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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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Troll_Bait
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Location: [T]eaching experience doesn't matter much. -Lee Young-chan (pictured)
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 Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 12:57 am Post subject: Avalon hogwon teachers, don't give up your passports! |
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Got this from Brian/Smee:
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Here is some insane informtion distributed to teachers at Avalon English, a large hagwon franchise with campuses all over the country. From what I understand it is to be implemented at all campuses.
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-FOREIGN TEACHERS AND STAFF MEMBERS MUST SUBMIT THEIR PASSPORT TO THEIR DIRECTOR UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
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Some responses:
| Sarah wrote: |
This is a quote from the British Embassy in Korea regarding the passports issue: "Retain your passport. Your employer has no legal right to hold your passport, and is not required to do so by the Korean authorities. Your passport remains the property of the British Government at all times. Please contact the Consular Section of the British Embassy for advice, if your employer insists on keeping your passport."
http://ukinkorea.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/living-in-korea/legal-issues-be-aware
The school should be reported. |
| Juicy wrote: |
| US passports remain the property of US government and should not be surrendered to any third party. You should be able to end that asshattery by contacting the embassy. |
| kushibo wrote: |
| The passport thing is completely wrong: the cases where one should give up their passport are extremely rare, and this is not one of them; even then, you give it up to a proper authority, not your hagwon. |
| nb wrote: |
As to the passport, you can take it out of my death grip after you have taken my life. If you go on the army base, they cant even hold your passport. The US embassy can confiscate your passport, but you have to do something seriously wrong.
If asked for your passport, simply state that it is the property of your country and not you and that you are forbidden BY LAW from handing it over to your employer. If they question you more, tell them, "please understand my country..." and hand them the phone number of your country's Seoul embassy |
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dporter
Joined: 26 Apr 2009
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| Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 3:27 am Post subject: |
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| Good info. |
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ppcg4
Joined: 16 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 3:48 am Post subject: |
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My old hogwon used to insist on holding our passports, and even tried to convince me it was legal. I made up some excuse about needing it to visit the DMZ. They never got it back.
I can understand them being weary of runners, but that's what deposits are for (and they had about 1,000,000 won from each of us).
I'm glad I'm at a better school now. |
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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 4:14 am Post subject: |
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I was really ticked off when I read that Avalon wanted Westerners to surrender their passports. It's illegal for any establishment other than immigration to hold on to a passport. Such a practice is unacceptable.
I have heard of this happening in the Persian Gulf to some people from certain poor countries. This is generally not the practice in Korea, but you hear of it occasionally. I would urge anyone dealing with a hagwon asking for the foreign passports to call their embassies and to refuse such an illegal request. |
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