When teaching in Korea (public or private schools) the contract will most likely include accommodation which is often referred to as single furnished
housing. What you get depends a lot on your employer. Generally what is provided is a studio apartment, they vary greatly in size, and in condition. My apartment, for example, could charitably be referred to as a shoebox with a bathroom. It is so small that I cannot even fit a couch or a double bed, yet at the same time it also has almost everything I need, there is a bed, a desk and chair, a large fridge (my fridge is fairly impressive compared to others I have seen), a cupboard, a very small kitchen, and a very small bathroom. Notable exceptions are the lack of oven and lack of a proper shower. It is very difficult to get used to not having an oven, especially if you like to cook, though I am told you can pick up a toaster over relatively cheaply. I am completely confused by the fact that there are no power points in my kitchen... I have to put my toaster on my computer desk...
The lack of a proper shower is harder to deal with, quite a few of the other teachers I know here managed to score an apartment with a proper shower, but my bathroom is a lot more like what you would find in the average Korean apartment. When I say proper shower what I mean is a shower with a shower curtain at least, or a shower that is separate from the rest f the bathroom. What you get in Korea is a shower-head that hangs over the basin, the entire bathroom gets wet, in most apartments the toilet also get soaked, and I even have some friends who have to cover the toilet roll every time they take a shower. It is probably the biggest downside of Korean apartments!
On the other hand I have an exceedingly efficient Air conditioner, and all apartments in Korea have in floor heating, which could possibly be the best invention of all time - especially when it is -20 degrees Celsius outside! There are little things that you learn to remember after you have been here for a while in regard to heating etc. For example, you have to turn the heating on so you have hot water every time you want to have a shower or do the dishes. Some apartments also have a switch that you have to turn on to get the gas working on the gas hobs in the kitchen...I am lazy and use mine a few times a day so I tend to just leave it on now.
I have also heard that what is in your apartment varies depending on your school and who was living in the apartment before hand. In my apartment I had a few bits and bobs in terms of plates and cutlery, my co-teacher had bought me a small frying pan, a large frying pan and two new pots, as well as a new duvet, sheets and a pillow. There were two plastic cups (which I detest so I bought glasses the first day) and a brand new toaster and
microwave. The teacher who had been in the apartment before me had left behind some computer speakers, a phone charger, some bits from a camera and bike lock...most of which is in a bag in the cupboard because I figure they will get passed on again after I leave and they may find it useful! I have spent a fair bit decorating and adding to my apartment since I got here but again it will all be useful to me when I move on, or it will get left for the next person, its a sharing and caring kind of thing.
So the apartment itself is included in your contract...you are, however, responsible for all the bills, apartment maintenance fee and a bond (also called key money) of 900,000 won which is take out of your first 3 months salary. The maintenance fee is not huge, I pay 50,000 on per month, and the bills vary a little from apartment to apartment but they are monthly and shouldn't average over about 100,000 won. Given that the lowest salary offered through GEPIK is 2 million won, it is more than manageable! The bond you get back at the end of the contract provided that there has been no damage done to the apartment.
The location is generally pretty good, within 5 or 10 minutes walk from your school, though there are a few people here I know who have decided to live further away from their school so that they are not in such remote areas or closer to convenient things such as E-mart and Lotte-mart.
While I have heard / seen pictures of the occasional horror story, the apartments I have seen here are pretty decent and the schools seem to be reasonably keen to keep you happy and so a fairly flexible - the key seems to be that if you aren't happy - tell them!
housing. What you get depends a lot on your employer. Generally what is provided is a studio apartment, they vary greatly in size, and in condition. My apartment, for example, could charitably be referred to as a shoebox with a bathroom. It is so small that I cannot even fit a couch or a double bed, yet at the same time it also has almost everything I need, there is a bed, a desk and chair, a large fridge (my fridge is fairly impressive compared to others I have seen), a cupboard, a very small kitchen, and a very small bathroom. Notable exceptions are the lack of oven and lack of a proper shower. It is very difficult to get used to not having an oven, especially if you like to cook, though I am told you can pick up a toaster over relatively cheaply. I am completely confused by the fact that there are no power points in my kitchen... I have to put my toaster on my computer desk...
The lack of a proper shower is harder to deal with, quite a few of the other teachers I know here managed to score an apartment with a proper shower, but my bathroom is a lot more like what you would find in the average Korean apartment. When I say proper shower what I mean is a shower with a shower curtain at least, or a shower that is separate from the rest f the bathroom. What you get in Korea is a shower-head that hangs over the basin, the entire bathroom gets wet, in most apartments the toilet also get soaked, and I even have some friends who have to cover the toilet roll every time they take a shower. It is probably the biggest downside of Korean apartments!
On the other hand I have an exceedingly efficient Air conditioner, and all apartments in Korea have in floor heating, which could possibly be the best invention of all time - especially when it is -20 degrees Celsius outside! There are little things that you learn to remember after you have been here for a while in regard to heating etc. For example, you have to turn the heating on so you have hot water every time you want to have a shower or do the dishes. Some apartments also have a switch that you have to turn on to get the gas working on the gas hobs in the kitchen...I am lazy and use mine a few times a day so I tend to just leave it on now.
I have also heard that what is in your apartment varies depending on your school and who was living in the apartment before hand. In my apartment I had a few bits and bobs in terms of plates and cutlery, my co-teacher had bought me a small frying pan, a large frying pan and two new pots, as well as a new duvet, sheets and a pillow. There were two plastic cups (which I detest so I bought glasses the first day) and a brand new toaster and 
microwave. The teacher who had been in the apartment before me had left behind some computer speakers, a phone charger, some bits from a camera and bike lock...most of which is in a bag in the cupboard because I figure they will get passed on again after I leave and they may find it useful! I have spent a fair bit decorating and adding to my apartment since I got here but again it will all be useful to me when I move on, or it will get left for the next person, its a sharing and caring kind of thing.
So the apartment itself is included in your contract...you are, however, responsible for all the bills, apartment maintenance fee and a bond (also called key money) of 900,000 won which is take out of your first 3 months salary. The maintenance fee is not huge, I pay 50,000 on per month, and the bills vary a little from apartment to apartment but they are monthly and shouldn't average over about 100,000 won. Given that the lowest salary offered through GEPIK is 2 million won, it is more than manageable! The bond you get back at the end of the contract provided that there has been no damage done to the apartment.
The location is generally pretty good, within 5 or 10 minutes walk from your school, though there are a few people here I know who have decided to live further away from their school so that they are not in such remote areas or closer to convenient things such as E-mart and Lotte-mart.
While I have heard / seen pictures of the occasional horror story, the apartments I have seen here are pretty decent and the schools seem to be reasonably keen to keep you happy and so a fairly flexible - the key seems to be that if you aren't happy - tell them!
Well, this isn't too bad hey?? But I suppose you can still get worse than this??
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