Korean Job Discussion Forums

7969 · Joined: 22 Jan 2003 Location: Taiwan

I was at the Korean Consulate in Bangkok last week to have my diploma notarized before forwarding it on to the school in Suwon where I'd like to work. Unfortunately it never happened as the Koreans told me that I needed to go to the consulate of my own country first to have it established that it's a real degree and not fake. Is this normal procedure and why all the bureaucracy? What can my own consulate do with my degree that the Korean one can't?

Zyzyfer · Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2003 9:59 pm Post subject:

Is your degree from an English-speaking country? I've never heard of that problem before...the notarizing thing...

7969 · Joined: 22 Jan 2003 Location: Taiwan

my degree is from a canadian university. i've worked in korea before and got the e-2 in canada last time. all the korean consulate (in toronto) did with my degree that time was stamp the copy that they made it and gave it back to me. they never checked whether or not it was "real" or anything. now i'm getting the bureaucratic runaround. i know that when i go to the canadian embassy, they're gonna say something like.... "we don't need to see your degree. we have nothing to do with it."

anyone else run into this problem?

elmer · Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Location: cowtown

The consulate in F*kuoka, Japan, will notarize your degree as long as you have the original with you.

The Bangkok consulate must have it's head up its rear..

some waygug-in · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

I had a similar problem when I first came this time. I had worked in Korea last year, but this year they told me that my degree must be a fake because it wasn't notarized. It was the immigration office in Busan that said this. I'm not sure exactly what happened, as I was dealing through a recruiter at the time. I just told my recruiter that the degree was definately not a fake, and that I had worked here before.
They never mentioned it again, I just went to Fukuoka the next week and got my E2 without a problem.

I don't know if this helps, but I hope so.
cheers

DF10 · Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2003 5:06 am Post subject: bring it with you

We got our diplomas notarized in the US, at the Korean consulate. Our school, recruiter and immigration accepted them for our e2 and alien registration. But now, we have to have the original again for health insurance and "teacher" registration. We had to have our families fedex them. Once you figure it out...bring it with you, cuz you might need it again and they may not tell you in advance.

IconsFanatic · Joined: 19 Jan 2003

You shouldn't have to bring your original degree to Korea for any reason!

Get ten colour copies of your degree made BEFORE leaving for Korea. Take the original degree and your copies to a lawyer who does notarization. Get him/her to notarize them.

Take these to your nearest Korean consulate to get stamped.

You'll be good to go for several years.

elmer · Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Location: cowtown

IconsFanatic · Joined: 19 Jan 2003

Only put me back $25CAD to get the copies notarized by a lawyer... and it didn't matter if I had 1 copy or 10 copies, it was the same price.

The stamps from the consulate only cost USD$2/$3CAD each.

Might as well get a batch made up. In total, this might cost you $50CAD or so for 10 copies. But if you have to get your degree couriered to Korea because you didn't make enough copies before you left, you'll lose that $50 (at least) on the cost of courier to Korea alone.

7969 · Joined: 22 Jan 2003 Location: Taiwan

i do have copies of my degree that are notarized by a lawyer from canada, but i never brought those to the consulate in bangkok as i had the original degree in my hand. as for making colour copies.... i tried to have some of those made when i was in canada a couple of years back, and the places i went to told me that it was illegal to make colour copies of degrees. i laughed and then just left the copy shop. well, now i won't be back in bangkok for another month, so it looks like the job i had will slip away but there are plenty of others around. always one obstacle in the way to replace one that you just hurdled over....