Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sojusucks]

A bar fight leads to big police probe of corruption
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2915690

January 23, 2010
A full-scale police corruption investigation is about to commence at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education after a drunken bar fight last month had an unexpected twist.

On Dec. 3, a man identified only as Im and a woman identified as Goh, were dragged into the Nowon Police Precinct in Seoul. Both 50 years old, the two had been drinking with their colleagues at a nearby bar when a fight between the two broke out.

During the fight, Goh clobbered Im�s head with her high heels. After searching for identification, the police found that the two were both school commissioners at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education. Even while at the police station, the two continued their argument. In the heat of the moment, Goh reportedly blurted out, �This person [Im] took 20 million won ($17,452) from me saying that he would help me pass the exam to become school commissioner.�

Upon this spontaneous revelation, police started investigating further. Police say Goh confessed that in early 2008 when she was working as a teacher at a middle school in Seoul, Im requested money, promising that he would help her get high scores for the second stage of the school commissioner exam. She handed him 20 million won a few months later, she said.

Goh also told police that a teacher identifying himself only as Noh gave 10 million won to Im for a similar reason.

When the police called on Noh to investigate, they said at first he said that the money was only a loan and presented a promissory note. Police, however, said they found that Im had spent the check from Noh before the promissory note was written.

Eventually, police say Noh confessed that he gave Im the money in return for promising to put him through the school commissioner exam. Besides Noh, two other teachers were called to the Nowon Police Precinct for questioning.

The case is now being handled at the Seoul Western District Prosecutors� Office. Last Monday, prosecutors arrested Im, charging him with bribery.

There is a great possibility that the case will expand to an investigation of the entire school commissioner exam division at the Seoul education office.

Prosecutors are particularly closing in on the fact that Im is not a member of the judging panel for the exam and that more people are likely involved.

[bassexpander]

Interesting, but I'm not surprised.

[crescent]

Of course the investigation will end with no charges because Goh was drunk when she made the bribery accusation.

And let's not forget the annual presidential pardon where all high level white collar crimes are all forgiven.

[itaewonguy]

this is korea... home of the fat white envelope!

[flakfizer]

[mc_jc]

[Steelrails]

[rgv]

Oh me oh my.. White envelopes are so pass� though.. Another teacher in my town worked down south awhile back and had stories of student's parents who would come in and give the principal a book under the guise they'd heard "he/she liked to read". The book would have a 10,000won note in it every few pages. I kinda liked that level of creativity in the bribery process.

[PaperTiger]

[Young FRANKenstein]

[cdninkorea]

[mc_jc]

One time when I was volunteering for the USO- the former director there had connections with the tourism department at Kyunghee University. She even set up "an interview" with the hiring committee which guaranteed me the job of teaching Tourism majors tourism-related English. But by that time, I was already signed with my current job.
But if I didn't work onbase, I would've been working there.

Also, one Korean worker in my office confided in me that she paid the KN hiring official 5 million won to apply for the job (not get the job, just to apply for it).

Yeah- In Korea, it is not what you know, its who you know and how much you can pay that gets you places.

[Thiuda]

[hellofaniceguy]

[wylies99]

It happens at Immigration.