Korean Job Discussion Forums

SuperHero · Joined: 10 Dec 2003 Location: Superhero Hideout

This afternoon I took my daughter to homeever to get some shopping done and let her play in the playroom they've got there. We did the shopping and then she was in the playroom while I read a book nearby in the foodcourt. When I decided it was time to go, the fun began.

I went back to the clerk asked her to get my daughter out of the zoo of children when she told me that I had to wait because the police were coming to talk to me. WTF! was my initial unvoiced reaction. Apparantly the 5,000 won bill I used to pay the fee was counterfeit and now the police needed to talk to me. I of course told the girl that I didn't have time and needed to go. I wasn't responsible for the forged money and I'll pay with real cash. She said no and the inhouse security guard insisted I stay. Not being overly concerned I stayed as I had done nothing wrong.

The police showed up and in my not so great Korean I explained that I didn't know it was fake. The said they believed me but I would have to come down to the station to make a statement. Meanwhile I've got my groceries and 5 year old daughter there. I tried to get out of it, but they insisted and also asked me to call my wife at work so she could help with translation. My wife cut out of work and hopped in a 10,000 won taxi to meet us at the station.

The most fun part came going through HomeEver with a policeman in tow talking to my daughter. He was escorting us to my car where he rode with us to the station while his partner drove their car. It was nice that we got to go in our car, but still as a foreigner I get enough looks walking around I don't want to be seen being escorted by a cop.

Anyhow we went to the station talked a bit, my wife showed up and we signed a statement that we had come of our own free will blah blah blah. Then we had to head to the Gu police station for the official statement. Why we couldn't do it at the local office or have gone directly to the gu office I have no idea.

We sat around there for awhile before getting started. They asked all kinds of background questions. I had to tell them the exact date I arrrived in Korea, my employment history (all 10 years), when I got married, where I got married, dates of birth for both children, what visa's I've had etc... THen they wanted to know why I used that fake bill, if I got change, where I had originally gotten it. Of course I couldn't really remember the exact place but I told them two potential places. yada yada yada.

Meanwhile my 5 year old daughter is bored to tears and bloody hungry. I'm getting hungry and my wife is not happy about skipping out of work and having to deal with all of this. Fortunately the officers were freindly and polite. In the end they asked for our bank account number and transferred 20,000 won to compensate us for our time in giving the statement.

All in all a crappy afternoon/evening but a pleasant experience with the police in Korea. My second and both were good, the first was a car accident.

Mashimaro · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Location: location, location

SuperHero · Joined: 10 Dec 2003 Location: Superhero Hideout

SuperFly · Joined: 09 Jul 2003 Location: In the doghouse

Still, that's pretty cool of them to compensate you...In the states you would have been treated a lot worse. Just reading your story, it sounds like they totally understood your situation and were trying to be cool about it. Just one question, did they ask you to empty your pockets to see if you had any more fake bills on you?

VanIslander · Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 4:32 am Post subject: Re: 2 Hours at the Police Station

ChopChaeJoe · Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Location: Seoul

counterfeit cash is pretty serious business in any country.

PGF · Joined: 27 Nov 2006

i passed a fake $20 stateside years ago and the police just took down my information at the restaurant where it was passed. Two days later the Secret Service (they handle all counterfeit $ in the states) phoned me and asked where I'd gotten it, etc. No big deal at all really.

I guess your situation could've been a whole lot worse. Imagine if you did not have a translator!

Homer · Guest

Wow.

Well at least they treated you guys nicely and compensated you. I suppose they have to check into these counterfeiting issues....you just got caught in the middle through sheer bad luck...

I agree that the cops seem to have behaved very nicely with you guys. Well..a learning experience?

kotakji · Joined: 23 Oct 2006

Overall a nice story. Glad the police were so understanding.

JMO · Joined: 18 Jul 2006 Location: Daegu

I gave a counterfiet tenner at home and they just took my details on the spot. If its more than one note you have to go to the station apparently. Seems alot for one note. I think just assuming innocence for such a small amount would be a good policy.

SuperHero · Joined: 10 Dec 2003 Location: Superhero Hideout

rothkowitz · Joined: 27 Apr 2006

delete

Hater Depot · Joined: 29 Mar 2005

I once was given an obvious fake from a video store -- it was just a photocoped bill on cheap greenish paper. It was only $1 so I guess nobody cared. I returned it and they gave me a real one.

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

Rteacher · Joined: 23 May 2005 Location: Western MA, USA

It's the USA's fault - If they would only let North Korea continue to print massive amounts of counterfeit American money, they wouldn't have to print up so much fake South Korean currency ...