The orientation was superb...

You have been looking at videos on youtube that talk about how great Korea and English teaching is and how the ones not complaining about teaching are the ones who are having so much fun that they are too busy to make videos about it, etc... Well they make those videos because that's how to keep a job in Korea. Make a video that shows your boss that you RESPECT and LOVE KOREA!(translation I am lucky to be here and I'll kiss your feet)Thats all the K teachers care about from my experience.
You are a dog no matter what your skin color if you are not born raised and stuck in Korea.They just won't always be upfront with you about that.
As far as skin color, mine is Yellow/tan with black hair btw. Strangers never bothered us really, I never got screamed HELLO at on the streets but I'd say treated pretty badly by people that I wasn't in Shinsegei buying things from(school staff).
I'm just going to keep this simple and honest.
Most of the people that you talk to(who aren't too proud to be honest) will tell you that the Korean teachers for the most part are at best going to be passive aggressive with you and at worst scream at you until you feel that you are beneath them or they are your "masutah!" as one put it. I and my wife dealt with the extreme end of both.
We worked in Busanand I found that my only peace came from being alone or with the children because the principle, co principle, and the absolute worst co-teacher one could imagine tryed their best to come at me with every thing possible. They found this difficult as I did my job very well and the children liked me. That doesn't matter though when you have a co teacher who will write on the board while allowing the entire 6th grade class throw things(at her!) and talk like they are in a lunch room and walk out on a class of 4th graders while leaving a movie playing(I'd come back from the bathroom and getting some coffee when she was leading the class and the teacher was gone!) I took the initiative to stop the disorder(quiet as mice once they were not allowed to misbehave,it only took one moment of effort one day!) but the teacher leaving the room when I was not there, I couldn't stop. I did what I could and I'll admit that I had to break up at least two fist fights among the 6th graders while the co...."teacher" just acted like she didn't see them when they happened right in front of her desk. But even they learned to be tolerable. I had no problem with the kids but the teachers were from Hell.
That teacher still found reason to literally scream at me ,as in ear hurting I should take you to court and sue for damages,type of screaming. This happened once and I personally put her in her place, the co principle and principle did nothing. This shows that you will naturally be the one to take the heat of showing up your co-teacher if you manage to get one that isn't good(odds..are high).
This is just one small set of examples of my daily life not including having to have my wife disrespected and having to set even more people straight and then her going through the stress of keeping her workmates at bay on her own.(respectfullywhile being disrespected of course.) To sum it all up childish, needless, petty behavior.nI showed up to school once when no one was there because I wasn't important enough to tell about the school founding day holiday.When going out to some event the teacher and her buddy made it a point to walk eight feet in front of me while I only had a vague Idea where I was going. I stopped that quick because I just went home!
She got chewed out by the old Nancy Reagan wannabe looking principle for losing me! But anyway...as a final example of pettiness and passive aggressive attempt to make me "feel" bad(HA!) they had me(as a work requirement) train with the rest of the teachers for a big volley ball tournament between schools,even buying me a uniform, without telling me, though I kept my ear to the ground and knew, I couldn't play because I was a foreigner. Volleyball was invented in America,my country, but I didn't whine about it. I didn't need to waste my time though and they were expecting to get a rise out of me. This petty stuff was for kids though, it was the actual JOB treatment that went too far, though I suppose it all affects you on some level huh?
On living conditions,we were stuck in a big shoebox made for one person, the previous pair were stuck in a smaller hole, I'm being nice, we had to stay there one night, and it was sickening, but they were afraid that we would leave so they moved us, though we didn't complain. It was not an impressive upgrade and my wife was sick for half of the year.I could go on and on.
If it were not for the 3rd and 4th graders with a couple of the older kids, Haeyundae beach(best beach they have...it's passable.Best when it's dark I won't lie) to unwind along with that nice Buddhist temple to meditate in I don't think that I would have made it. I had a job before I went to Korea in which I had to do "adult career work" and that little educational position was the most stressful job that I had ever had thanks to the people I worked with. I had been teaching ESL as a volunteer about a year before this and enjoyed it and had one of those "O.K. honey, we are traveling!" moments. I went throughTeacha..(I don't think you are supposed to name names, oh well) but they don't do anything really substantial for you once you are signed over to the school. They didn't assist much when I called wanting to see if they could possible work us over to Japan. Turns out thet the Japanese actually interview you in person(they care abbout who they hire). But I got run around when I mentioned that I would foot the bill for a flight to Canada for interview. They got payed I suppose.I am glad that I didn't let the trouble at
Unsa...(oh yea, it's traditional not to names huh, so I won't, don't know why being honest is wrong though) elementary, stop my travels, but it almost did. I now speak Chinese fairly well!
I finished my contract as did my wife and neither one of us asked or inquired about re-signing.I hate to say, but we have been to korea on our own before and are very used to traveling and our Korean is passable. When you WORK it is a different story, we never want to go back.
I suggest you go to Japan,Taiwan, Mainland China, Thailand, anywhere else to work if you must TEACH ENGLISH. Honestly, its better to save your money and just move or move and volunteer if you can.
When you pay people will bend over backwards 97% of the time. When you work in a school in which the teacher doesn't even care about the kids but you try, it is just not a good combo.
If it weren't for being in EPIK I'm quite sure I wouldn't even have been paid. The hierachical slave system is just a bit different in Korea versus other places. I would give anything to have that year back and never want to even vist Korea again.
This was my experience, the short version.
This is from a responsible person who is used to holding down jobs for years. If I were your big brother I would whole heartedly advise you against this program.
If good things happen then that's great, but NOBODY will be on your side if things happen and in life they usually do.
You can do better, in terms of money,traveling and having fun, and even learning Korean than going to Korea to teach English!