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Hospital, Immigration, and a Failed Drug Test. Help asap!

 
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TheBeatGoesOn



Joined: 05 Jul 2012
Location: Seoul

PostPosted: Sun Dec 02, 2012 3:41 am    Post subject: Hospital, Immigration, and a Failed Drug Test. Help asap! Reply with quote

Hi everyone! Smile Smile Smile

I'm a first time poster, but long time reader of the site. I looked, but I could not find an answer to my specific question, so I decided to post a new topic. Please be gentle with replies. I am not looking for judgement of my mistake.

I just started a new job in Busan, but I previously worked in Seoul until September. Before starting that job, I stopped using marijuana 30 days before arriving in Korea and taking the drug test. I detoxed extensively during that time by exercising constantly and eating a lot of highly acidic foods (cabbage and cranberry juice mostly). I passed the drug test no problem. My detox efforts were obviously effective, despite the fact that I was living with 5 others who continued to use marijuana in my house and around me. Even though I continued to breathe in second-hand smoke, it did not appear to affect me on the drug test.

After leaving my job in Seoul, I moved back home to vacation and find a new job. At home, I used marijuana casually, several times a week. I thought that my last detox efforts were overzealous, so I stopped using it two weeks before I arrived, instead of four weeks. I took a risk - one I understand was careless, and one which I regret - and failed the drug test that I took this Monday. I am very scared to fail the second one.

Luckily, my boss likes me and does not seem to want to go through the recruitment process again (as she has had 3 teachers leave since the school opened in March). She wants to keep me at her school and wants "to work together to solve this problem" so that I may stay with the hagwon. She does not know that I have used marijuana, and I reacted with surprise and outrage when she informed me of the test results. I did tell her that I lived with others that used marijuana around me.

As far as I know, the hospital did not inform her what drug I tested positive for, saying only that it was "illegal drug related" and that they want to do a "further investigation". I have no idea what this means, but it is not good, obviously.

My boss seems to think it is something called "Philopon", a slang term for meth. I have never done pure methamphetatmine, but I have once tried MDMA. That was 3 years ago, and clearly it did not show up as a problem on my first drug test here in Korea.

My understanding is that I have 90 days to apply for the ARC with immigration. My current plan is to wait as long as possible, and get a second drug test with a different hospital. If I give myself more time to clear my system, then I should test negative with the second test. Does anyone have any advice for quick detoxes?

My concern now is that the hospital informed the immigration office or even the police about my failed drug test. Would the hospital do this, and do they have any legal obligation to notify either immigration or the police?

Any insight or strategies would be much appreciated. Judgement or condemnation of my choice to use "drugs" will be ignored or reported to admin.

Thank you!!! Very Happy [size=12]
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young_clinton



Joined: 09 Sep 2009

PostPosted: Sun Dec 02, 2012 7:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

They're not supposed to test for cannabis on the drug test for Immigration.

http://www.immigration.go.kr/HP/IMM80/imm_09/focus.jsp

Is it possible you failed the test for another drug?
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TheBeatGoesOn



Joined: 05 Jul 2012
Location: Seoul

PostPosted: Sun Dec 02, 2012 9:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

young_clinton wrote:
They're not supposed to test for cannabis on the drug test for Immigration.

http://www.immigration.go.kr/HP/IMM80/imm_09/focus.jsp

Is it possible you failed the test for another drug?



They stopped testing for cannabinoids briefly in 2010, but started again in 2011. They certainly do test now.

And no, it is not possible that I failed because of another drug. I am completely aware of what goes into my body. Except when I eat at McDonalds.

I could have been drugged at some point and didn't know it, I suppose. But that would suck, because I missed out on the fun part!
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everything-is-everything



Joined: 06 Jun 2011

PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 6:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It was likely the philopon you tested positive for.

From the quick google search I did this drug is apparently used in North Korea and some gyopos were recently arrested for it in Incheon.

So it was probably not the weed and there's a good chance the samples you gave could have been mixed up with someone else if you story is true.



Demand to take another drug test. These things happen at drug testing labs from time to time.

Good luck.
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Vox_Populi



Joined: 04 May 2009
Location: Seoul, South Korea

PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 2:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I know someone who peed in a bottle (one of those small Vitamin C shot bottles) for someone who then took the clean urine with them to the hospital. They don't go to the bathroom with you and watch you pee, so it's pretty easy to do. Not that I'm suggesting anything illegal. I'm just saying something that happened once.
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ttompatz



Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea

PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 3:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Since you were abroad and not Korean they won't prosecute based on your test. The hospital may or may not inform immigration but it is not an issue until your ARC is due.

You do need to retest and come up negative.
Failure to do so will get you sent home.

You do have some time if the employer is willing to wait.
Cabbage is cheap. Cranberry juice is not.

.
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Vox_Populi



Joined: 04 May 2009
Location: Seoul, South Korea

PostPosted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 1:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Not that I'm suggesting doing anything illegal, but I know 2 things about the Korean drug test:

1) They DON'T go in the bathroom with you and watch you pee

2) There's no way they can tell wither the urine came from you are another person of your same gender.

WINK, WINK

PS Those slim little vitamin c shot bottles (the ones with the brown glass) would be perfect to conceal in a jacket pocket, don't you think?
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schwa



Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Location: Yap

PostPosted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 3:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Posting positive drug test avoidance info on Daves is beneath stupid.

Agencies read here or find out through others & only tighten the clamps.
Feeds bad media bias too.
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le-paul



Joined: 07 Apr 2009
Location: dans la chambre

PostPosted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 2:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

agreed, i cant believe how bloody stupid some people are on this forum...

anyway, you don't think the nurses will notice when you hand over a cold sample? pizz is about 37 degrees when it comes out. its still warm when you hand it over. what are you going to do, shove it up your arse until pee time?

if youve got nothing to hide, do the test again.

It very possible they could have made a mistake.
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PatrickGHBusan



Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -

PostPosted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 5:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Seriously, why would you post this here???
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northway



Joined: 05 Jul 2010

PostPosted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 8:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

le-paul wrote:
agreed, i cant believe how bloody stupid some people are on this forum...

anyway, you don't think the nurses will notice when you hand over a cold sample? pizz is about 37 degrees when it comes out. its still warm when you hand it over. what are you going to do, shove it up your arse until pee time?

if youve got nothing to hide, do the test again.

It very possible they could have made a mistake.


It's stupid only if you have a vested interest in the test remaining sloppy. As far as temperature, I was always just told to place the cup in a tray along with a bunch of other cups. No one touched it immediately thereafter, and thus there would be no cause for suspicion. This just feeds my belief that the health test isn't actually intended to prevent anything so much as it is there to assuage the concerns of Korea's more xenophobic residents.
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le-paul



Joined: 07 Apr 2009
Location: dans la chambre

PostPosted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 10:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

northway wrote:
le-paul wrote:
agreed, i cant believe how bloody stupid some people are on this forum...

anyway, you don't think the nurses will notice when you hand over a cold sample? pizz is about 37 degrees when it comes out. its still warm when you hand it over. what are you going to do, shove it up your arse until pee time?

if youve got nothing to hide, do the test again.

It very possible they could have made a mistake.


It's stupid only if you have a vested interest in the test remaining sloppy. As far as temperature, I was always just told to place the cup in a tray along with a bunch of other cups. No one touched it immediately thereafter, and thus there would be no cause for suspicion. This just feeds my belief that the health test isn't actually intended to prevent anything so much as it is there to assuage the concerns of Korea's more xenophobic residents.


i meant its stupid that people are discussing manipulating a urinalysis, in a country that is always trying to trip up its visitors, on a public forum.
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