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Hanson
Joined: 20 Oct 2004
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 Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 7:28 am Post subject: Ben Dover - New to Korea |
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I'd like you all to meet Ben Dover, a recent grad who had to jump through more hoops that an Al-Qaeda militant-wannabe to get his work visa to work in Korea. Ben, looking forward to his new experience, finally arrives at Incheon.
After a few days, he's told he will have to wait three months to get an ATM card. He'll have to use the tellers for all transactions until the 3 month probationary period is over. Not only that, he can't get an international debit card - not because there is any governmental rule about it - just because the banks say so.
Try signing up on a Korean website? Forget it. No social security number? No ID.
Ben soon learns that, unfortunately, because of new rules coming out with the phone companies, he will no longer be able to use the cellphone he bought off the departing teacher. He will have to buy a new one.
Credit card? Dream on, Ben. You'll have to go with Samsung - the suckiest credit card of them all - and you will have to put a deposit on it. A glorified ATM card, if he can get it at all, that is.
Pension? Taxes? Who's getting what and who's contributing to what? Well, after a bit of homework and being told several different things, Mr. Dover finds that nothing is being paid by his employer, but that deductions are coming off his paycheck anyway. Strange how that happens...
Well, this is Ben Dover, the new face of an expat in Korea. Get ready to do what your name says, big guy, cuz it's not gonna get any better anytime soon. |
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caniff
Joined: 03 Feb 2004
Location: All over the map
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| Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 7:56 am Post subject: |
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When I was a newbie I felt pretty insulated from problems as my boss and is wife were really good to us teachers (even though they were shit to each other - boy, do I have some crazy stories about them going at each other at the school, in restaurants, etc. - they are now divorced).
I guess having some perspective for those having lived here for a while makes for a different perspective on the crap regulations. My point is tat many newbies will not have a basis of comparison and many will accept the situation as the price of working here.
Others will have shit bosses and the countless hurdles they have to jump through to try to live a normal existence will add to their bad experience.
Its a crapshoot, I guess.
Last edited by caniff on Fri Feb 29, 2008 8:37 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Julius
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 8:11 am Post subject: Re: Ben Dover - New to Korea |
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| Hanson wrote: |
| After a few days, he's told he will have to wait three months to get an ATM card. |
Not as problem I've personally seen yet, and not a problem for those already with one. (Hope i don't have to eat my words).
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| Not only that, he can't get an international debit card |
Personally I never needed one. I f i go travelling outside korea, I buy travellers cheques at the airport. For day to day transactions in korea I use cash.
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| Try signing up on a Korean website? |
None that i really want to, or any I could read well enough in any case. I did have a cyworld spot for a while without having any problems though.
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| he will no longer be able to use the cellphone he bought off the departing teacher. |
hmm. I've heard about this but it hasn't caused me any problems yet as my phone is registered in a K-friends name...although I absolutely agree, yes, I'd prefer to be able to register a phone in my own name.
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| He will have to buy a new one. |
Mine was indeed new- 3 years ago..
It has been my policy not to use credit cards for a decade or more now, ever since I discovered I can't be trusted with them. Hmm. Does the US grant credit cards with big limits to migrant workers with a year only visa?
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| Pension? Taxes? Who's getting what and who's contributing to what? |
Only a problem if U insist on working at a dodgy hogwon? But why would you when there are numerous better jobs out there. But yes, medicare payments should be properly enforced by the sytem.
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| Well, this is Ben Dover, the new face of an expat in Korea. |
I'll agree that the hoops to get an E2 have become too much effort, yes.
My basic stand is that the criminal record check is forgiveable, although barring people for very minor offences, the apostille and consulate interview are just going too far. |
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aarontendo
Joined: 08 Feb 2006
Location: Daegu-ish
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| Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 4:34 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah Julies, but the point is we shouldn't *have* to do those things. You get the best exchange rate when you use your card, plus it's just a lot more convenient. Also, for someone fresh of the boat the likelihood of them finding a friend to put their phone in the name of is pretty low. Just because you don't like credit cards doesn't mean the rest of us don't. Again on the website shopping, I'd like to use my money for more than kimchi. It'd be nice to sign up and buy something, but that hope was dashed when I found out our foreigner numbers are blocked from doing so on many sites.
I'm not really sure the point you were trying to make, it sorta went over my head. Was it basically "hey none of that stuff I use anyways so who cares?" (mind you I don't have a problem with that just asking heh) |
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SeoulShakin
Joined: 05 Jan 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 6:27 pm Post subject: |
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| I know a drag king named Ben Dover. Pretty talented. |
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Hanson
Joined: 20 Oct 2004
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| Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 6:32 pm Post subject: |
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| SeoulShakin wrote: |
| I know a drag king named Ben Dover. Pretty talented. |
Did he just arrive in Korea? Could be the same guy... |
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KumaraKitty
Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Location: Bucheon
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| Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 7:50 pm Post subject: |
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| aarontendo wrote: |
| Yeah Julies, but the point is we shouldn't *have* to do those things. |
I'm curious as to what makes you think you are entitled to these things?
South Korea is not alone in trying to protect against fraud and abuses from migrant workers. I'm not trying to start a flame war, but investing in someone who may not stay here after 12 months or even 6 months is not a wise investment. Royal Bank of Canada has limits on the usage of an ATM card for new accounts. Canadians I know are unable to get credit cards without deposits because they have no previous credit history, they've simply worked hard and paid for everything cash.
Yes, it can make life more difficult here in Korea. But still, we are not Korean citizens, we have not contributed to the society, so why should we be allowed the perks that Koreans receive?
We still have to follow the rules and as restrictive as they maybe, they are not as bad as other countries.
I think I just take issue with your use of "have". We are not Koreans and we should not expect anyone to simply give us what we want. We "have" a right to a room, our monthly salary, some medical coverage and a job. We "have" a right to review our contract before flying here, researching where we are going and preparing for life here. We do not "have" a right to expect our lives here to be catered to so that we precious little snowflakes do not experience any discomfort or culture shock.
Yes, there are bad hagwons. Yes, there are bad directors. But there are also bad teachers. It us up to each person to make the most of their own stay in Korea and if it is not satisfactory, they "have" the right to leave. |
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anabolina
Joined: 27 Jan 2008
Location: Bundang
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| Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 11:28 pm Post subject: |
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| Weird, I had no problem getting an atm card from Woori yesterday. I opened the account and she gave me one right there and a flyer in Korean for a check card that I'm going to ask one of my Korean coworkers about on Monday. Poor Ben Dover. |
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spliff
Joined: 19 Jan 2004
Location: Khon Kaen, Thailand
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| Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 11:34 pm Post subject: |
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| anabolina wrote: |
| Poor Ben Dover. |
Do you guys hang out? |
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ED209
Joined: 17 Oct 2006
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| Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 11:50 pm Post subject: |
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| anabolina wrote: |
| Poor Ben Dover. |
You should hear what happened to Peter Fyle. |
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greek buddha
Joined: 01 Nov 2007
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| Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 11:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Actually my wife and I were talking about that on the way home tonight. I'm sorry but, Royal Bank does not have limits for new accounts. We opened our account about 2 months ago and there are no limits for us. There are many people here who have not contributed anything also but, can still get certain services. I think the fact that someone could be denied based on the fact that they're not Korean is the biggest problem. If they want all the information in the world about my wife in order to open a new account here then she would have to provide it or else she can't do the things she wants or needs to do. If she has all of that and then she's denied because she's Korean, that doesn't make it wrong? No one has asked her to go to the bank with a Canadian. She hasn't had any problems going anywhere being Korean and getting things done. We are planning on moving to Korea to live. I have to think about these things that may impact our lives there. I can't walk around with my wife everywhere in order for things to get done. That's just not right. |
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rusty1983
Joined: 30 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 11:56 pm Post subject: |
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| Ben Dover, is actually the name of a porn star in England. He loves it, I want to be him. Stop moaning Jesus. |
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RJjr
Joined: 17 Aug 2006
Location: Turning on a Lamp
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| Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 12:22 am Post subject: |
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| greek buddha wrote: |
| I can't walk around with my wife everywhere in order for things to get done. That's just not right. |
Then you had better log onto Korean Friend Finder or the language exchange websites and line up women who can get your cell phone and whatever else set up for you. |
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aarontendo
Joined: 08 Feb 2006
Location: Daegu-ish
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| Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 2:13 am Post subject: |
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| KumaraKitty wrote: |
| aarontendo wrote: |
| Yeah Julies, but the point is we shouldn't *have* to do those things. |
I'm curious as to what makes you think you are entitled to these things?
South Korea is not alone in trying to protect against fraud and abuses from migrant workers. I'm not trying to start a flame war, but investing in someone who may not stay here after 12 months or even 6 months is not a wise investment. Royal Bank of Canada has limits on the usage of an ATM card for new accounts. Canadians I know are unable to get credit cards without deposits because they have no previous credit history, they've simply worked hard and paid for everything cash.
Yes, it can make life more difficult here in Korea. But still, we are not Korean citizens, we have not contributed to the society, so why should we be allowed the perks that Koreans receive?
We still have to follow the rules and as restrictive as they maybe, they are not as bad as other countries.
I think I just take issue with your use of "have". We are not Koreans and we should not expect anyone to simply give us what we want. We "have" a right to a room, our monthly salary, some medical coverage and a job. We "have" a right to review our contract before flying here, researching where we are going and preparing for life here. We do not "have" a right to expect our lives here to be catered to so that we precious little snowflakes do not experience any discomfort or culture shock.
Yes, there are bad hagwons. Yes, there are bad directors. But there are also bad teachers. It us up to each person to make the most of their own stay in Korea and if it is not satisfactory, they "have" the right to leave. |
You're comparing people that have no credit in regards to others who have no credit. That's fair enough. So long as it's fairly done to ALL people then I don't see a problem. Does a Korean have to pay a deposit on a cell phone back home? Sure he's got a flat file. Does an American pay it too? Damn right he does, no credit cuts both equally.
How about when we're told that we can't pay our phone bill through automatic deduction because we're a foreigner, then told we can't be trusted with a cash bill...because we're a foreigner (see my thread from yesterday).
And what does signing up for a website in Korea have to do with credit? See, the bottom line is some codemonkey was making the system to allow people to register to LOG onto some websites here, and said ok...we'll allow these numbers that start with a 1 in, because those are the Korean men (and we all know they're awesome!). We'll let in the 2's, because those are Korean women (and we all know the most beautiful). The other's?...eh *beep* em.
Speaking with Koreans that I know from back home, they had no problems being issued bank cards and bank accounts. One came to visit and I watched him draw some money from his American account. Sparkling!
And that's sorta neat, so you're excusing the hagwon directors for keeping peoples money because hey, he's bad I'm bad we're all bad people? |
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Hanson
Joined: 20 Oct 2004
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| Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 7:19 am Post subject: |
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| greek buddha wrote: |
| I can't walk around with my wife everywhere in order for things to get done. That's just not right. |
It beats walking everywhere on your own and not getting things done.  |
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