Korean Job Discussion Forums

[rastanking]

Hi everyone,

I'm currently working in Ulsan, have only been here a couple of weeks but regret doing it now as I miss my wife and family far too much. Can anyone offer me some advice/their experiences on how to go about leaving the country?

Is it better to do a midnight run? Would that mean that I wouldn't be able to return to work in the country again? Have heard some rumours regarding being stopped at the airport, is this true or just rumours?

Any help anyone could give me would be really appreciated

Thanks in advance

Andy

[soviet_man]

Most contracts generally state that if you wish to leave before your contract is over, generally you will be required to repay the airfare (particularly if the resignation is in the first 6 months of a contract) and provide 1 months notice to the employer.

If you do a runner, then in practice this does not occur. However it will jeopardise the possibility of being issued another visa in the future (particularly in the period till your current one expires) and it will also be flagged by the immigration computer, resulting in questioning by airport immigration next time you want to re-enter Korea (you can be detained for hours at Incheon airport - I've been through this several times). You will also generally have to pay your own ticket home.

So what are the alternatives:
- Negotiate additional leave with your employer.
- Relocate family to Korea (most could stay up to 90 days visa-free).
- Better communication to family (set up webcams at both ends).
- Jobshare with someone (generally a Korean), so you can exit and resume duties at a later date.
- Set up a blog to communicate to your family and friends at home.

If the school management is corrupt or has violated your contract - then I would say fair enough, you have justified grounds for leaving.

But if they have made a decent attempt to honor the agreed terms of the contract, then it is unfair to leave them short staffed without proper notice.

[Ukon]

[princess]

No offense, but why would someone get married and stay away from their spouse for months/years? The whole point of being married is being together. Money is nice, but I wouldn't put it before a spouse.

[crusher_of_heads]

[xingyiman]

[ED209]

Wait until pay day. Giving notice generally gets you screwed. Yes ethically you do owe them airfare but they probably will take more than this out of your pay check. Pack your bags and just leave. Hand in your arc at immi. They can't stop you from leaving, you're not a criminal or a slave. Why would you want to come back?

[blaseblasphemener]

You sound like a little girl. Suck it up and save some jack. meanwhile, start planning to bring your wife and baby over.

[poet13]

Get your family over here or go home. Families need to be together if is at all possible.

[Zaria32]

When you go through immigration at ICN say "cancel my visa, would you? My contract is over...) They usually will...

[Easter Clark]

[Otherside]

The easiest option is just pulling a runner - it may hurt your chances of being employed in Korea again (especially until your current visa expires...) but why is this an issue for you? Will you change your mind next year and decide to leave your family again, or??

I'd love to say, be honest and give your school fair notice, but it will most likely result in you being royally screwed. In addition to having to pay back the airfare (if he bought the ticket rather than reimbursing you, expect to see an inflated price) Hagwon owners are rather vindictive and you will see your final paycheck literally disappear in front of your eyes. Airfare $1200, deposit, $300, recruiting fee $600, misc expenses: $87.99, damage to hagwon $500 etc (figures are for illustrative purposes only). Oh, and you'll have to pay your own way home.

On your way out, you won't be stopped at the airport.

[markhan]

Hmm�, I want to tackle this matter from different perspective.

When Korea was dirt poor (back in the 70�s) many young people left their loved ones and families and moved temporarily to places like Germany, Saudi Arabia and others to work as an assistant nurse, miner, constructor, and so on. I am quite sure that working in a miserably hot weather in the Middle East as a construction worker or cleaning up someone�s wastes as an assistant nurse are a lot worse than being an English teacher. And yet, those people �suck it up� and many are successful now. Somehow I cannot imagine those people coming back to Korea earlier than expected and telling their wife, �I came back because I missed you so much.� It sounds so infantile.

To me, you sound very immature and selfish. Did you think working in a foreign country was a walk in the park? What about the students you are teaching now, who is going to teach them when you do a midnight run? And yet, and this is what galls me the most, why would you even contemplate coming back to Korea to make money after doing a midnight run? If you are going to do a midnight run, by all mean just do it. Based on reading Dave�s forum, many have done so already. Just don�t even think about coming back to Korea.

[Burndog]

A couple of weeks???? This isn't Summer Camp mate...do some of the things suggested above...and give it a go...if you still feel like a sook in a month...go home! Give it more time...and try to help yourself a little.

[RACETRAITOR]