Korean Job Discussion Forums

[esglumac]

I have been here 6 months and had to figure almost everything out for myself , no one would help me with this general stuff about Korea. How
easier life would have been before now.

Seoul City's expat service center has teamed up with the Korea Exchange Bank and LG Telecom to better assist foreigners with banking and mobile phone use.
The Seoul Global Center opened last month to provide expats with information in multiple languages and administrative assistance for business, immigration affairs and daily living.
KEB and LG Telecom dispatched full-time employees to the service center at the Seoul Press Center to open bank accounts, issue credit cards and activate mobile phones for expats.
"It is a great opportunity for us to communicate our existing products and services, and also to listen to the needs of foreign residents," said Richard Wacker, CEO of Korea Exchange Bank, who attended the signing ceremony yesterday. Shim Il-bo, president of the Seoul Business Agency, and Yoon June-weon, vice president of LG Telecom were also present at the ceremony.
To get credit cards issued in Korea, foreigners are usually required to have guarantors even if they meet requirements in terms of employment or financial balance. KEB's Expat Card, however, is issued to anyone with an alien registration card, a monthly income of 2 million won or more, and a job that meets certain requirements. KEB also offers a consultation service for foreign-invested companies through the Seoul Global Center.
Unlike rival mobile carriers that require expats to purchase the phones with their credit or pre-paid cards and make a deposit in advance to pay the service fees, LG Telecom signs up expats with just their alien registration cards and bank accounts. An LGT employee at the Seoul Global Center will help with an exclusive contract service for expats called the "Korean Dream Phone," which offers lower rates for international calls and overseas remittance.
The number of foreign residents in Seoul has quadrupled from 10 years ago to 229,000, now accounting for 2.2 percent of the city's population.
The Seoul Global Center offers a variety of consultation services on business, foreign direct investment, taxes, driving licenses, immigration and visas. It also runs Korean-language classes, develops tour programs and lectures on Korean culture, and supports international community activities to help migrant workers and immigrants settle.
The Seoul Global Center is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
More information is available at (02) 1688-0120 and or online at http://global.seoul.go.kr. Those in need of medical referral services are asked to call 010-4769-8212 or 010-8750-8212.
By Kim So-hyun ([email protected])
Source: Korea Hearld
Contact Us 82-2-1688-0120 82-2-723-3206 [email protected] / [email protected]
Seoul Global Center, 3F, Seoul Press Center, 25 Taepyeongno 1-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, 100-750, Korea
Copyright 2003~2008 Seoul Metropolitan Government. All Rights Reserved.

Anyways, newbies here's some general getting starting stuff:

Futher general advice:
Make sure you keep a through record of finicial records and pay stubs from your haggies and public schools in case you have to go to labor board.
Keep other records of meetings with your director and Korean teachers, etc.( who said what , on what date, etc about your teaching) and what they told you to do. Koreans are very last minute and can change thier minds alot and it can make a difference. It is better to have your story streight.
Lastly, seek advice from those who know what thier doing and talking about. I've meet people who were here 7 years and didnt know anything about the way Korea worked.
Personal realtionships are very imporant in Korea, as as foreigner you are on the bottom hiearchy. Its all about who you know, so be careful about whom you form your relationships with and don't burn bridges.

[spliff]

[sunhelen]

Thank you for the information.

[Burndog]

OP, thanks for the post, it's good to get some information about things like banking and phones...with the chatter on the boards at the moment I was particularly worried about those two issues! The rest of the advice seems sound as well...heading to the ROK in May, and will be sure to re-read the original post again when I arrive.

Caniff...I have no idea where you found that picture of me...but it is uncanny!

[esglumac]

[eamo]

Kudos to the people/companies involved for trying to improve things for foreigners here.



The next big breakthrough for foreign residents in Korea, especially those on F-something visas, is to make the banks recognize our incomes and allow us to apply for Key-Money bank loans. At the moment, AFAIK, I can't get a loan as a foreigner, so my wife has to get it in her name and based on her income alone. It makes getting key-money together so much harder for international couples.

[Stormy]

Thanks for the info esglumac, much appreciated.

For the record I am one of those pesky "noobs" which apparently makes me a second class citizen on these boards but it is always appreciated to read something constructive amid all the "you can't spell/type/think/hold an opinion" bs posts!