Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Summer Wine]

I have to say as a longer term resident than some, if I had to apply as a new teacher knowing as much as I knew when I first applied.

No, the new changes wouldn't have an impact, because I knew next to nothing when I first arrived and so an extra amount of effort wouldn't register as being different.

Would I try? No, because the effort required would have put me off before I even bothered trying or someone would have put me off, because they would have told me I need to adopt an american accent, "can you do one?"

Now, knowing what I know. Would I apply again?

Only if it had no impact on my job. If I didn't have to do a trip to Japan or my home country. If I didn't have to reapply for the same documents I have handed in 7 times before. If I didn't have to convince them that the papers are legit again. Yes, I would stay with the same school, if not then:

Would I force myself to re-do the same issues again for a new job? No, I have had enough and will only stay in Korea if I don't have to rehash it all over again.

I had the fun of having to find my transcripts online today, just to discover its impossible and I am trusting that others can understand that.

Though my co-teachers told me that they have been told to implement a new educational system next year and when they said they didn't have the infrastructure to handle it, they were ignored.

So if the K teachers get ignored then I am not holding my breath about my own situation in regards to the education department. If the E. D doesn't accept my situation then some one else will have my job and I move on.

[Julius]

People won't want to fly home for a consulate interview. This will stop some people already here from signing on for new jobs.

Some people cannot get police checks easily -eg if they've been away from their home country for many years. They will head elsewhere.

Some people will not have the time to wait for all their documents to get processed. They will head elsewhere.

And of course all the crims or fakers will be barred from the E2, although they might simply stay on with tourist visas. But my guess is that legislation will be brought in to combat this.

Ultimately yes, there will be fewer teachers coming out, or renewing here.

[SirFink]

Besides the inconvenience, there's the cost to consider. Will medical checks be required? And just what sorts of checks? Chest X-rays to check for TB? Medical could be hundreds of dollars. Add to that the cost of flying to the nearest consulate for the interview plus a stay in a hotel overnight. That could add up to nearly $1000 just to try and get employment in Korea. You could catch the consulate interviewer on a bad day and get rejected. Oh well, at least you got a short vacation to Chicago and you can sleep soundly knowing you're not dying from TB.

[diablo3]

The costs are the employers.

[Ya-ta Boy]

(At this posting: 23 Yes-18 No)

Conclusion: (based on rather shaky research data) Come January, competition for jobs is going to start plummeting.

[Hotpants]

I agree with Summer Wine that to a newbie, they wouldn't notice any difference and would probably still come on over in droves.

However, I reckon that Hagwons will start to impose very lengthy notice periods which will cause great disgruntlement among the newbies. In turn this could either:
a) Make newbies even more determined to jump the hoops to climb up on the job ladder in Korea, or
b) Make newbies highly disillusioned with Korea and jump ship never to return

I'm still waiting to see Hagwon reaction to the proposed changes.

Also, I wonder if unis will drop their salaries even further at the increased competition for these 'nice' jobs which would be prefered for the long term, and in order to fund a teacher's round trip back home to get the new visa.

Personally, I had planned to return to Korea in the not too distant future, but am seriously re-considering this plan if this new policy persists. If it wasn't for the fact that my particular hobby only existed in Korea, I don't see any particular attraction to Korea over the neighbors of Japan, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Why else should I pay up to 2 months Korean salary in flights, medicals, hotel expenses, runs to embassies and pay further personal expense in terms of jet-lag and stress.

After Japan made its visa conditions much easier for English teachers, it seems odd that Korea is taking this very backward step of increased bureacracy which doesn't seem to particularly aide the progress of English teaching in Korea. Why on earth doesn't the Korean Government focus on increasing the qualifications of English teachers in Korea rather than increasing paperwork? This is lunacy.

[SirFink]

[garykasparov]

[diablo3]

I think if many people are put off by the new regulations, it would create a new squeeze, or maybe a new type of illegal recruiting to keep the balance.

It means that employers would get more desperate to hire E2 visa types, and it could put more pressure on them to pay for these fees (either immediately or reimbursed after arrival to Korea).

Just a scenario.

[ttompatz]

[Mr. BlackCat]

Homer wrote:

[The_Conservative]

[The_Conservative]

[Homer]

Blackcat,

The crime people get busted for is work visa violation or fraud (fake papers). The act is teaching beyind your visa permissions or doing so on fraudulant papers.


You are debating a greater issue (why the visa rules are like this and the fact you disagree with these rules) and then using that to excuse the crime being committed (unless I missunderstood you).


Now your real debate is this:

[Optimus Prime]

SO what's going to happen when the next Chris Neil is busted working in Korea? And by the next Chris Neil, I mean a guy who has went through the gauntlet of all these checks and screens (and passed), and is still discovered to be a kiddie fiddler?


Because, Chris Neil would have passed every single one of these ideas that are to be implemented.

I can only imagine what they would impose then.

As an aside, regarding the document forging prison sentences many of you are proposing, I think many of you are missing the boat . Forgery wouldn't be a crime if you were back home and submitted fake docs. What I mean by that is you'd simply be denied a visa. I can't see them luring people they know submitted a fake by granting a visa for the purposes of nabbing someone, and then Immigration showing up once yuou are in-country and saying "gotcha." Perhaps the Korean Embassy could notify your local authorities and something happening, but that would be the only way I believe, and I have no idea whether they have the authority.