Korean Job Discussion Forums

mistermasan · Joined: 20 Sep 2007 Location: 10+ yrs on Dave's ESL cafe

been at my hogwon for about 2.5 months. still no ARC. as they are still applying for such they are holding my passport. not having any documents on me makes little things(like cashing in a 100,000 won check) a pain.

but this morning i wake. i had difficulty breathing and the back of my throat thingy (uvula?)was swollen and touching my tongue. the first hospital i went to they were able to look at me. they call somebody up. the nurse gives me the phone. the voice in english says "this hospital cannot help you with your disease. go to hospital B (across town)."

golly i was kinda getting frazzled: i was having difficulty breathing, had no document and the hospital tells me they can't help me. got a taxi across town. took about fifteen minutes. i could feel the swelling easing up. find the other hospital. the health care professional looks me over. said my pulse was weak. took a blood to check my "blood saturation" and said i was good and showed me the door.

i can now swallow w/o pain, the swelling down greatly- maybe just a nasty sore throat coming up. the second hospital was great once i could find it.

is my school being derelict in not providing me an ARC after 2.5 months? i came home from the hospitals and just about packed my bags for a flight to taiwan...but...can't do that w/out a passport.

yingwenlaoshi · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Location: ... location, location!

Did you enter on an E2 visa? I think that's good for 3 months. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. I can't check my passport since I have to pick it up a the embassy tomorrow (new passport). Thing is, it only took about a month for me to get my ARC card once I came back from my visa run to Japan.

You should also be getting a health booklet for your health coverage. Not sure when that can start. I'm pretty sure they would prorate it from your date of entry on your E2. I think they need your ARC number for that though. So that obviously hasn't been registered yet.

Maybe someone else on this board can clear this up for you.

garykasparov · Joined: 27 May 2007

SeoulShakin · Joined: 05 Jan 2006 Location: Seoul

Ok, first thing first, get your passport back NOW. Your school doesn't get your ARC card, you do. Even if your school DOES do it for you, it doesn't take 2.5 months to get it, so they're pulling a fast one on you.

DEMAND your passport back now. Go to immigration yourself. You bring your passport, fill out the application form, school information, perhaps contract etc. Once you fill out the forms, you will receive your ARC in a week to two weeks TOPS. You can either go back to immigration to pick it up yourself, or you can have them mail it to you.

Once you have your ARC, you need to DEMAND your health care. Chances are they are trying to pull a fast one on you so they don't have to pay into your health care or pension. You need to ask for paystubs that have everything documented.

2.5 months for your ARC card is NOT normal. You need to do it now, because when you arrive at immigration in Korea, they usually tell you that you have 90 days to get your card (I was given a slip that said 90 days when I had my passport mailed to me with my visa).

Be firm. They will likely try to give you the run around, and deny things, etc. You need to be clear that if they don't give you your passport now, and you don't get your card that you are illegal. You'll have to be prepared to fight it out.

mistermasan · Joined: 20 Sep 2007 Location: 10+ yrs on Dave's ESL cafe

xie xie, laoshi.
i am pretty peturbed right now. i am used to administrative incompetence but when such actual impacts my ability to recieve health care it seems i get angy in retrospect.

to have the hospital emergency room flat out say they can't help me is alarming.

cruisemonkey · Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 11:12 pm Post subject:

1. Get your passport back.
2. Get an ARC.
3. Make your boss enroll you in the National Pension and National Health Insurance plans.
4. Prepare for a rude awakening.

Good luck.

mistermasan · Joined: 20 Sep 2007 Location: 10+ yrs on Dave's ESL cafe

i am in masan. the "good" hospital was samsung.

mistermasan · Joined: 20 Sep 2007 Location: 10+ yrs on Dave's ESL cafe

don't keep me in suspense. what is the "rude awakening" that folows getting proper documentation?

garykasparov · Joined: 27 May 2007

Rude awakening = Termination, threats of termination, you're a bad teacher blah blah blah or he/she will make life hard on you. I think it would hurt to record conversations between the two of you.