Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Korea Newfie]

I don't know, maybe it's just me (and all my friends) but it seems like the Korean embassy in Canada is staffed with Koreans who don't speak good English and who are more interested in helping Koreans get to/live in Canada than in helping Canadians get to/live in Korea. (They were unable to answer basic questions about visas, etc. when I was coming here, and when they did answer, they gave incorrect information which I corrected on Dave's.)

Fair enough.

But then I get to Korea, and it seems like our embassy is also staffed with Koreans who, while speaking better English, are also more interested in helping Koreans get to/live in Canada than in helping Canadians get to/live in Korea. (I'm trying to get an English-speaking lawyer to help me out, no help. Asking questions about immigration laws, no help. )

Who's out there to help the Canadians? Sure, the CCCK puts on some (overpriced) events from time to time, but when I'm having trouble, shouldn't I expect my embassy to help me out? Has it always been like this, or is it that there are so many of us here that they don't care? I don't believe that, as there are far more Koreans in Canada than Canadians here.

The #1 selling item in the history of Korean home-shopping is a do-it-yourself emigration kit for Manitoba. Maybe it's a conspiracy.

[Circus Monkey]

I can sympathize. The last time I was there there was a guy ahead of me who must have been retarded since he was asking the officer some really basic questions. The official was painstakingly helping this dude out. After that was done, she looked at me with an exasperated expression and I think was relieved that I only took maybe 10 minutes of her time.

So yeah, the officials can be goofy (and they weren't all that clear when going through the marriage process) but look at the people wandering in.

Cm

[Tiger Beer]

Do they have separate lines and such?

For example, in the U.S. Embassies, there are also MASSIVE LINES of who knows how many people trying to emigrate, get visas or something or another within the local country..

BUT.. as an American citizen.. I just flash my passport and bypass it all and into a totally separate area..

[justaskdan]

Yes same with the Canadian Embassy. Different floor for the locals.

[Circus Monkey]

[kimcheeking]

I have never had a problem.

[igotthisguitar]

>. My initial thoughts in visiting last year was ... is Canada's Korean Embassy staffed by Canadians ??? Korea's Canadian embassy receptionists certainly seem to be true blue Koreans.

[crazylemongirl]

I can tell you that Canadain embassy in New Zealand are prompot reliable and staffed by canadains. New Zealand is a good place to lose your passport if your canadian, I got mine within 2 working days (pre 9/11).

Don't much about the one here in Seoul, but a friend of mine had the similar problems with the new zealand embassy here. His korean wife got more information out of the staffers there then he did.

CLG

[Bulsajo]

If you get the runaround from the morons behind the glass- go to the main reception and demand to speak to the duty officer. It's a bit of a gamble and it doesn't always work, but the duty officer will be the one in charge at any given time, and they have been sympathetic to Cdn. citizens' needs and problems in the past. They are also very over-worked and under-funded (and consequently under-staffed- that's why there are a lot of locally-staffed positions rather than DFAIT career staff) so if you happen to speak to a DFAIT officer don't even think about venting any frustrations you might have- it will almost certainly be counter-productive.
(Interesting bit of trivia: DFAIT considers Korea a hardship posting).

[Korea Newfie]

Then would the duty officer be Canadian? Are there in fact more Canadians on staff than just the ambassador? Are all of our embassies like this?

[rapier]

Embassies fulfil no useful function! they are there to take up space, look grand, and employ hundreds of decorative lost souls in pretty uniforms! Their phone lines are designed to deflect and discourage any serious queries. They open at 11am and close at 2.30 pm, and theres never anything they can do for you!
Burn them!!!!

[BTM]

Both the times I've dealt with them here in Seoul (getting new passports, the second time with some minor but hard-to-deal-with-from-here paperwork issues), they've been nothing but helpful, efficient and professional.

[Zed]

[William Beckerson]

[Juggertha]

I must say my one and only visit to the Canadina Embassy.. was a waste of time.

I went up to the window (no one in line) and asked the Korean behind the counter a question. She seemed more than startled and asked me for a ticket. I showed her my passport but she motioned to me that I needed and actual ticket. My bad... I went over to the machine and grabbed one. Heh, silly me. Wouldnt you know it, mine was the next number called (as THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE IN LINE). I asked her a few questions through the thick glass. Either she couldnt hear me or just couldnt understand me but after asking her many questions about marrying a Korean and bringing Koreans to visit Canada she asked "Are you Canadian??". Heh... I was holding my passport the whole time in my hand.

Walking away with a handfull or papers but no real questions answered I almost forgot one thing. I had another question.. this time I grabbed another ticket (got smart that time) and asked her. I paid special attention to leaving her the tickets as they seemed so important to her.

I've lived in Calgary (and an extremely multicultural part of town) for a long time. I'm used to different languages and cultures.. but my trip to "our" embassy felt nothing like home. It truely felt like it was geared towards Koreans and that I was an inconveinience.