Korean Job Discussion Forums

[wylies99]

S. Korean police investigating tip on illegal English teachers
By Ashley Rowland and Hwang Hae-rym, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Wednesday, November 5, 2008


http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=58619


South Korean police are investigating whether Americans covered by the status of forces agreement are working illegally in off-base English language schools in Daegu.

Police were alerted to the issue by an informant several weeks ago, a Daegu Nambu police spokesman said Monday. No arrests have been made.

U.S. Forces Korea has not been contacted about an investigation into illegal employment of Americans at the schools, spokesman Dave Palmer said. USFK does not track employment of Americans outside its bases, he said.

But it does inform military community members that working without the correct visa violates South Korean law and SOFA regulations.

SOFA visa holders are not allowed to work off-post unless the Korea immigration office or Ministry of Justice issues them a work visa, the police officer said. English teachers must have qualifications, including a bachelor�s degree, and SOFA members must get an approval letter from their unit�s commander to work.

The police spokesman said there are a few U.S. base civilians with correct visas who are legally teaching English in hagwons, schools that offer extra instruction in a subject after traditional school hours.

Many nonmilitary hagwon English teachers come to South Korea on tourist visas and teach illegally, he said. A police spokesman said he didn�t know what punishment the DOD civilians could face. But if they weren�t covered by SOFA, they could be fined and forced to leave the country.

The officer said there is a high demand in Daegu for native English speakers to teach the language, but small cities have a hard time recruiting them.

"The Korean community will appreciate if DOD employees teach our kids the language, as long as they are legally qualified," he said.

According to information provided by U.S. Forces Korea last year, most active duty and DOD civilians cannot legally obtain outside employment, though most family members can get a Korean work visa. DOD-invited civilian contractors and their families are not allowed to work off-base, according to USFK.

[jadarite]

English has become a drug, don't get caught English dealing.

[bassexpander]

A lot of wives of husbands in the Army have done this, I'm told -- credentials or not.

[T-J]

I can tell you that there were a fair number of active duty military that did this in Seoul in the early 90s.

I knew of some that would commute up from Osan AB on the weekends to teach.

Don't know how much is going on now.

[RACETRAITOR]

I've got a few friends in the US military who did a bit of teaching on the side, but I always thought it was some sort of goodwill mission.

Anyway, maybe this is what the article's about.
http://www.smpa.go.kr/smpa2007/bbs/board/viewMain.asp?code=for_eng&num=977&page=1&s=&c=&sort=&sk=&print=

The snitch board has been slow lately, although there's a creepy one by a pro-lifer trying to report an abortion.

[Louie]

It was still pretty prevalent when I left.....the thing is, many just take their students onbase to teach them rather than risk it offbase.
If you were to go to the Dragon Hill Lodge or even Star Bucks on any given weekend, you are bound to find up to 3 tables where a soldier or dependent is teaching English.
Back in 2000, there was a guy who would hang around outside Gate 10 (South Post Gate) and arrange for students to be escorted and taught onbase by almost any passerby with access to Yongsan.
Those smart enough to know that teaching offbase is a no-no will simply move their lessons onbase....simple as that
Its cheaper to get a soldier or a dependent to teach compared to a regular offbase instructor (on average about 15,000-20,000won an hour for a SOFA holding person compared to the 30,000 to 45,000 they would have to pay for the risk of being taught off base). Besides, they can get a piece of Americana by going to the Burger Bar and such to have "real" American junk food.

[Paddycakes]

I don't know if I'd want to be taught English by a US soldier...

I can just see these Koreans walking around: "What's your Sit Rep? Okay, I'm Oscar Mike in 5 Mikes.... whoo raaahhh... let's take the fight north... I'll see you at PX..... gonna be a Hooker Hill for 20 mikes for some R and R.... anyone seen Songtan Sally?..."

[sojourner1]

Soldiers have privates too.

[T-J]

[bjonothan]

The reason for the crackdown in Daegu is that a very well known (and very crooked might I add) recruiter was recently busted. They confiscated his computer and they got all of the names of the people that he had helped find work. Some of the people he helped are connected to the US military. If you are in Daegu and was helped by a crooked recruiter (jeez that would be a first eh?), maybe you had better have an exit strategy in the coming weeks.

[CentralCali]

Wylies,

I think I scooped you on this one!

[Captain Marlow]

one of these teachers was working at my school... immigration came, and the bosses were literally scrambling to erase all history his involvement at my academy... the teacher himself actually had to hide out in the "smoking room" (a secret little cubby on another floor) while immigration looked around the entire school... they had his pic and knew what they were doing... the teacher hasn't been back since... and he was actually a really good teacher... too bad...

[bjonothan]

Despite what some on here would say, some of the illegal teachers are real good teachers. I worked with one fella that had a fake degree and he was the best teacher I ever worked with in Korea. Gone are the days where you could just rock up and take a job without having to worry about a visa....

[PeteJB]

Yes well, sadly the world works on paper. People are hired for what they have on a piece of paper, not what skills they actually may have. You might be a computer genius, but failed all your exams (for whatever reason) - so because of that piece of bullshit paper, everyone who looks at it will think your skills are good for nothing. Welcome to real life.

[Louie]

We had a discussion in my methodology class the other day about what consitutes a good teacher and whether qualification neccessarily means good teacher. I brought in some threads from Dave's to help with the discussion.

As for the KPs looking for American military personnel....according to the SOFA, they can only hold a person on a non-serious crime until the MPs arrive at the station and once the person is in American custody, the Provost Marshal will decide whether to charge the person or let them go.

Most of the time, they let the person go with a flimsy warning not to get caught again.
The only article in the SOFA that is interpreted as saying that soldiers and their dependents aren't allowed to work offbase is the clause that states that servicemen and contractors are to abide by the laws of the host country.....no where in the SOFA does it specifically state that working a part time job is illegal......some employers, especially those that pay minumum wage, encourage their workers to take on part-time work to offset the meager wage they get onbase.....and they are given a "SOFA card" with the numbers to call if they run into problems with the law.