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| Living & Working in Korea |
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Here at WorknPlay Consulting, we understand how difficult it can be to adjust to life in a new and unfamiliar culture. We’ve included some information here that we hope will help introduce you to Korean culture, for both work and life. We also encourage you to participate in all of the fun activities that WorknPlay Consulting offers our teachers. These activities help set apart WorknPlay Consulting from the rest. |
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• WorknPlay Activities and Consulting Tours
• Visit Our Information Website: worknplay.co.kr
• Alien Registration Card
• Etiquette in Korea
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| WorknPlay Activities and Consulting Tours |
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To help make your first year in Korea a memorable experience, WorknPlay Consulting hosts a number of events and Consulting Tours for the teachers we place. We've taken our teachers to some of the most popular festivals throughout the Korean Peninsula, including the Boryeong Mud Festival and the Jeju Fire Festival. Food lovers have tasted the best that Namdo has to offer and made their own bibimbab in Jeonju, the home of this popular dish. These events are free of charge, and are a part of your benefits for choosing WorknPlay Consulting.
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| Here are a Few of Our Past Events |
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Chungju World Martial Art Festival |
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Jeonju World Sori Festival |
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Gyeongbuk Cultural Experience Tour |
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Yeosu Turtle Ship Festival |
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Icheon Pottery Museum Tour |
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>> Click here to see pictures from past WorknPlay Consulting Tour Events |
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| Visit Our Information Website: worknplay.co.kr |
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As a service to the teachers we place, WorknPlay Consulting has developed a website with all the information you need to work, play and enjoy life in Korea . |
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Check out the ‘Entertainment’ section to keep up with upcoming events |
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Find the ‘Information’ you need about living in Korea |
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Have your voice be heard in the ‘Forum’ |
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Track down what you need, using the ‘Yellow Pages’ |
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Keep up with the events of the WorknPlay Consulting Tours |
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And search through our extensive postings in the ‘Jobseeker’ section |
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| Alien Registration Card |
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| Once you enter South Korea on an E2 visa, you must apply for alien registration card (ARC) within 90 days of arriving. Your ARC is a form of official identification. The Korean government requires all non-Korean citizens working in Korea to obtain this ID and carry it on their person at all times. Within your first weeks of teaching, you will make a trip out to your local Immigration Office (to be arranged by your school) to get this card. |
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(Sample Alien Registration Card ) |
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| Required Documents for the Alien Registration Card: |
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Application Form (available at the immigration office or downloadable: http://www.hikorea.go.kr/ under ‘Foreigner sojourn’ - ‘Foreigner registration’ |
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1 Passport-Sized Photo (3cm x 4cm) |
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A Medical Certificate (including TBPE test and HIV test) by national/public/general hospital |
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Copy of School’s Business Registration |
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10,000 won fee (In the form of a Government Revenue Stamp, which may be purchased onsite) |
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| Teachers will need to return to the Immigration Office to pick up their Alien Registration Card. The process often takes between 7 and 14 days. Alternatively, a courier can deliver the card for between 5,000 and 7,000 w on. Please note that you will have to surrender your passport during this period, so plan accordingly. |
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| Foreigners over the age of 17 should always carry their Alien Registration Cards with them, in case an immigration official requests them to present it. Alien Registration Cards are surrendered to an immigration official when departing Korea at the end of a teacher's contract. |
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| Etiquette in Korea |
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| One very important aspect of Korean culture is the system of etiquette. It’s important to learn about and try to understand these practices, to make the best impression with your school and the people that you interact with in your daily life in Korea. Learning about Korean etiquette is not only important to show respect, but will also help you to gain a deeper understanding of the people you interact with every day. |
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Names and Titles
It is considered very impolite to address a Korean with his or her given name. Address Koreans using appropriate professional titles until specifically invited by your host or colleagues to use their given names. Americans should address a Korean as Mr., Mrs., Miss + their family name; however, never address a high-ranking person or superior in this manner. |
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Korean names are the opposite of Western names with the family name first, followed by the two-part given name. The first of the two given names is often shared by everyone of the same generation in the family, and the second is the individual's given name. Example: Lee (Family) + Dong (Shared Given) + Sung (Given). Dong Sung is the individual's given name. Address him as Mr. Lee or Lee Sonsaengnim (which means "teacher"). |
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Bowing
The bow is the most common form of greeting with Koreans. The most casual form of bow resembles a nod, while a deep bow is the politest form of greeting. Koreans perform deep bows to our seniors as they are seated cross-legged on the floor.
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To Perform a Typical Form of Bow:
Step 1. Stand up straight, 1 or 2 meter in front of the person you intend to bow to.
Step 2. Bend at the waist, while keeping your neck straight.
Step 3. Straighten yourself.
Step 4. Give your greeting ' 안녕하십니까 [Annyeong hasimnikka]?' |
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It's helpful to practice this whole procedure until it feels natural. Bowing and saying ' 안녕하십니까 [Annyeong hasimnikka]?' would please most Koreans, as it shows respect and a humble nature. It's also important to note that eye contact is considered disrespectful with speaking with elders. |
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Hand Shaking
Shaking hands is not a traditional part of Korean culture, although it is done more frequently in recent years. Koreans do understand that this is a part of western culture, and often do expect to shake hands with foreigners. A good rule of thumb would be to let your new Korean acquaintance initiate this gesture. When shaking hands with a person older or of a higher position than you, place your left hand on your right forearm while performing a slight bow. A very firm handshake, while a sign of confidence and respect in the West, would make a Korean feel uncomfortable.
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The Korean term for 'Good morning' is ' 안녕히 주무셨습니까 [Annyeonghi jumusyeotseumnikka]?' This literally means 'Did you have a good sleep?' but is no longer considered a question. |
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The Korean term for 'How are you?' is '안녕 ‘[Annyeong]?' which literally means 'Are you in good health?' To our seniors, we say '안녕하십니까[Annyeong hasimnikka]?' This is the more formal expression than the simple ‘Annyeong?' |
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The Korean greeting for 'Good-bye' is ' 안녕히 가십시오 [Annyeonghi gasipsio]' or ' 안녕히 계십시오 [Annyeonghi gyesipsio].' Each means 'Have a good going' and ‘Have a good rest.' Koreans simply say ' 안녕 [Annyeong]' to their friends. |
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' 안녕히 주무십시오 [Annyeonghi jumusipsio]' is the Korean way of expressing 'Good night.' It means 'Have a good sleep.' Koreans often say ' 다시 뵙겠습니다 . [Dasi boepgetseumnida].' It means 'See you again.' |
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Body Language
Koreans consider it a personal violation to be touched by someone who is not a relative or close friend. Avoid touching, patting or back slapping a Korean adult. When seated, do not cross your legs or stretch out your legs straight in front of you. Keep your feet on the floor, and never on a desk or chair. Always pass and receive objects with your right hand (supported by the left hand at the wrist or forearm) or with two hands. To beckon someone, extend your arm, palm down, and move your fingers in a scratching motion. Never point with your index finger. |
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Affection
Female friends and relatives can be seen walking hand-in-hand or linking arms, as a symbol of a close relationship. Close Korean male friends also tend to exhibit less personal space from each other than their western counterparts, and show a close relationship through friendly physical gestures. Korean, however, tend to hug friends as a greeting less often than westerners do. Kissing and overly-intimate displays of affection in public are considered inappropriate.
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Paying the Bill: Older people pay the bill when they have meals with younger people. Most young Koreans go ‘dutch’ when they have meals with friends. |
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Table Manners: Do not blow your nose while dining with Koreans. It's considered very rude behavior. Reaching across the table when eating with friends is a common practice, though. Close friends and colleagues often share a communal dish or pot, dipping chopsticks and spoons into the shared entrées and side dishes. This should only be done with people that feel very comfortable with one another. It's best to follow the lead of your Korean dinning partners. |
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Public Transit Protocol
There are designated seats at the end of subway train cars that are exclusively for the elderly, disabled and pregnant women. Seats in the general area of the train are also yielded to these groups when priority seats are unavailable, and on buses. Older people often adamantly refuse an offered seat until the person offering refuses to take no for an answer. Korean women often opt to stand and let their male companions sit when there is only one seat available, but social norms are changing. Those seated are usually expected to hold the bags and packages of their standing companions. |
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Restroom / Toilet
Not all public facilities (bars, restaurants, etc.) have restrooms, but some do utilize a shared restroom within the building. It’s wise to always carry some tissue with you, as not all Korean restrooms provide them. Places like bus and train stations often have vending machines in or near restrooms that sells packets of tissues. Some stations and other public locations will have Asian-style toilets which the user should ‘squat’ over and dispose used tissues in a waste receptacle instead of flushing them. Most western-style restaurants and coffee shops (such as Outback Steakhouse, McDonald's, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, and Starbucks) will have western-style restrooms. |
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Street
Koreans tend to keep to the left side of the sidewalk when walking. Pedestrians don’t often eat while walking down the street. Many neighborhoods do have street vendors that sell snacks and light meals that are eaten while standing in front of the stand. Be aware that scooters are often ridden on the sidewalk, and may seem to come out of nowhere. |
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