Health in Korea
If one of your concerns about coming to Korea to teach is health, you can rest assured. You will never be left without proper care if needed and you will be pleasantly surprised at the service you will receive.
You can be seen by an English speaking physician, without appointment, almost immediately. Often, there is no wait time and rarely more than a half hour. Hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies are all plentiful so you can easily choose the one that you feel the most comfortable with. For something as simple as a cold, you can comfortably see a doctor who speaks average English, who will be able to help you out. In Gwangju, there are two University Hospitals which have Clinics for Foreign residents and provide services in English.
Although healthcare in Canada is free, you will feel like you’re paying next to nothing for the services. (*note that 50% of healthcare will be paid for by your employer. If it seems too high to sign up for the actual health plan your school offers, just bring your school your receipts to be reimbursed 50% of the cost.)
We were able to see a doctor for $1 or $2 and receive the medicine for free at the same time. This was without insurance. Antibiotics cost next to nothing and are available immediately. Although we never needed to consult a doctor for more than the flu, it is common knowledge that everything else is quite inexpensive as well. Please be aware that for the common cold, they will usually give you a shot or injection to help you fight it. It seemed a bit extreme at first, but it works
