Fun Fact Friday (2)

Sorry I have been lacking in my blogs this week. As you will see in my next post, I have been away for a few days at a GEPIK conference. Although I work through the Korean government, I have technically signed a contract with GEPIK (Gyeonggi English Program In Korea). So as you can imagine, the coordinators loved to remind us of fun facts about GEPIK, most of which I jotted down to make sure I could share with yall.

Fact: GEPIK is a part of EPIK; however, when you separate the two, GEPIK is the largest English program in Korea, supporting about 2,300 Native English teachers. So although there are 9 provinces (including Jeju island, a self-governing province in the south of Korea), Gyeonggi-do employs more English teachers than all of the 8 other provinces combined. However, although there are more job opportunities available, it is the most competitive program, with over 1,200 people applying for 300 jobs that started in August. Within the GEPIK program, there are more male teachers than there are female teachers, with 59% being male and 41% female. And last but not least, traditionally, teachers were regarded as the same hierarchy level as Kings and fathers until the 19th century. Maybe this explains why my children are required to bow to me before each class.