|
|
HOME AcademicsFor FacultyLife at SNU |
| On-Campus Life |
As a faculty member, you will be provided with special benefits to ensure a comfortable stay during your tenure. As a national university, SNU acknowledges its responsibility to provide the best for its employees. This is especially the case for our international professors.
|
| Housing for Foreign Faculty |
SNU provides 3 kinds of Faculty Apartments to newly employed professors. Two of them
are near the rear gate of Gwanak campus and one of them is off-campus. As a foreign professors, you are provided priority access upon application. |
[Deposit & Monthly Payment] |
|
| Size (㎡) |
No. of bedrooms |
Deposit(KRW) |
Monthly rent(KRW) |
| * Gwanak Faculty Apartments |
| 64㎡ |
1 |
1,350,000 |
482,000 |
| 96㎡ |
2 |
2,010,000 |
717,000 |
| 127㎡ |
3 |
2,520,000 |
900,000 |
| 136㎡ |
4 |
3,300,000 |
1,179,000 |
| * BK International House |
| 23㎡ |
1 |
1,140,000 |
380,000 |
| 56㎡ |
2 |
1,800,000 |
600,000 |
|
|
| Financial Aid |
Every incoming Professor to SNU is entitled to a Research Grant. The Office of Research Affairs provides a basic research grant of 10 million won as long as the faculty member is contracted
to teach for at least 3 years. There are no restrictions to the field of research, and the research duration is limited to a year. If needed, an additional 5 million won is provided to acquire necessary research facilities. There is no research proposal evaluation, but faculty are required to submit
a research report upon completion of the study.
|
| Medical Care from SNU Hospital |
SNU Hospital is available to any member of the SNU community. Regular check-ups are open to faculty members.
|
| Facilities for Children’s Education |
Faculty's children aged 1 (children born two years before the present year. ex) present year: 2010, accepted children's birthdate: 2008. January-2008. December) - 8 (elementary 3rd grade) are eligible to attend the campus nursery which is operated by the College of Human Ecology. The nursery is located near the Faculty Apartments in Gwanak and accommodates 193 children. The operating hours are 8:30 am to 6:30 pm on weekdays, and the tuition is about 200 to 300 USD per month, depending on the age of the child. Currently, the nursery accommodates a limited number of children. New nurseries will be established in 2010, accommodating around 300 children. (Please check for the space availability before you apply: snuchild@hanmail.net)
|
| Global Information Center |
SNU has set up the Global Information Center to handle any issues international faculty members might encounter. It is located in Building #501 on the Gwanak campus and the phone number
is 02-880-5052
|
 |
Living in Seoul is a fascinating experience. The city provides everything from bustling activity to the retreats of calm and quiet; a diverse international environment to thousand of years of historical heritage. Being a SNU faculty member allows you to enjoy the city to its fullest extent, providing you with faculty benefits.
Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is a densely populated, dynamic city,
which keeps thirty-two thousand years of history and tradition in its modern figure.
It has almost twenty-three million inhabitants, making it the second most populous metropolitan area in the world after Tokyo. Once referred to as “miracle on the Han River,” Seoul is in the midst
of becoming a center for international business, research and technology, and Seoul National University is leading the way.
Korea has four seasons, and being located in the northern part of Korea, there is relatively significant temperature fluctuation in Seoul. Due to this seasonal fluctuation, almost every building is well-equipped with air conditioners and heaters.
|
Koreans are some of the friendliest people to visitors from around the world, and there is little discrimination against people of a different race, language or culture.
That is one of the reasons for the development and maintenance of diverse foreign communities and towns where English is freely used. Because learning English has been compulsory education in
Korea for years, the language problem is minor compared to other countries where English is used as a second language.
Thus, as you travel or stay in Korea, it will never be hard to find someone who can speak English, and when it comes to medical or financial services, English-speaking consultants will be available almost every time.
It is also good to know that many Korean companies and organizations run English websites. On the other hand, Korean is an internationally-recognized scientific language, and it is said to be very interesting and easy to learn.
Governmental support and management is still a big part of daily life in Korea. Medicare, electronics, water and city gas are all managed by the Korean government, and it provides exceptionally economical and efficient systems. Korean medical services and surgical skills have gained international respect.
You will see individual as well as polyclinic hospitals, and pharmacies every second block on the street, proving a well-developed and organized medical system in Korea. |
Seoul is full of bustling restaurants, shops, galleries, and multiplex shopping malls. Streets are always crowded, and as a consequence, there is high traffic congestion, especially during rush hour. That is why Seoul has developed an excellently organized public transportation system. Buses and subway lines are well connected and the newly developed integrative fare system helps people to freely transfer between various means of transportation. Mobile phones and the Internet are available in any area,
and wireless Internet service is well systematized particularly around the university zones.
Korea is famous for unique dishes with very intense and unique flavors, ranging from very hot and spicy to sometimes extremely mild. Any visitors will fall in love with this healthy Korean diet and its exotic flavor. Although seemingly highly developed, in the heart of Seoul ancient palaces and relics are well preserved, secretly showing unfiltered its thirty-two thousand years of history. The city provides stunning day and night views, with mountains, rivers and streams throughout the city, perfectly matched with environmentally friendly facilities and parks where people can enjoy their leisure time playing sports and doing other various activities. Koreans share a very unique culture, however, there’s no common religion. There are a variety of religions practiced in Korea, and Koreans have a great respect for individual religious preference.
|
 |
| Medical Assistance |
English speakers are present in major medical facilities. The phone numbers for general hospitals with international clinics are listed below.
Seoul National University Hospital 82-2-760-2890
|
| - Asan Medical Center 82-2-2224-3114 |
| - CHA General Hospital 82-2558-1112 |
| - Gangnam Catholic Medical Center 82-2-590-1114 |
| - Hannam-dong International Medical Center 82-2-790-0857 |
| - Kang Buk Samsung Medical Center 82-2-723-2911 |
| - Seoul Foreign Medical Center 82-2796-1871 |
| - Samsung First Medical Center 82-2-2262-7071 |
| - Samsung Medical Center 82-2-3410-0200 |
| - Sinchon Severance Hospital 82-2-361-6540 |
| - Soonchunhyang Hospital 82-2-709-9881 |
| - Yeouido Catholic Medical Center 82-2-789-1114 |
|
| Driver’s License |
|
Changing a Foreign License into a Domestic License |
- Application method: You need to submit necessary documents at any of the 26 National Driver’s License Test Centers.
- Necessary Documents: |
1. Your original foreign driver’s license
(Your driver’s license in your home country will be retrieved by the test center when your domestic license is issued.)
2. Confirmation of your driver’s license from your Embassy
3. Authentication of the translation of the foreign license. (Unnecessary if the contents of the license are in English)
|
| * If the translated text does not have an issue date and validity period, you need to submit documents with the issue date and validity period issued by the same administrative body as the license issuer. |
| 4. Certificate of immigration and passport |
| * The foreign license will be considered valid only if it can be proved from the certificate of immigration or your passport that you have stayed in the country in that you were issued the license for more than 90 days. |
5. Alien Registration Card
6. 3 Photos of yourself
7. Commission: Physical examination fee KRW 5,000, License fee KRW 6,000, Brief information / training session KRW 6,000 |
|
Acquiring a New License |
- If you wish to acquire a driver’s license in Korea, you need to pass the written and driving test (practical examination) at any of the 26 National Driver’s License Test Centers and follow a string of procedures.
- Procedure: After applying for and taking the written examination, you need to attend the safety education session. After the safety education session, you can move on to the practical examination (driving test). If you pass the driving test, you will be issued a learner’s permit. After that, 10 hours of driving practice with a license holder who meets certain qualifications is required (for more information consult the Driver’s License Agency). After the required hours of practice, you will qualify
to take the road course test. Once you have passed the road course test, you will be issued an official driver’s license.
|
* The written examination is provided in both PBT (Paper-Based Test) and CBT
(Computer-Based Test) forms. The CBT is provided in English, Japanese and German,
and the PBT is provided in English, Japanese, German, Chinese, French, Vietnamese, Thai and Indonesian. However the availability of applying and taking the foreign language written exam may differs between test centers (agencies), so you must check beforehand.
* After the written exam, you can register at a Driver’s License Agency-approved Driving Academy to take you through the process. |
- For further information, call.1577-1120 or log on to the website: http://www.dla.go.kr/Servlet/Main.
- The closest Test Center to Seoul National University is the Gangnam National Driver’s
License Test Center,
located in front of Exit no. 1 of Samsung Station, subway line no. 2
(Green Line).
|
| Banking Services |
The Korean financial system is currently still not very open to foreigners. Within 30 days of moving to Korea you are required to register for an alien registration number, upon the issuance of which you may perform all domestic financial activities in Korea. It is strongly advised that you open up a domestic bank account, as using foreign accounts will result in you having to pay high commission fees. However, it must be noted that transferring money from a domestic bank to a foreign account is rather restricted and will require some paperwork or a visit to the bank.
As you have come to SNU as a staff member, a Korean account will be created for you,
along with your alien registration number and card. Most major commercial bank locations will provide you with an English-speaking consultant. The e-commerce in Korea is well-developed, so you will find it very comfortable and convenient to use Internet banking (or e-banking) services. For more information, you may want to visit English websites of the major commercial banks. Links are provided below.
|
| Loans, credit cards, and opening stock-accounts can also be consulted about at local bank branches. Major financial institutions, both domestic and international, are readily available either through a bank, or through separate branches of each investment firm. |
|
|
|
