Thinking Collectively in South Korea

Moving to a foreign country doesn’t mean you have to change who you are; it just means you might need to adjust your perspectives. In Korea, this is often a case of shifting your focus from the individual (you) to the collective (everyone). Acting in the best interest of the group won’t make you a lemming; it will help you gain the respect of your Korean co-workers. In turn, your work and personal life can become much more rewarding. After 7 months as an EPIK (English Program in Korea) public school teacher, I have learned that patience, flexibility and a little collective thinking can go a long way.

Personal Time

When you are teaching in Korea, never make after-school plans that can’t be broken. There is every chance that your school will throw an impromptu teacher dinner on any given night of the week, and you will be expected to go. Back home, you might try to bluff your way out of it, citing an oncoming cold or a sudden, urgent need to wash your hair. But in Korea, you must go to the dinner. Even if that means drinking unwanted amounts of soju (stomach-churning alcohol) and following the principal to a norebang (singing room) afterwards. If you back out of the teacher’s dinner, it is seen as a direct insult to your school and co-workers. My advice is to attend every dinner, smile, and have fun – besides, did you really come to Korea to hole up in your apartment wearing footy pajamas?

And don’t even think about slipping away early from the teacher dinners. It might feel like people don’t notice that you are there, but they will certainly notice if you leave. When you are at a group event, you are on shared time. Chances are you aren’t the only one who is anxious to head home. Many of your co-workers have families to get back to, but everyone will wait for the official ‘dismissal.’ If you try to leave early, you will disrupt the group mood, or bunuigi (분위기).

Tip: Pour water or cider from your drinking glass into your shot glass and always keep it full. If your shot glass is empty, someone will fill it up with soju.

Bring enough for everyone.

As a kid, I had a babysitter who stressed that we were not to bring any snacks to her house unless we had enough for everyone. Korea is kind of like that. Every other day, someone comes into the office with seasonal fruit, home made yogurt, or cakes, and there is always enough to go around. In my school, the head teacher buys the whole teaching staff hot dogs if someone turns up wearing new clothes. One of the homeroom teachers took us out to lunch when his son got married. Yet another teacher passed out fresh-baked doughnuts to celebrate the purchase of his new smart phone. As a foreign contract teacher, you would be wise to follow their lead. Take in some rice cakes every once in a while to show your appreciation. It doesn’t have to be expensive to make a good impression.

Tip: Try not to refuse food or tea/coffee when it is offered, especially while you are new. This may be interpreted as rejecting an offer of kindness.

Black Sheep

Korea is a fashion-forward country, whether you live in Seoul or in a country town like I do. While most teachers dress in business casual, there seems to be an unspoken dress code for special events. My co-teacher approached me one afternoon with news of an upcoming group photograph. “Maybe dark clothes,” she said, gesturing at my bright blue sweater and light khaki pants. “It would be better.” I got the message – everyone else is going to be wearing black, so you should do the same. On picture day, I showed up in a black collared shirt and blended in perfectly. Well, almost. Even when foreign teachers blend in, we tend to stick out.

Wearing bright colors is encouraged if you’re hiking (some women do it in heels!) or on the ski slopes, but stay conservative at work. I still wear colorful clothes to school, but for important events I keep my outfit black, grey, or navy.

Tip: Err on the side of caution. If something is going on at your school (parent visit, open class, first day of school), dress as professionally as your wardrobe will allow.

Deskwarming

Deskwarming. Every EPIK teacher I know has fallen victim to this phenomenon at some time. The school is technically on holidays. The students are gone. Most of the teachers are gone. Except for you. For up to two months, you are expected to come to work on time and sit at your desk. Pointless as it seems, there is a reason for this, and it stems from the concept of collectivism. EPIK teachers are government employees. We have numerous perks, from generous vacation time to free apartments and Monday to Friday work weeks. Many of our Korean co-workers commute several hours to work, including Saturdays. They are often on similar salaries to the EPIK teachers, and they pay for their own apartment. We aren’t here just to have fun. It’s our job, so when we are asked to come in and sit – we should come in and sit.

Tip: Don’t complain, be on time and you may find that the school lets you sneak out a few hours (sometimes days) early during the break.