Korean Job Discussion Forums

skconqueror · Joined: 31 Jul 2005

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200710/200710050017.html

Anyone think a foreigner in Korea could win such a lawsuit Rolling Eyes

PGF · Joined: 27 Nov 2006

Typhoon · Joined: 29 May 2007 Location: Daejeon

Probably not unless they already had some big connections in the business/political world or they were already pretty wealthy. I don't think we will get the chance to see if a foreigner could win a case like because it would be tough enough to get it in front of a judge in SK.

skconqueror · Joined: 31 Jul 2005

shaunew · Joined: 17 Apr 2007 Location: Calgary

When I first came over for the second time, I needed a temp place for 1 month before the apartment my wife and I bought was ready. Had 3 Koreans say no to me because I was foreigner there exact words.

cdninkorea · Joined: 27 Jan 2006 Location: Seoul

Racism is wrong, but the whole point of private property is that you can exclude whomever you want from it for any reason, including racist reasons- after all, it's your property, right?

Typhoon · Joined: 29 May 2007 Location: Daejeon

Cheonmunka · Joined: 04 Jun 2004

Strange that they would not want a Korean person to rent their property. Korean people are renowned for having clean houses. Japanese people much less so. What they say about Japan is clean outside, dirty inside; Korea is dirty outside, but clean inside.
I have Korean tenants in my place in NZ by choice. I didn't advertise it in any English papers, just a note on a Korean shop. Am I racist?

Considering how many Kiwis (even well to do flight attendants) default on their rent who can blame me?

Scotticus · Joined: 18 Mar 2007

GoldMember · Joined: 24 Oct 2006

Actually it's not just Foreigners. Koreans have a hard time getting money for "damages". Korean Judges don't entertain the notion of pecuniary damages. Another example of how intelligent Judges are in Korea.
For example, if you get hit by a car, there is no money awarded for pain and suffering, only loss of income and medical expenses.
That's why despite the high accident rate, insurance premiums are low, and why the average Korean doesn't care if they are negligent.
In the case of discrimination over an apartment. What are the "actual damages". If it means you have to spend 1 night in a Wogwon for 20,000 won, there are your "actual" damages.

Typhoon · Joined: 29 May 2007 Location: Daejeon

Ilsanman · Joined: 15 Aug 2003 Location: Bucheon, Korea

The correct thing for the landlord to do would have been to rent her the room, and if she was misbehaving, evict her quickly.

anyangoldboy · Joined: 28 Sep 2007

I had the same thing here in Korea. went to see a good priced apartment and they told me how much the rent was. Then I got back to the real estate agent and the landlady phoned up and said she wanted even more rent and even more key money because her friend had told her that Nigerians and Bad Korean people don't pay their rent on time.

Well I happen to neither be a Bad korean or Nigerian. I obviously said no even though she came down to the orginal price after I said I didnt want it anymore

Qinella · Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Location: the crib

Race discrimination is a common practice in Korean real estate, from what I can tell. When I was doing my apartment hunting, every realtor I went to would be sure to mention on the phone to the landlord that I'm a foreigner. A lot of times they'd respond that I'm white and not black. I wasn't overtly told I couldn't have an apartment for being a foreigner, but still it's obviously a concern of landlords here, and who knows if prices were quoted higher to me. And if I were black, I probably would've been denied the chance to rent some apartments.