebook group that only cost me 2.5 million Won (about $2000). With the car, I could travel to and from work and drive across the island on the weekends. I highly suggest using cheap and safe transportation in Korea to explore the surrounding areas.
3. Involve Yourself With Your Community
Many ex-pats can feel lonely when living in Korea due to differences in culture, language, and social structures. In Gwangju, fellow teachers and I participated in movie/game nights, celebrated American (USA) holidays together, and tried new things in our city. My favorite time of the year was in May when citizens (Korean and foreigners) marched in unity for those who suffered during the Gwangju massacre in the 1980s. I also saw foreigners creating bands, participating in language exchanges, and joining Taekwondo 태권도 groups. Moving to another country can be daunting. It helps to balance these new realities by celebrating your life in Korea while also creating a secure space where you can acknowledge the needs of your own culture.
4. Develop Professionally
Many young foreigners come to Korea to work as Hagwon teachers for a year or two, then find themselves burnt out. My greatest advice is to use your time in Korea to work towards something better. When looking for a job, I suggest looking at Dave's ESL Cafe and researching the school and region before accepting the job. Hagwon teachers should not be paid anything less than 2.4 million Won, even for first-time teachers. So, be wise and do some research before taking a job. Also, consider your job as an opportunity to develop professionally. In Korea, I saw international teaching as the means to live abroad. Nevertheless, Hagwons did not offer me enough paid time off (the average Hagwon job only gives ten days of vacation a year). International schools, in contrast, offer, on average, three months of annual paid leave and around double the pay of Hagwons. During my years in Korea I put effort into becoming a better teacher, even when my schools practiced poor pedagogy. I also obtained a Masters of Education in TESOL and completed a teaching certification program, making me more competitive as an international teacher. If you find yourself stuck at a Hagwon but serious about education, I highly suggest taking Moreland University's Teach-Now Certification program, which allows US citizens and other nationalities to be certified as teachers. The program is only $7000 and takes about a year. After obtaining a teacher certificate you have the ability to work at international schools.
5. Try Something New
When living abroad, you have the opportunity to start anew. I took my love of nature and hiking to a new level by falling in love with photography. I also did what any young person does when getting an end-of-the-year bonus and bought an expensive gift for myself (a drone). Korea, and Jeju-do specifically, allowed me to try a new hobby in aerial photography. I also tried learning Hangul 한글, Korea's beautiful and well-structured written form. Whatever your interests, I highly suggest trying something new to destress from a hectic work culture.
By: Rainier Lee
