At least these guys are doing okay…..

I actually live close to here and no doubt, there are tons of so-called ’boutique’ hagwons in this area.  Several friends who have worked in this area (some still do) all make 4 million+.  Most of them are F-4 visa holders but these schools do hire some E-2/F-2 holders as well.

Is this the elusive ‘perfect’ position I said that was out of reach?  Well not so perfect actually:  usually no housing included, no pension/health benefits, no severance, 6-hour workday (which is quite normal), and more often than not, weekend work.  However, the high salaries usually offset any negatives; although I would hate to work on weekends.  During the summer and winter intensive months some of these guys earn 10 million+.

One veteran SAT teacher I know (he’s Korean-American) just pulled in 30 million in July and August when all the Kor-Am high schoolers come here for vacation.  He does work a hard grind though (usually 8 hours per day and 3 hours each on Saturday and Sunday).

Anyways, back to the article, this area has one of the densest hagwon concentrations in Seoul and I’m guessing in pretty much the entire country:

According to the education office, of the 2,840 hagwons in the whole of Gangnam, more than 400 hagwons are currently located in the Daechi-dong area alone, making it the largest mecca for private institutes in Seoul. Despite the recent bad economy, “the number of hagwons opening keeps on growing,” said Song Ki-cheol, an official from the district office.

As you guys know, Daechi is a very affluent area so it only makes sense to put a bunch of cram schools and hagwons around here.

So, why is it that hagwons located here are so prosperous and well-off compared with others around Seoul?

“The [Daechi-dong] area is a relatively good location for private institutions because there are a number of elite schools nearby and many apartment complexes,” said Kim Jin-ho from Seojin Hagwon.

Stepping out of Daechi Station, each of the eight exits leads to different apartment complexes, including the Eunma, Mido and Woosung apartments.

Kim also said that there are hardly any entertainment spots and that most buildings here have less floors compared with others in the southern Seoul areas.

“In Daechi-dong, there isn’t a building that is higher than 10 stories,” he said, noting that most are five to six stories high. “It’s relatively easy for a hagwon to open since it is more convenient for them to advertise using signboards.”

Though the exact year that the hagwon hot spot was established is unclear, industry experts point to a probable start in 1987.

Back then, the government lifted a ban on hagwons and allowed students to enroll in private institutions. For years, parents complained that the cost of private tutoring was excessively high and demanded that hagwons be allowed to open. Officials took note of the complaint and students were soon allowed to go to the private institutes.

In the 1980s, large institues dedicated to college entrance exams opened in Daechi-dong, such as the Jongno, Daesung and Hankuk hagwons. Then, smaller and private hagwons started opening, surrounding the larger ones.

The trend today, however, is that “parents prefer sending their children to small, private hagwons instead of the larger ones,” Kim said.

“It’s normally the case that well-known brands are popular elsewhere but not here in Daechi-dong,” said a principal from a small hagwon who asked to remain unnamed. “Also, there is a tendency that more expensive hagwons attract parents because they think that cheaper ones are low in quality.”

The principle said that that’s why hagwons here are raising fees.

“Parents here want their children to be raised as socially elite intellectuals rather than to be rich or successful,” said Kim, a teacher from a well-known Korean language hagwon in Daechi 4-dong. “Parents ask teachers for classes that are well-suited to their children rather than lectures that are for the masses. An increasing number of parents are wanting more from hagwons. For example, they want us to teach students to improve their creativity.”

The teacher said that if hagwons cannot meet those parent demands, they cannot survive.