“Just Surviving”: South African Woman Shares Hardships She Experienced While Working in Korea

• A South African teacher working in Korea shared how she was fired three months after moving there
• Six months into her second job, she was told the school was closing, and she had just days to find another position
• The woman revealed she'd moved to three different cities and worked at three different schools in under a year
• Briefly News spoke to financial advisor Farook Mohammed on why financial planning is important, especially for situations where you end up losing your source of income

Three cities, three schools, multiple firings, unpaid salaries, and a lot of broken promises - this is what one South African teacher went through in less than a year of working in Korea. Her "put a finger down" challenge had people wondering how she's still standing. The video was shared on 7 September 2025, where she broke down everything that went wrong during her time abroad.

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"Put a finger down if three months after moving to Korea your boss tells you that actually you have to find another job because the company's downsizing and they won't be able to keep you on anymore," she started.

A couple of hours after finding out she'd been fired, she found another job. The next day, she moved to a new city and started working.

Three months into the new job, things started going wrong again. She began getting paid late and found out her taxes hadn't been paid, and none of her insurance had been paid either. The boss assured her everything was fine and they were just going through a little financial rough patch.

But other weird things started happening around the school that made her feel like maybe the school was closing down. The boss kept telling her that the school wasn't closing and everything was fine. Then, six months into the job, she found out she had two weeks to find another job because, yes, the school was in fact closing.

"Oh also you won't be getting your last salary and also you get kicked out of your apartment, so you didn't get two weeks to find a new job, you actually got like a few days," she explained.

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She did find a new job and got kicked out of her apartment. Now she's in another city. The third city in under a year, the third school in under a year, and she's just surviving in Korea.

She put her finger down, showing this is exactly what she had to deal with.

Mzansi reacts to her hardships

People flooded the comments section on TikTok user @itsjustjay's post with their thoughts.

@Zamma said:

"I'm more impressed about how quickly you are finding these jobs."

@taste_SA joked:

"Wait.... Why are the schools all closing after you arrive?💀💀"

@Liz wrote:

"Being the quitter that I am, going abroad I would need to have money to come back immediately after the 1st inconvenience."

@Nqobile P shared:

"You're so brave and I think you're around my area, your house looks like mine. Hope you're okay. ♥️"

@Sweet Melanin 🍫 added:

"3 months? I'll put a finger down for being flown to Korean and being fired in 4 days"

@Lalina_izulu🇿🇦 said:

"What I got: Its easy to find a job in South Korea...🤔"

@Dee 디🌍 wrote:

"You seem like a positive person. Please don't lose that. 🫂"

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Schools closing in Korea

According to an article posted by The Korea Times, 49 schools in Korea are set to close this year due to the declining school-age population because of the country's low birthrate. Among them, 43 schools, or 88% of the total, were located in provinces away from the capital.

The figure is much higher than the number of schools closing annually over the past five years. By school level, 38 out of the 49 schools scheduled to close were primary schools, while eight were middle and high schools and three were senior high schools.

Speaking to Briefly News writer, Nerissa Naidoo, financial advisor Farook Mohammed discussed why financial planning is important, especially for situations where you end up losing your source of income. He shared:

"Financial planning is important because it helps you build a safety net for unexpected setbacks like losing a job, which is something many South Africans face. Having savings and a clear plan in place gives you stability, reduces stress, and buys you time to get back on your feet."

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Watch the TikTok clip below:

Other stories about South Africans abroad

• Briefly News recently reported that a South African man explained that teaching salaries in China depend on a few factors.
• A South African woman visited the famous Carlos Bakery made popular by Cake Boss.
• A South African woman working in Korea shared the huge progress on her home-building project.

Source: Briefly News