Korean Job Discussion Forums

Lost Seoul · Joined: 10 Jan 2003

Here are some previous posts about summer and winter camps:

I would specifically like to draw your attention to the post from "hippie" (see below)

kimcheeking · Guest

This post made sticky by Kimcheeking at Lost Seouls request

mrroboto · Joined: 29 Mar 2003

So basically I should just tell my friend to not come?
She's still in university, working towards her education degree and I'm begging her to come visit for the summer. what do you all think?

Lost Seoul · Joined: 10 Jan 2003

She can go over to visit so long as she does not teach. However if she does teach in a camp on a tourist visa she will have to be prepared to take the risk of facing heavy fines and deportation if she is caught. Teaching in a summer camp on a tourist visa is a big risk as it is illegal and unlike with teaching privates camps are very public and are, therefore, easy targets for immigration. You have been warned.

Daami · Joined: 27 May 2003

Just on the subject of summer camps...
I'm looking at summer camps for 2003 and I know there are some dodgy ones... I also know there are some legit ones.
What I don't know is what kind of visa is required. Working with a tourist visa is illegal, however an E-2 visa is only legit for a 12 month term (is this correct??) If so, how are the visas arranged for only 4 weeks?

Is there anybody who has successfully worked at a previous camp who can help me out? Also, how often is there any kind of airfare reimbursement? I have seen this advertised sometimes... is this uncommon?

Cheers
Daami.

Cedar · Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2003 8:10 am Post subject:

There are a lot of dodgy people out there. I applied to work at a camp in Jinju at a National University. They accepted me (after a long application process including a 33 question essay! More effort than I put into applying to any of the three jobs I've worked the past 7 years in this country!) and sent out a mass email with the names of everyone and the age level they were assigned to. That was Friday. They indicated they'd be calling on Monday to get permission from our school's for us to work legally. I duly went to work on Monday morning and talked to my supervisor, who then met with the school president. On Tuesday the Korean camp organizer called, and was informed I was a great teacher and legal to work at their camp. On Wednesday the Western organizer sent me an email that they'd had a misunderstanding, thought I didn't want the job and had given my position to someone else. Huh? Makes me wonder if any of the people who do end up working there are going to have paychecks forgotten or some such... if they can't keep their heads together during the hiring process, who says they'll be organized during or at the end of the session?

Maybe they are totally legitimate, but it does make me wonder.

Emma Clare · Joined: 24 May 2003 Location: Anseong, sung, song.

I'm taking up a Summer camp position for 4 weeks just to get some cash together when I first come to South Korea, and so that I can afford to do some exploring!

My question is this: Obviously, I cannot teach on a tourist visa. I plan on getting a short term E2 visa. Is it usual to be able to stipulate how long you require your teaching visa for?

Next: When my contract is up, does my visa automatically expire? Or do I have a couple of days grace, in order to leave the country and return on a tourist visa to start my hunt for a long term contract.

Then: Once I've sourced myself a 'proper' job, do I then have to leave SK again and return on a year long E2 visa?

Phew!! All this running around is gonna leave me in a right spin!

Diane · Joined: 23 Jun 2003

I just got a summer camp teaching position at Myung-gi University, run by SED company. Does anyone know anything about this company and the summer camp they run? Are they legit? Do they pay their workers? I will be working on an F-4 visa...does this guarantee that I will be paid at the end of my work period and not get screwed over?
I'm getting a little worried about taking a summer camp position because people have obviously had problems with them in the past. I would appreciate any advice people could offer.
Thanks!

applause · Joined: 01 Jul 2003

Hello all:

I am posting this reply to refute a couple of things written in this thread concerning the summer camp and university in Jinju. As a current employee of said university and co-worker of the director of the camp, I feel it necessary to clear a few things up.

Cedar - What happened in your case was unfortunate. I can assure you that the director feels bad for the confusion and inconvenience this caused you. As for the legitimacy of the camp, the university has never refused pay to any of it's summer employees. Organizationally all materials, curriculum, and events are prepared before the camp begins. Basically all the teacher has to do is show up, keep a positive attitude, and endure the long hours.

Grim Ja - I understand where you're coming from. You had a bad experience in one of your former places of employment and now seek to embellish events in order to make yourself feel better about being "mistreated." I hope that my post sheds a little light on the situation and help correct the claims that have been sitting in this forum for the past month.

First of all, anyone who applies to the camp can see the specifications of the position in the ad (now removed from eslcafe.com). Having worked at a camp yourself, you should know that it is not twelve hours a day, six days a week. Even if this were the case, it is stated clearly in the ad. As for the curfew, it's there as well. If the camp were really that horrible I doubt that twenty former camp teachers would reapply every camp.

Now to address the departure of instructors. You are correct: eight teachers did leave for [i]various reasons[/i]. You did fail to mention that six of the eight teachers were here for more than one contract renewal, signifying that there must have been something decent about working there.

However, you are completely right about the severance pay issue. Some of the teachers didn't get their severance pay. This was the only time this ever happened at the university. The most important part to point out here is that this did not happen to some teachers, but rather one. Only one. And this was a very special, unfortunate case.

Now I hope others, and yourself, can reevaluate what is written in this thread about the university and the camp. Your slanderous post will hopefully be removed from this forum, as the only truths it alludes to are ones which people can read when it is time to apply for the winter camp.

As for others, I have little advice to offer about camps. If they offer a visa and a contract then they are probably more legit than ones which do not. Be careful and always remember: a camp is a camp. It is not meant to be a normal job. It is meant to be more intensive and exciting. The pay should not be the be all of your decisions. :D

Good luck all,

clap
[i][/i]

Medic · Joined: 11 Mar 2003

Question for the previous post on the chinju Camp.

You require those who are already working in Korea to get permission from their current employer, particularly in the case of those working at universities. Have you had problems such as a person not being able to get the relevant permission from their university. If so have you gone ahead and employed them anyway.

What was the situation with the one person who didn't get his severance. One person is still one person, and whatever prevented him or her from getting their severance could happen to another. Please fill us in on the details.

applause · Joined: 01 Jul 2003

Hello again:

The severance pay issue is really none of my business. All I know is that of the hundreds of teachers that this school has employed only one has been denied severance. It had something to do with a late start date and not a full year finished service.

Now the permission thing. As far as I know the camp will not hire people if they cannot get permission from their university or school, or if they cannot get a temporary work visa.

Starperson · Joined: 23 Mar 2003

Are the Summer camps the same as the Summer Intensive Courses advertised on here?

wildBillLee · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

SED is the kind of outfit that gives Korea a bad name. You may get paid, but no promises.

simon77047 · Joined: 08 Mar 2003

I'm still waiting for my deposit. Maybe in my next life.

rodneyc863 · Joined: 01 Jun 2006

Hi, new here but was wondering something. I noticed a lot of summer camp jobs seem to like to pay you only at the end of your contract.

Is this common practice? Or am i just hitting a lot of bad summer camps.

If i were to attend a 3 week camp for example, thats a long time to go without cash flow. Not to mention i have to pay for the plane ticket and basically pay for everything up until i get paid. Which leads me to my second question which is

What are the chances of NOT getting paid at the end of the summer camp? What are some good or bad signs of summer camps?