[jasonbvr]

Let me clarify though that working in Korea is not like you are a prisoner of your employer. There are reasons as to why it works this way. Most employers provide their teachers with reimbursement for their flight to Korea. If the employee intends to leave, they are legally obligated to repay their employer. Also some provide teachers with an initial settlement assistance in the range of 300 USD that must be repaid. In many ways teaching English in Korea is better for both the employer and the employee because there is greater protection for both. Your employers are obligated by law to pay for half of your medical insurance and match your required contributions to the pension fund. Any disputes you have with an employer you can take them directly to the immigration office. In contrast, teachers in Japan in the past have taken months of court battles often involving a union to force their employers who some innocently or not so innocently have written contracts not in accordance with Japanese labor laws. Sometimes the contracts written in Japanese do not even match their English counterparts.

A quick example, according to a contract written by an ALT staffing company may state that the teacher can only use their paid holidays during the spring, summer or winter holidays. However in accordance with labor laws in Japan paid leave of ten days is required to be granted after 6 months of employment, and the employee may use it at any time. The board of education and schools you work for are under the impression that you can use your holiday allowance at any time with adequate notice. The reason employers include this in the contract is the hope that your ignorance of the laws and actual agreements with the schools will keep the teacher at school in an effort to make the company look better.