Seoul Should not be a Workplace for Parisians

The French foreign language teacher scandal of 1984

Prelude 1: The 1983 Law "Limiting Aliens' Residence Period" and banning "unqualified" foreigners from working.

Part 1: Le Monde and what came before
Part 2: Korea is "Ali Baba's" Cave
Part 3: Seoul Should not be a Workplace for Parisians
Part 4: In private foreign language classes, there are a lot of ‘fraud teachers’
Part 5: Jibberish
Part 6: 'I Want to Strike it Rich in Seoul Too' - Continuous Job Inquiries by the French
Part 7: Foreigners Enjoy Better Life With Mother Tongues
Part 8: Foreigners and Foreign Languages
Part 9: Sickening Face
Part 10: Barking Up the Wrong Tree
Part 11: The First Sanctions on Foreigners Working Illegally
Part 12: All Private Lessons by Foreigners Prohibited
Part 13: Institutes Asked to Hire Eligible Foreign Teachers
Part 14: "Seoul Wind"
Part 15: Foreign Language Teacher Shortage
Part 16: Troublemaking vagabond foreigner story finally airs

Part 3: Seoul Should not be a Workplace for Parisians


I did things out of order last time, so here is the article that appeared in the Kyunghyang Shinmun on August 16, 1984, the day after an article appeared in the Joongang Ilbo about the Le Monde article. Many thanks to Song Joosub, David Carruth and Benjamin Wagner for help with the translation.

"The French Language Boom is Regretful
Seoul Should not be a Workplace for Parisians"

According to a report on the 12th by the French daily Le Monde, young French people who once held poor jobs in their homeland are, thanks to the French Language, living comfortable lives in Seoul.

In the first example, Luc roamed about and worked various jobs in France and headed to travel in Southeast Asia, ending up in Seoul. In the summer of 1981, with a shabby suitcase and no clear purpose, he came to Korea after hearing only that there was lots of work to be found.

After less than a year he taught French language lectures at two universities. He makes 1,800,000 won a month, with each university paying him 9000 francs (about 900,000 won) a month for nine hours a week of classes. In addition, he is paid 15,000 won per student for teaching a French conversation study group for 6 hours a month.

As well, work translating English to French is a source of considerable income. The pay for one page of 1000 words is 20,000 won, and 300 page translations are not uncommon.

Luc now feels he has found a place of treasures.

The second example is 28 year old Michel, a teacher in the French countryside who came by chance to Seoul and now works as a part-time lecturer at several universities and also has high paying jobs involving French translation in government offices or large companies. He has received 10,000 francs (1,000,000 won) an hour recording French voice-overs for promotional films aimed at foreign markets.

The third example is Pierre. In France he worked in insurance in the provinces. Four years ago on a trip through Southeast Asia, he came to Seoul.

After a week here, he met a man in the street who was responsible for the French broadcasts at a certain network, and the next day was promptly offered a position correcting French program manuscripts which pays generously.

Like in a movie, after this he became an instructor at a university and married a Korean woman from a good family, and enjoys a life where on weekends he goes to the beach or Seoraksan and to Japan on vacations.

According to Le Monde, due to the 1988 Olympics in Korea, the development of the African market and the promotion of trade between France and Korea, there is a French language boom in Korea and there are many jobs available to French people in Korea at places like the French embassy or cultural center and the French language academy Alliance.

Not everyone who comes to Korea, can have such good fortune, but if one is a French person who has graduated high school it is said it is easy to find a job in Korea.

The newspaper also revealed that in Japan, short term visitors like these are tracked down and expelled, but in Korea compromise is possible.

While for Korean people it is difficult to find jobs and settle down in France, French people in Korea, due only to their language ability, are well-treated without any special knowledge or skill.

It is quite a contrast.

Paris – Gu Geon-seo special correspondent