Korean Job Discussion Forums

Chaucer · Joined: 20 Oct 2009

I'm curious about tourist-visa teachers at everyone's schools. I'm starting to hear about/meet a few such people, met one in fact on a flight to Fukuoka (of course) last week, and was wondering if it's starting to become common again in Korea. This guy actually bragged "if you have a white face you can teach anywhere in Korea".

In the early 1990s, many hagwons employed illegal teachers. There was a crackdown in 1997, and then I heard almost nothing about people teaching illegally.

I'm interested in any info.

Juregen · Joined: 30 May 2006

Those people are doomed to fall on their faces.

The reason it diminished is because more people became aware of the abuse and therefore wanted to have the paperwork in order.

The increase probably depends on the increase of available employees willing to skirt regulations in order to land a job. Not on the willingness of hagwons, that stays the same.

Otus · Joined: 09 Feb 2006

I knew of people doing it - more in the 90's. It was never as easy as people made it out to be; and certainly NOTHING like what many Koreans seemed to think it was.

Without an ARC of course you can not legally open any bank accounts in your name.

You can not have any rental housing legally in your name.

You could be legally asked to produce an ARC at any place of employment by any law enforcement agency, and if you failed to do so, you were busted.

You could be asked to produce the ARC outside of a workplace by any law enforcement agency; and just showing a passport with a tourist visa could easily lead to more questions.

Not to mention phones, driving issues - and a lot of other smaller things.

It was an extremely difficult way to live for any length of time. I'm pleased I never did it.

I think Korean employers, etc. seemed to project onto foreigners working in Korea things which Koreans could get away with doing in the States, or some other countries. Such a comparison was utterly invalid.

wylies99 · Joined: 13 May 2006 Location: I'm one cool cat!

Bad hagwons help them with places to stay and even wiring money. But the pay is much lower- 1.4 to 1.6 per month, and if the bossman wants to pay 800,000 this month, it can happen. Vacation time? Holidays? Forget it.
Only an idiot would want that lifestyle.

Netz · Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2010 6:31 am Post subject:

air76 · Joined: 13 Nov 2007

Why do people care if other people work illegally? It happens in every country all around the world...it's quite normal.

If they get caught then they will get in trouble...if you're not illegal then you've got nothing to worry about.

Whitey Otez · Joined: 31 May 2003 Location: The suburbs of Seoul

Also, it's a lot easier to keep a hidden Canadian for six months at a stretch compared to the hoops of bringing in a legit teacher. I'm legit, and I'm waiting patiently for immigration to get around to processing a visa confirmation number. Kevin from Moosejaw flies in and gets a job without any paperwork, on a handshake agreement. No taxes, pension, drug test, CRC, the guy can start that very minute, and the owner can pretend like it's all hunky dory.

I'm not saying it's right, but I am saying I understand why both sides would make that agreement.

megandadam · Joined: 28 Dec 2008 Location: toronto, canada

i opened my bank account with only my passport.

wylies99 · Joined: 13 May 2006 Location: I'm one cool cat!

wylies99 · Joined: 13 May 2006 Location: I'm one cool cat!

air76 · Joined: 13 Nov 2007

I really could care less, and I don't believe that they are really driving our salaries down.

That is funny, though, that you seem to honestly believe that it is necessary to be a college graduate to teach the "upper" levels at a hagwon.

Goon-Yang · Joined: 28 May 2009 Location: Duh

ChilgokBlackHole · Joined: 21 Nov 2009

TheUrbanMyth · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired

air76 · Joined: 13 Nov 2007

I think that's a pretty big assumption to say that 2/3 of the teachers in Korea are illegal. I would be surprised if 1 in 10 teachers were illegal, and I would imagine it's far less of a ratio than that. I've met 2 out of the hundreds of teachers I've met here...and they were both making MORE money, not less.

Salaries have moved...when I was here in 2004 the standard starting pay at a hagwon was 1.8 or 1.9 million, and now it's 2.2 to 2.3, a 20% increase in 6 years is pretty normal with relation to inflation, not to mention that jobs still come with a free apartment, so you have to take into consideration the fact that the value of free lodging increases from year to year as well.

I also think that folk are vastly overestimating the huge supply of teachers looking to come to Korea....plenty of "good" hagwons are still having trouble finding teachers.