John Morgan Recruiting

Yes. Please go to our links section here for a list of English speaking hospitals and a dentist that I highly recommend in Korea. Many of these doctors and dentists have been educated in Western countries and have strong English. My dentist is fluent in English and is excellent.

You should bring any allergy medicine that you use. You should also bring enough prescription medicine to last until your health insurance goes into effect. Most prescriptions can be easily filled in Korea. You might need a doctor’s note to bring the prescription medicine on the flight. You may also wish to bring condoms, if you are sexually active, or birth control.

Your health insurance is not effective until your residency in Korea has been provided (when your receive your Alien Registration Card), which is usually around 2-4 weeks after arrival to Korea. Therefore, teachers are advised to buy travel insurance with medical coverage for 30-45 days following arrival in Korea until their local insurance comes into effect. If medical insurance is a big concern you may wish to look into additional coverage through a private company in your own country. Talk to your doctor about the different plans available.

No vaccinations are required for Korea. However, if you plan to visit another country while in Korea, you may need vaccinations depending on the country. You would need to talk to a doctor in Korea about that.

No, but it is recommended. You are required to submit a health questionnaire to Korean immigration when you apply for the E-2 visa. You can download this health form here. When you arrive in Korea, within the first 90 days you will be given a health test at the hospital in your area. The results of this health test must match the answers that you gave on your health questionnaire.

Contracts normally provide for 3-5 sick days. Some employers will require that you submit a doctor’s note to confirm that you were sick. It is advised that you use these sick days sparingly as most schools have few options when a teacher calls in sick. In most cases, when a teacher calls in sick other teachers will be required to cover the classes for them increasing their workload.

The benefits covered under the Health Care Plan are the same for foreign teachers as they are for Korean nationals. This health care plan covers areas such as treatment, hospitalization, medicine, diagnosis, rehabilitation, nursing, preventative care and tests. You should also note that 100% of the costs are not covered. When receiving treatment from the hospital or medicine, the insured pays a small part of the total charges (usually around 30% of the total costs). However, hospital and medical fees are quite low in Korea when compared with Western countries. You should also note treatment of diseases that do not hinder work or daily life, such as plastic surgery, wart removal, hair loss, and the like are not covered by the health insurance.

For more information about the National Health Insurance, visit their website in English at: http://www.nhic.or.kr/eng

According to Korean law, Korean employers must provide their teachers with health care insurance. Most employers choose to go with the Korean National Health Insurance Plan. The cost of this Insurance is split 50-50 between the employer and the teacher. The amount that the teacher would pay amounts to 2.59% of your monthly salary. This insurance is not effective until your residency in Korea has been provided (when you receive your Alien Registration Card), which is usually around 2-4 weeks after arrival to Korea. Please check to make sure that you are enrolled in the Medical Plan by looking at the deductions from your pay sheet. These medical deductions should be stated clearly on your pay sheet. If they are not there, you may not be registered in the Plan.