Contract Runners: Expat Pariahs?

Sometimes foreigners just can't stand living in Korea anymore. Either they can't deal with their hagwon anymore, or they can't adjust to the different kind of food, or they miss their friends/family back home too much.

Sometimes they'll pack up one night and leave; no goodbyes, no notice, no warning.

It's rare -- I only know of four in my area (about, what, 5%?) in the eleven months I've been here -- but it happens. One of those four happened to be a coworker (and next door neighbor) of mine.

In her case, she was a vegetarian, but didn't know how to cook (a difficult thing to deal with in Korea). She'd left a boyfriend in her home country, and after one month, another eleven months of separation didn't look too appealing. Plus, she didn't drink, and as a result felt somewhat isolated here in Suji.

If you're thinking of moving to Korea to teach English, there are a couple things you can do to make sure you have a good experience. First, it's really important to get a good recruiter. In difficult situations, they can act as a mediator between you and the school. I went through (Isson, and have never regretted it.

Second, talk with a teacher at the school before you come. Most expats seem to have more loyalty to fellow foreigners than they do to their school, so you can usually trust their judgment about how professional and stable the school is.

Third, check out other blogs and get an idea of the benefits and challenges to teaching English in Korea. There will inevitably be surprises, but you can minimize the number and severity by learning about things beforehand.

How do other expats react to contract runners? Well, unless you're really screwing someone over by leaving, folks generally accept the person's decision with a spirit of well-wishing, though also with a certain sadness. If you don't tell your closest friends before you jet, you can expect them to be hurt by it, of course.

In my opinion (at the risk of sounding judgmental), I think it's unprofessional and it reflects badly on other foreigners to simply leave without notice. It inconveniences others, and may be unnecessary if you communicate your difficulties with your recruiter or the school's director. True, you may lose your housing deposit and have to pay for your flight home, but if you stay for at least another week or two you can leave with style and a clear conscience.

Before I came, I was really worried about being tied down by contract to a crappy school, unable to leave the country. Although the bad news is that there are indeed some mighty crappy schools out there, the good news is that if you're absolutley miserable there are options available, including the last ditch -- running your contract.