Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Cohiba]

Everyone I know in Korea teaches privates. I have been doing it for
over 8 years, and I even advertise in the apartment buildings that are
near to me. I have never, ever heard of anyone being caught, hassled
or deported for this. I have been here over 12 years now, and seriously
never even heard rumours of people being caught.

These newbs and goodie-goodies who whine and preach about doing
everything legally. Haha. 30% of the Korean economy is underground.
The powers that be in Korea: immi, police and the NIS (National
Intelligence Service) are looking for potheads, not freelancers.

Some newb recently asked how to make over 2.5M. Haha it is so easy.
Stop whining, whinging and hiding in your bed and get a tourist visa
and teach privates.

Corporate Rate: 100,000 to 200,000 for the first hour, 60,000 to 70,000
after that.

Households: 50,000 to 60,000 per hour.

To make 2.5M teaching privates: 50 hours/month or 2.5 hours per day
(based on 50K/hour)

[ED209]

That's it I'm sending your photo to immigration, expect to be deported by the end of the day.

[yeremy]

You do understand the economics of what you are doing, but you don't understand the social/cultural and legal context of what you are doing. Generally, people who're freelancing on tourist visas, like you, are either stopped at the airport, if they're stopped at all. Once in Korea, they aren't looked at by the authorities unless someone complains, or they cause a problem, or they advertise their activities on a site like this.

Once I took a trip to a city in Gyonggi-do to go to a martial arts school there. After I left the subway station, I met a wild-eyed, scruffy guy during the middle of the day. He warned me, "This is my turf!" like he owned the city we were in. I laughed and walked on by. I was late to my martial arts class, and he was too pathetic to worry about.

You may certainly make more money than I, but if I have a problem I don't worry about calling or going to the authorities with it because I don't work in the underground economy here. I'm not afraid of the police nor immigration when I meet them during my off hours. I also get to sleep regular hours because I am not rushing around on the subways or buses to get to another apartment or company for a freelancing session. I'm also not worried about who's following me or not. Ha, ha, imagine that.

Enjoy your freedom to exploit EFL learners while you can. Your days are probably numbered, the more so because you posted about it here.

[mountainous]

[jbpatlanta]

I personally know four people who were caught teaching privates. 1 of them was deported. He was on a tourist visa. The other three were on E2 visas. They were each fined. Two of them 1 million won. The other one I assume was 1 million but she never told me. They were told to finish their contracts at their schools and that "immigration" would be watching them.

I also know one single mom who was here teaching and decided to smoke up. Her friends mailed her pot from Canada. Customs opened the package and found the pot. The police followed her and three days later caught her smoking and arrested her. They told her she was going to spend 6 months in jail. The changed their minds when they found out her son was with her. They gave her ten days to leave the country.

[Chris_Dixon]

[smedini]

[crusher_of_heads]

Newbs, or anyone else for that matter, won't be making any money doing privates.


Privates are illegal.


HTH

[ds_fan]

could you really be bothered doing privates anyway, after a long day at my hellish kindy hagwon id much rather go to the gym and watch a movie- ie relax. it may be extra money, but im comfortable enough with what i earn here, given the cheap ass living costs

[cdninkorea]

Cohiba makes some good points. When I first came to Korea I was paranoid about getting caught for private lessons; I watched my back, I didn't tell my parents about them because I thought Immigration had my phone tapped, and I insisted on cash, thinking store owners would report me for using those bank cheques. I especially worried about the guards at apartment complexes and corporate office buildings.

The fact is though that most Koreans don't know they're illegal. And how would they? How much do you know about the immigration laws in your country? I know little of Canada's restrictions on foreign workers.
Those Koreans who do know they're illegal generally don't care. Chances are either they or someone they know has had private lessons with a foreign teacher. Besides that, few people have such pathetic lives that they have nothing better to do than turn people in for committing a victimless crime.

It's fine if people don't want to do privates- I don't do them anymore either because I have two part time jobs (registered legally) that keep me busy. If your leisure time is too important to give up, then that's your prerogative.
But if you want to do them, get paid in cash and don't go around telling everyone. So long as you take a few precautions there's little to worry about.

[Adventurer]

In Japan, they can openly advertise for privates. Many veterans won't take a risk of getting deported by advertising. The last thing I need is to be deported, but I do think it's dumb that privates are illegal while you can do it with no problem in other Asian countries.

[TheUrbanMyth]

[Adventurer]

[Ukon]

[Adventurer]