Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Whistleblower]

6 Teachers Arrested for Smoking Marijuana

By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter

Native English teachers working at private language schools were arrested on charges of repeatedly consuming an illegal drug.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Sunday that it caught six native English teachers smoking marijuana. The foreigners in question have taught English at private language schools in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. But police found they have taught students without an E-2 visa ― a type of visa required to teach English here.

Police also apprehended two drug suppliers ― a 40-year-old Ghanaian and a 31-year-old Korean going by the name of Lee. Another Korean running a private language institute was also arrested on charges of employing unqualified foreign teachers.

According to police, the foreigners, who purchased the drug from the Korean supplier, had smoked it more than 10 times at the supplier's house in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province.

The Korean, the son of a professor at a prominent university here, had bought 160 grams marijuana worth 2.4 million won from the Ghanaian from August 2007 till early April this year.

``Most of those arrested have used the drug in their home countries,'' said Kim Ki-sung, a police officer. ``They smoked the illegal drug three or four times a week and some of them made tools on their own to inhale the smoke easily.''

The officer pointed out this kind of crime is on the rise in the wake of the government's move to loosen regulations on E-2 visa issuance, resulting in a growing number of E-2 visa applicants.

According to the Justice Ministry, annual E-2 visa applicants were less than 10,000 in 2006 before topping 13,782 last year.

Last September, the government tightened visa regulations after a group of native English teachers were arrested on charges of smoking hemp, mandating E-2 visa applicants to submit police checks and undergo blood tests. But it suddenly withdrew the regulation on March 15, saying ``In some countries, smoking marijuana is not illegal. Thus, we see the restriction is unnecessary.''

Opining that the deregulation has largely attributed to an increase in drug-related crime, Kim said "Visa screening needs to be intensified further.''

I would like to see how the visa screening process would be "intensified", perhaps this would happen:

Korean Embassy: Do you take drugs?
E2 Applicant: No.
Korean Embassy: Congratulations, here is your visa.

So teachers, especially on E2 Visas are getting hit again and again. I wonder whether Koreans would eventually learn to appreciate what English speakers have contributed to this country. It makes me sick that the police officers opinion of foriegners is so typical. He is foriegn so it must be his fault. Well if Korean is determined to screw down on E2 Visa applicants, I guess applicants will move elsewhere say China or Japan. Goodbye racist Korea, hello welcoming Japan.

[crescent]

While Japan is no more tolerant on drug use, Korea surely needs to start testing its own...starting with the people running immigration, and the fart that made this article..

[agentX]

Oh here we go with THIS again! Some people just can't go without the mary jane.

Quite surprising that the authorities took the entire hagwon down. That's sort of a rarity these days, huh?

[DrunkenMaster]

awesome. Thanks for sharing

[VanIslander]

So the Korean drug pusher ratted out the foreigners...

bet he doesn't see jail time



Spaw-quing

[BreakfastInBed]

[kermo]

A Korean named Lee? I think I know that guy...

[fortysixyou]

[Darkness]

Breakfastinbed....my hat is off you sir! Well said.

[GoldMember]

I know a Korean guy who is the crime reporter for a major TV network here.
He was telling me that the big issue for prosecuters is drug use/importation by foreigners.

There are of course many other crimes that deserve a lot of attention, rape, child molestation etc, however it is the foreign drug thing that is high on the agenda.

If your going to break the law here at least be smart, stick to stock rigging, fraud, embezzelment, graft, bribery and corruption. Those crimes don't attract a lot of scrutiny.

When it comes to stupidity in Korea, dopeheads seem to be on the top of the list.

[cheeseface]

[nebraska1]

oh for chrissakes people! Like it or not weed is illegal and you ain't in Kansas anymore. Can you not stop sparking up for one freaking year. If you can't then you got a problem.

Doing drugs in a foreign country is stupid...just plain stupid. I don't care how unfair it seems it is still stupid. You are still going to get busted and now you have a drug arrest in foreign country.

I do not feel sorry for any of them. What they did was dumb. No excuses.

N1

[Scouse Mouse]

[Zutronius]

Stupid move.

[The Grumpy Senator]