Guide to
Living & Teaching in Seoul
서울특별시교육청
SEOUL METROPOLITAN OFFICE OF EDUCATION
Table of Contents
I. Introduction to ETIS Program ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 3
1.Overview ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 3
2.Emergency Contacts ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 4
II. Introduction to the Korean Education System ․․․․ 6
1.Brief Overview ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 6
2.Status of Schools ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 7
3.Education System ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 8
4.Education Levels ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 9
III. Guide to Working in Korea ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 14
1.Alien Registration ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․14
2.Departure and Visa Extension ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 17
3.National Holidays ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․19
4.Tax ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 20
5.Korea Pension Service ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 21
6.Medical Insurance ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 23
7.Wage Payment ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․23
8.Status of Teachers in Korea ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․24
9.Socializing at Work ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 25
10.Legal Problems ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․25
IV. Guide to Living in Seoul ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 26
1.About Seoul ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 26
2.Weather ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 27
3.Korean Culture and Customs ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 30
4.Money ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 31
5.Getting Urgent Help ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 33
6.Public Transportation ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 34
7.Tipping ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 38
8.Postal Service ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 38
9.Standard of Measurement ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 39
10.Housing ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 39
- Heating and Electricity ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 39
- Water ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 40
- Washer and Dryer ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 40
- Waste Disposal ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 40
- Recycling ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 41
- Telephone Service ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 42
11.Mobile Phone ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 42
12.Internet Access ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 43
13.Paying Bills ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 44
14.Public Baths and Toilets ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 45
15.Enjoying Seoul ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 45
16.Shopping ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 46
17.Learning Korean ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 47
18.Additional Useful Websites ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․49
Ⅴ. NSET Duties and Regulations․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ 50
I. Introduction of the ETIS Program
1. Overview
Learning English is an essential skill that enables Koreans to be more competitive in the globalized market place. With increasing need for the improvement of English curriculum, as a step in implementing English education, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE) has announced to gradually place Native Speakers of English to every Elementary and Middle school in Seoul by 2009. As one of the methods to improve communication skills, in 2005 SMOE recruited and positioned Native Speaking English Teacher (NSET) at 100 Elementary and Middle schools in Seoul. By the second school semester of 2006, another 100 NSETs have been placed in the public school system.
NSETs conduct English classes in joint cooperation with Korean homeroom or English language teachers and also teach English conversational classes during English Camps in Summer and Winter breaks. Through a co-teaching system, students have opportunities to speak with Native Speakers of English and are able to decrease their fear of a foreign language. In addition, NSETs assist with not only activities related to English language education but also other extracurricular activities within the school, the District Office of Education and/or the SMOE.
2. Emergency Contacts
All NSETs should contact the school authorities first with any questions or problems they encounter with schoolwork, housing, and other emergencies and/or problems. If the problem is still unsolved or need further information, NSETs should contact the managing District Office of Education supervisors. Refer to the following table for your district supervisor. NSETs should contact the authorities at SMOE office as the last resort in the line of Emergency Contact. Please refrain from contacting SMOE office unless other lines of contact are unavailable or if it requires an immediate attention.
District(Korean) / District
(English) / Supervisor
(Primary Contact) / Supervisor
(Secondary Contact)
동부 / Dongbu / Mr. Cae, Joo Shik (채주식)
2210-1215
/ Ms. Jung, Bok Young (정복영)
2210-1242
서부 / Seobu / Ms. Lee, Kyung Hee (이경희)
390-5514
/ Ms. Lee, Jung Ran (이정란)
390-5544
남부 / Nambu / Mr. Park, Se Chun (박세천)
2165-0213
/ Ms. Lim, You Won (임유원)
2165-0242
북부 / Bukbu / Ms. Kim, Kyung Mi (김경미)
3499-6983
/ Ms. Choi, Myung Sook(최명숙)
3499-6976
중부 / Jungbu / Ms. Lee, Wha (이화)
708-6514
/ Ms. Shim, Jee Young(심지영)
708-6537
강동 / Gangdong / Ms. Lee, Keun Shil (이근실)
3434-4313
/ Mr. Kim, Hwa Jung (김화중)
3434-4332
강서 / Gangseo / Ms. Tak, Hyun Joo (탁현주)
2600-0815
/ Mr. Kang, Won Hee (강원희)
2600-0840
강남 / Gangnam / Ms. Yoo, Jung Won (유정원)
3015-3313
/ Mr. Kim, Jae Young (김재영)
3015-3334
동작 / Dongjak / Ms. Nam, Mee Ae (남미애)
810-8312
/ Mr. Yoon, Keon Ho (윤건호)
810-8315
성동 / Seongdong / Ms. Hong, Eun Kyung(홍은경)
2286-3613
/ Mr. Kang, Jeon Ok (강전옥)
2286-3631
성북 / Seongbuk / Ms. Kim, Sun Hee (김선희)
944-9314
/ Mr. Kim, Won Kee (김원기)
944-9331
District Offices of Education Emergency Contact Information:
Division / position / Name / Contact InfoCurriculum
Policy / Supervisor / Ms. Lois Choi(Chun-Ok) / 399-9367
Supervisor / Ms. Irene Ryu(Sung-nam) / 399-9387
Coordinator / Kelly Ye / 399-9774
Coordinator / Jon Pak / 399-9774
Primary
Education / Supervisor / Dr. Lee Jae Kwan / 399-9350
SMOE Office Contact Information:
II. Introduction to the Korean Education System
1. Brief Overview
In the years following the Korean War, South Korea had a National Wealth on a level with Afghanistan. But the country's emphasis on education has seen its young people leapfrogging the academic achievement of other industrialized countries. In 2005, Korea ranked 10th in the world in terms of the economy size.
South Korea's spectacular progress in modernization and economic growth since the Korean War is largely attributed to the willingness of individuals and government to invest a large amount of resources in education: the improvement of "human capital". And the payoff has been spectacular. Statistics demonstrate the success of South Korea's National Education Programs. In 1945, the adult literacy rate was estimated at 22 percent; by 1970 adult literacy was 87.6 percent, and by the late 1980s various sources estimated it at around 93 percent. By 2003, the literacy rate was over 98 percent. In addition, the 2005 OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) Annual Report shows that the young people in Korea's workforce are more likely to have achieved an upper secondary education and most likely to have university degree than anywhere else in other developed countries. In OECD studies that measured 15-year-old's literacy in reading, math, and science conducted in over 50 countries, Korea has continually ranked in the top slots.
Additionally, South Korea was the first country in the world to provide high-speed internet access for every Primary, Middle, and High schools. Due to the widespread usage and amount of multimedia and online materials, Korea's ICT education is one of the most developed and advanced in the world.
2. Status of Schools
As of 2005, the school system of Seoul includes 2,192 schools with 74,895 teachers and a total enrollment of 1,543,736 students.
(as of August 2005)
Grade / Schools / Classes / Students / Teachers / TypeNational / Public / Private
Total / 2,192 / 45,501 / 1,543,736 / 74,895 / 10 / 995 / 1,187
Kindergarten / 923 / 3,511 / 85,302 / 5,033 / 0 / 117 / 806
Elementary School / 564 / 21,692 / 711,230 / 26,761 / 2 / 521 / 41
Middle School / 368 / 10,897 / 382,136 / 19,536 / 3 / 251 / 114
High
School / Academic / 214 / 8,230 / 283,153 / 16,959 / 2 / 72 / 140
Vocational / 78 / 2,292 / 69,870 / 5,155 / 2 / 19 / 59
Other / 16 / 200 / 6,777 / 186 / 0 / 8 / 8
Sub-Total / 308 / 10,722 / 359,800 / 22,300 / 2 / 99 / 207
Special Education / 29 / 679 / 5,268 / 1,265 / 3 / 7 / 19
3. Education System
School System
The school system in Korea follows a 6-3-3-4 ladder pattern which consists of elementary school (1st to 6th grades), middle school (7th to 9th grades), high school (10th to 12th grades) and junior college, college, and university. Elementary school provides six years of compulsory elementary education to children between the ages of 6 and 11. Middle school offers three years of lower secondary education to those aged 12 to 14. High school offers three years of higher secondary education to students aged 15 to 17. High school graduates can choose to apply to two-year junior colleges or universities to receive higher education.
The Education Law of Korea stipulates that six years of primary and three years of middle school education is mandatory.
High schools are generally divided into two categories, General and Vocational. Air & correspondence high schools are included in the former, while agricultural, commercial, fishery and technical high schools are included in the latter. There are a limited number of schools of the so-called "comprehensive" category to which the school offers both general and vocational training. There are also science high schools and other "specialty" high schools, including foreign language high schools, art high schools and physical education schools.
Institutes of higher learning include two or three year junior vocational colleges and four-year colleges and universities. Both the universities of education and colleges of education offer four-year courses.
There are also special schools offering elementary and secondary education for students with hearing, visual, and other physical and learning disabilities. Preschool education is provided by kindergartens level.
Semester
The school year is divided into two semesters. The first semester begins approximately in March and ends in July; the second semester begins in late August and ends in December. The schedules are standardized for most parts, but vary from school to school.
4. Education Level
Kindergarten
Enrollment in kindergartens or preschools expanded impressively during the 1980s. In 1980's, there were 66,433 children attending 901 kindergartens or preschools. By 1987, there were 397,020 children in 7,792 institutions. The number of kindergarten and preschool teachers rose from 3,339 to 11,920 during this period. The overwhelming majority of these teachers; approximately 92 percent were women. This growth was attributable to several factors: Ministry of Education's encouragement of preschool education, the greater number of women entering the work force, growth in the number of unclear families where a grandparent was often unavailable to take care of the grandchildren. Fourth; the consensual understanding that kindergarten might give children an "edge" in latter educational opportunities. Kindergartens often pay homage to the expectations of parents with impressive graduation ceremonies, complete with diplomas, academic caps, and gowns.
Elementary School Education
The Constitution stipulates in Article 31, that it is the responsibility of all parents and guardians to ensure an elementary school education for their children aged between 6 to 11 and that this education is free.
Article 93 of the Education Act states that the goal of elementary school education is to teach the fundamentals necessary for a productive civic life. In order to fulfill this objective, the basic curricula for elementary school education are divided into nine principal subjects: moral education, Korean language, social studies, arithmetic, natural science, physical education, music, fine arts and the practical arts. However, subject matters in grade 1 and 2 are integrated in "disciplined life", "intelligent life" and "pleasant life".
The minimum number of school days is 220 days per year and the unit hour of instruction is 40 minutes. 99.98% of elementary school graduates go on to middle school and they are allocated at random within their residential areas by a computer-driven system without an entrance exam.
Middle School Education
Upon completing elementary school, children between the ages of 12-14 are allowed to enter middle school for the 7th to 9th grade courses. The number of middle school students has shown an impressive rate of growth in recent decades.
Since the abolition of the entrance examination in 1969, admission to middle school has been made through the lottery assignments administered on a "zone-by-zone" basis. This measure was adopted with the aim of eradicating distinctions between so-called inferior and superior schools, so that all elementary school graduates could have equal access to all middle schools located in their respective school districts.
The middle school curricula are composed of 11 basic or required subjects, elective subjects and extra curricula activities. Technical and vocational courses are included in the elective subjects to ensure the productive relationship between education and occupation. The minimum number of schools days is 220 per year and the unit hour of instruction is 45 minutes. 99.8% of middle school graduates go on to high school.
High School Education
High school education aims at providing advanced general and specific education on the basis of middle school education. Middle school graduates or those with equivalent academic background may enter high schools. The period of study is three years and students bear the expenses of their education.
Admission into high schools are based primarily upon the grades received on the high school entrance examination, but there have been some changes in the admission process since 1974, when the equalization policy for high school admission was put into practice.
However, some special purpose schools such as art, music, and physical education schools, select students through competitive screening tests.
According to the revision of the Education Act of May 31, 1995, there are various new ways of selecting students for admission, including the recent taking into account of the so-called "school activities records" where the three-year life of the middle school student is recorded. Through the introduction of these individualized standards for school admission, small-sized specialized high schools in areas such as music, the arts as well as math and science have been and will continue to be established.
High school is not strictly mandatory. However, 97% do complete high school, which is the highest percentage recorded in any country according to 2005 OECD study. The minimum number of school days is 220 per year and the unit hour of instruction is 50 minutes.
III. Guide to Working in Korea
1. Alien Registration
Foreign residents who come to Korea with a long-term visa (more than 90 days) have to obtain an Alien Registration Certificate from the Seoul Immigration Office within 90 days after arrival.
The Alien Registration procedure applies to foreigners wishing to change their visa type, as well as to those who wish to extend their period of stay beyond 90 days. Any change in the Alien Registration Certificate must be reported to the Immigration Office within 14 days.