Korean Job Discussion Forums

[4 months left]

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200612/kt2006122617295710230.htm

Expats Risk Expulsion for Satire



By Tony MacGregor and Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporters
Foreigners may face deportation or fines if they volunteer at orphanages or organize performances without reporting them to the authorities.

The interpretation came from Joo Jae-bong, an official at the Ministry of Justice. He said there should be no problem with joining a poetry club but that volunteer activites should be registered with the ministry.

``If it 's just a gathering of friends, there should be no problem,�� he said. ``But if they are organizing performances, they need to register to do those things because they are changing the purpose of their stay here.��

He said the same rule applies to those who wish to volunteer in an orphanage. Foreigners need to register those activities with the ministry.

Currently, nine foreigners are under investigation in Pusan for conducting performances beyond their visa-sanctioned jobs.

A sketch performed by a mixed group of foreign English teachers and Koreans in Pusan has cast a shadow over the volunteer and extra-curricular activities of English teachers working in Korea.

The players involved in what was intended to be a light-hearted sketch were trundled off to the police station for questioning after reports emerged that the play insulted Korea and Koreans.

The play poked fun both at Korean customs and foreigners living in Korea. The jokes involved the Korean practice of eating dog stew and a pun on the number 18, an offensive word in Korean. There was also a scene involving Westerners pretending to be Korean.

During the questioning, police informed one of the players that a poetry-reading group she belongs to is not allowed to perform and that volunteering at an orphanage was also forbidden.

The sketch-commedy, called ``Babo-palooza,�� was performed on the evenings of Dec. 1 and 2 at the Neo-reun Small Theater on Kwangalli Beach by an amature theater group called Round Face Productions. About 150 watched the show.

The jokes about Westerners included their constant complaining, drinking too much and being stuck in their ways and not being able to be part of the country they choose to live and work in.

What has annoyed the players is that information about the play that instigated the police investigation was distorted or completely inaccurate.

``I 'm angry about what happened because it was all based on rumors and distortion, but I don 't want to leave, '' said one of the players, an English teacher from Britain who did not wish to be identified. ``I 'm happy here. I want to carry on with my life. ''

She said her feelings are reflected by the other nine foreigners who were involved in the sketch.

She said nobody who attended the performances appeared to be offended. ``Everyone was laughing and many people, including Koreans, praised us a lot after the performances.��

Twelve people were involved in the performance: nine foreigners and three Koreans. The foreigners were taken to the police station and questioned, but the Koreans were not.

``I didn 't feel threatened or pressured by the police. They were polite, and we apologized for the problem we had caused. We had no intention of offending anyone,'' she said.

She said that now more accurate information is coming out about the sketch and the players plan to make available to the public copies of the script and a video to demonstrate the inoffensive nature of the sketch.

She said the police had taken the case to the prosecution and that a judge or the prosecutors would have to decide whether charges would be laid.

The charges, she said, would be for working outside of visa-sanctioned jobs, punishable by fines or deportation. The nine who have been questioned are not allowed to leave the country until the investigation is over.

[Bibbitybop]

Oops. I just posted a thread about the "Busan 9" being featured in today's The Korea Times. I wasn't trying to steal your thread, 4 Months Left, although your heading about volunteering and the unique situation of the Busan 9 does merit two different discussions.

To add to the idea of being deported or fined for simple volunteering: It seems to me that this rule could extend far past volunteering for orphanges. What about volunteering for the USO's postal services during the holidays (as I see ads for on the AFN), what about helping an old woman carry her groceries across the street or what about talking to someone in English on the subway and correcting their use of a pronoun? Are these deportable actions?

I usually am a big fan of Korea, but this is an issue that adds a notch on the "things I hate about Korea" side.

[JeJuJitsu]

[Ilsanman]

Sounds like th way to be.

I will note this in things not to do. I was considering some volunteer work when my schedule frees up, and with my F-2 I guess it's okay. But not now.

Sorry little Orphan Kimmie. Your country doesn't want you to meet anyone non-Korean.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

And does an official at the ministry of justice have the final say?

When I get back from our staff retreat I'm starting a paper called 'What Korea are we living in?'.

[khyber]

Isn't it a shame that the institution of government is so completely ruining a country full of decent enough people?

[happeningthang]

Again, I'm bemused by all the outrage. I'm pretty sure that if you wanted to volunteer to work with orphans back home that you'd be required to register with a government body. Same for putting on a play; you'd need a permit at the very least.

Why do people think these rules shouldn't apply to them in Korea?

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[khyber]

[happeningthang]

I don't think rules are internationally binding, but you have your hoops to jump through at home, and you have a different set to go through in Korea.

For whatever reason these rules exist and people who ignore them, or are ignorant of them, do so at their own peril.

Yes, it's true if you're a local church or school putting on a pageant or play you don't need a permit.

It's a different matter if you charge money for entrance or sell drinks.

Still all I hear is people howling at the moon. Rules exist, if people break them they can expect trouble.

[khyber]

We are well aware of our folly. We were given misinformation by a Korean (producer) friend that gave everyone a false sense of security.

We worked within the guidelines that she told us; unfortunately, those guidelines were incorrect.

I think the real question HT is whether or not those rules are sensible OR justifiable by reason.

[Bibbitybop]

happeningthang wrote

[Benicio]

Happeningthang, one of the big problems is that you have to apply and pay for this permission each and every time you do it.
Every time my band plays out, we have to apply and pay for permission that can easily not be granted. Also, someone volunteering at an orphanage. This can be a weekly or more ocurrence.
That's expensive, ridiculously time consuming and prohibitive!

Ridiculous, unnecessary bureaucracy indeed!

[Benicio]

Basically, this is just a face saving measure for the police and their "international crimes division".
Based on false rumors and libel from some hater foreigners on a few forums, the police were convinced that if they investigated this performance and its performers, they would find a seedy drugs and sex scandal.
A foreigner started the rumor that the cast was doing drugs- the cast was piss tested based on this. Everyone was clean.
Their were 3 Korean female cast members. At least one of them was interrogated by police who accused her of sleeping with the foreign males in the cast. They asked her why she would be a sl*t for these foreigners. She was highly offended by this!

Well, the keystone cops couldn't find any drugs or any sex. They've even gone so far as to bring in some audience members for interrogation.

All they've got is this silly "visa violation" charge. It's not like these guys were running a private teaching racket and raking in millions!

Now, the cops have to save face by declaring performances and volunteering without government permit for each and every occurence- for which the applicant must pay for- to be a serious offense that can get one fined or deported.

They couldn't find any real crime, so they had to legally declare minor infractions as real crimes.

Ridiculous!

[Benicio]

Funny how the "international crimes division" don't seem to be interested in investigating all the drug running going on down at Busan harbor.
That's a real drug racket there!

They're more interested in amateur actors, musicians and orphanage volunteers!

You know the story about the North Korea/Chinese ship that was caught 9 times smuggling drugs into Busan harbor? They were let go every time because of fear of upsetting the Norks!