Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bassexpander]

So the wife and I went down to the local educational office, and applied for my tutoring license. The office was going to possibly allow it, but called immigration to check my F-2-1 status. The woman just said, "No, F-2's cannot do private lessons."

Anyone ever heard different than this?

We feel the guy called immigration, not knowing where to call, and they just said, "NO" because they didn't want F-2's doing privates.

Anyone have any suggestions on who we might call to figure out if we're getting screwed-with here?

[bassexpander]

Update:


We called immigration, and they said a different thing through the help line than what the educational office said they said. They said I'm pretty much free and clear to do that sort of thing.

So we called back to the educational office. Sounds like the guy made a mistake reading my card, which stills says E-2 on the front (F-2-1 is on the back). He'd never dealt with a foreigner's situation before, and when he called immigration, they asked him what it said next to my ID's photo, and it said, "E-2" on it. When the immigration officer said that, she said, "NO."

My ARC says F-2-1 on the back, but he never checked about that (despite us showing him this several times when we first went there, and photocopying the F-2-1 stamp in the passport).

So we're still calling around, and the guy from the education office is checking into the F-2-1 thing again.

We called the tax office directly, and they said they have no problems with it.

[Mi Yum mi]

So what your saying is immigration couldn't find their own ass and you had to go to 3 sources for your info. Nothing new here then

I was told I need a tutor's licence like everyone else and I have an F

[bassexpander]

Well, in this case, the educational office guy had never dealt with a foreigner applying for this before, and he was also confused about universities and how that could effect my ability. He made a clerical mistake in reading my actual status to the immigration officer. Of course, it took us calling around to get him over the hump on this, and to point out the mistake. Nice guy, but he is sort of clueless in this new territory, and being very careful not to allow something that could get him in trouble later.

I'm always careful about Koreans in new territory, because "NO" is just too easy an answer for many government workers to give when they really don't know the truth.

Now there is some mess with my title here. Apparently, they are not allowed to issue such a certificate to someone with the job title of "전인장사", which is what my school lists me as. That title means I am a professor who is employed here for life (my wife thinks). To get that title as a Korean, it would be a big honor, and require 10 years of part-time professor employment. Of course, I am not here for life because I sign contracts every year. They just give all of us foreigners that title from day one. Hmm... wonder if I should go for more benefits??? Naw, I won't ...

The tax office is OK with issuing it to me under that job title, but the educational office guy is still not sure. He's going to do some more checking and get back to us. In all truth, he's been very kind. It's all new to him.

[Mi Yum mi]

전임강사 is what you mean. I know what you mean. They have their littole book with what they have to do. If anything is slightly different from the original form in their book they freeze like a deer in headlights.

Korean desk jockeys can't think outside the box.

[bassexpander]

Yeah, you're right.

And just to update people on what this all means if I get this license...

I will be allowed up to 9 private students per month, but will only be able to legally charge 100,000 won PER STUDENT PER MONTH! That comes out to 4,700 won per hour, given that I listed something like 16 hours worth of privates per month.

So basically, any Korean who gets this license is going to lie about how much money they are truly making off of the private, and apply the maximum at the tax office.

[Mi Yum mi]

Do say something like that. Koreans would never lie about pay or screw anyone out of taxes.

Damn that was hard to say with a straight face. You have to play that game too B.E.

You know...5 students at the same time...each paying 50k. Yep that's 100k by my K-math.

[yingwenlaoshi]

[Juregen]

Just make sure pay is done in cash and not via bank accounts

Bank accounts can be tracked up to ten years, if not more.

[bassexpander]

Update:

Thanks to a persistent wife, and a guy at SMOE who was willing to break new ground, the educational office has approved my private teaching license. I will be able to pick it up next week.

[babtangee]

[spyro25]

edit5

[bassexpander]

[babtangee]

I know a guy who tried to get this license a while after I got it, and the guy at the education office there told his wife "We have to make this harder for foreigners." Maybe he made it a pet project, and this crap you guys are getting is the result...

[gangpae]

sounds like the wife is nagging about money.