Korean Job Discussion Forums

[dogshed]

Here's your latest propaganda:

http://www.kois.go.kr/News/News/NewsView.asp?serial_no=20070919019&part=109

Provincial police helping growing expat population

Date: September 24, 2007

By Park Ki-Ryun
Director-General, Foreign Affairs Bureau, National Police Agency

The number of expatriates in Korea reached 1,000,254 late last month, the Justice Ministry said.

Foreigners now account for about two percent of the Korean population of 49.13 million. The ministry said the higher expat figure is a testament to the nation's rapid transformation into a multiracial and multicultural society.

Despite the growing expatriate population in Korea, problems remain such as trouble in the workplace, racial discrimination and cultural differences. Many foreigners come to work or to live with their Korean spouses.

To better help them, the National Policy Agency set up in June 2006 human rights protection centers for foreigners in eight areas, including the Guro district of southwestern Seoul, the southern Seoul suburb of Ansan and Cheonan in Gyeonggi Province, where many migrant workers reside. These centers handled 518 civic applications -- 284 legal cases and 45 criminal investigations -- during three months of pilot operations.

The centers offer mobile consultation services designed to help foreigners by visiting or meeting them. Staff at the centers said the services have played a key role as communication channels and help prevent crimes involving foreigners.

The National Police Agency in March 2007 raised the number of human rights protection centers to 51.

Police help Filipino prosecute attackers

Police in Daegu received in February 2007 a civic appeal from a Filipino who was beaten by his coworkers and suffered a broken nose. After receiving the appeal, police helped the man sue them by guiding him through the process of criminal case application. Two of his coworkers were found guilty and charged. The injured man is now working for a concrete block manufacturer in North Jeolla Province.

Provincial police help three migrant workers, foreign spouses

A policeman in the port city of Incheon heard about three Bangladeshi men being held at a detention center for illegal entry. They had worked for a machinery manufacturer for two months before being sent to the detention center. The company then refused to pay their wages of nine million won. Police contacted the firm. A couple of days later, the three workers called police and told them they had received their unpaid wages and were flying back home.

Over in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, police began in May 2007 a free driving class as part of its human rights protection center's support program. The program is especially popular with foreign women from the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Thailand and Japan who are married to Koreans. They often complain of difficulty in finding driving schools with a manual and driver education in Korea due to the language barrier, despite wanting to engage in economic activity.

Asan police have provided a driving manual in English, Vietnam and Chinese to help foreigners with the written section of the driver's test, the first stage of Korea's three-part exam. The program is now also offered in Boryeong, located on the west coast of South Chungcheong Province and will be in Nonsan from October. The class also provides interpretation in English, Chinese and Vietnam. So far, 17 out of 31 applicants, including 14 from Asan driving school and three from Boryeong, have passed the written test. Six of them have earned driver's licenses. In August 2007, a delegation from the Philippine national police visited the center and thanked the staff for its support. More information is available at http://cafe.naver.com/foreignrights.cafe, (041) 531-9657

Apart from the driving school program, Asan police also provide Korean-language education, medical service, interpretation and consultation to help migrant workers on legal, wage or labor issues.

Police strengthen efforts to help foreigners adapt to Korea

Reflecting Korea's transformation into a multiracial and multicultural society, the National Police Agency will offer extensive support in its human rights protection service. The agency recently published a guidebook containing practical information about civil laws related to daily life for foreign residents in English, Korean and Chinese. The agency plans to provide the online version of the guidebook in the near future.

[Typhoon]

Hey that is great!!! I took the phone number and intend to use it the next time I am having trouble. Thanks for the article!

[merkurix]

The Naver Cafe link doesn't work.

[Hater Depot]

Here is the correct link.

http://cafe.naver.com/foreignrights