Cash drain: Seoul-backed language teachers quit while on overseas postings
Foreign students at the King Sejong Institute Foundation wear traditional clothes from their countries in front of King Sejong’s statue in Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Oct. 8, 2014, to celebrate Hangul Day, which is the following day. The poster says “Happy 568th birthday Hangul,” referring to the Korean alphabet. / Korea Times file
By Ko Dong-hwan
Some Korean language teachers the government sent abroad are ditching their teaching roles to seek other job opportunities in the countries, according to a lawmaker.
From 2013 until August, 11 teachers from the King Sejong Institute Foundation changed their jobs overseas.
The foundation, under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is Korea’s leading organization that teaches Korean language outside the country. The foundation’s mission is to help people appreciate Korean culture like K-pop and other media content, to broaden Korea’s trading partners and cement the foundation as the nation’s leading symbol of Korean education overseas.
In 2013, the foundation invested 860 million won ($759,000) to send 24 teachers to 22 cities across 15 countries. The investment included flights and other support. The outlay increased to 5.19 billion won this year to send 110 teachers to 73 places across 35 countries.
Despite the investment, the foundation has not prepared measures to prevent teachers from quitting while overseas to sign contracts with other companies.
It also has not monitored the teachers and has no disciplinary or punitive regulations to use against them.
“The teachers who were sent overseas went through rigorous screening tests and even received training overseas,” said Rep. Han Sun-kyo from the Liberty Korea Party, citing documents the foundation provided. “But some of them quit their jobs less than two months after leaving the country to work for a local firm. Such cases occurred every year.”
The foundation has not required the teachers to repay flight fares and other funds it provided, which is a “waste of the national budget,” Rep. Han said.