Korean Job Discussion Forums

[yeti08]

Please don't waste your time and mine with a lame response of "you shouldn't have given it to him/her."

Okay now to the real post. Last Tuesday my boss explained to me that Korea was needing a different background check for teachers thanks to some questionable behavior from us or some hagwons. She said she needed my Alien Card to take to some office to fill out proper paperwork. I questioned a lot and even made her a copy of it, but refused to hand it over. She insisted and said that I HAVE to get this done. I didn't think I had a choice. So I handed it over....
It is now almost been a week and I still do not have the card back, she said the owner of the hagwon has it. I have been forcefully explaining to her that this is very important and I HAVE to have it back ASAP. She agrees that I need to have it back, but doesn't see the rush.

What I am asking is A. Is anyone else experiencing this B. What else can I do/say to get it back C. What happens if I am caught without it


Thanks!

[VFRinterceptor]

Sounds like your boss had a runner or two before and they are using this card holding thing to try to keep you from doing it. I don't think it can stop you though.

Anyways, the card is yours, if they don't give it back, which it sounds like they won't, tell them that you have tried to get into a few clubs on the weekend and you needed your ID. Accept nothing less than the original card, and if they say they need to abide by some new rules(total BS), then they should be asking you to provide some new docs or at least sign something.

From here on out, trust no important docs or items with your boss.

[ChilgokBlackHole]

Tell her that she needs to get it back or you're going to need to take tomorrow off to report it stolen and go to immigration and get a new one.

And let this be a lesson to ya.

[tanklor1]

If she continues to unreasonable you can take a photo and 10000 won and go to your local immigration office with your passport and get a new one.

[Jane]

Tell your boss that you have to carry the card on you at all times because immigration stops foreigners on the street to see if they are legal or not (no, this isn't Arizona, but it has happened to me in Seoul in the past).

Tell them that if you are stopped without a card, then the hogwan will be in trouble and will have to pay a fine.

[yeti08]

Yes I now understand that I cannot trust my bosses with anything important. Giving them my bank account number 3x's for direct deposit should have been my clue. You really want to trust the people you work for.

Lesson learned.

I explicitly explained to her that I can get in a lot of trouble if I am caught without it, my co-worker also an American has been on her also. She admits that she understands we can get in trouble, but claims it's out of her hands and the owner has it. I said well call him, now. Things do not get done at my hagwon, ever.

If I don't have it tomorrow first thing I will try what a poster above mentioned, say I have to go get a new one and say I need the day off to do that.

[ChilgokBlackHole]

[Troglodyte]

Personally, if I were you (the OP) I'd just go get a new one and don't tell your boss about it. Let them think that they have you on a leash. If you fight over it, it will cause a situation. If you let them keep it (and secretly get a new one) then you can always bring up that point later when you need to call them on some other BS. "So, I checked into this and no other hogwan teachers had to give up their ARC. Why have you been holding onto mine? What are you really doing with it? etc. etc. etc. Do you know how difficult it was for me to pay my bills, rent a phone, buy train tickets, etc." Also, if they DO give it back to you (or know that you have a new one) then they will just try to keep tabs on you some other way (e.g. with holding your pay). They are just as clever as anyone else. For now, they think that they have control of you because they have your ARC. It will come as all the more of a surprise to them when you too do a runner one day.

If immigration asks why you need a new one, just say that you lost the old one, maybe it was stolen from your jacket. Unless you specifically want to force your current employer to give back your current ARC, I'd just fork over the 10,000 Won (might be 15,000 in some areas) and not tell them that your boss has it.

[PeterDragon]

I echo the general sentiments of the thread. Your ARC cna easily be replaced with a trip to immi, (bring passport and passport sized photo), and since you work at a hagwon, you should be able to to get to immi without taking time off. If you can do so, just replace the ARC without telling them. Unless you want to file a police report--- which is a huge pain in the butt and may require a Korean friend for translation--- just say it's lost, not stolen. (Note: I had to repalce a genuinely lost ARC; relatively cheap and hassle free)

If, however, you NEED to take time off and they don't let you, that's when it might benefit you to get the claws out, and actually file a police report against the, if they don't turn it back over to you. Tell them you know that other workers don't have to yield their ARC, and that you'll show the police report to the labor board if they try to fire you for taking time off to get a replacement.

But,w ith any luck, you can do this non-confrontationally.

Then somewhere down the line, casually flash your new ARC at them. Or just casually mention that you used your ARC for somethign and see if they're paying attention.

[ChilgokBlackHole]

Troglodyte has an excellent point. Don't tell them. Just go to immi and get a new one. Let the babies have their bottle.

[Forever]

I agree, get to Immigration ASAP and get yourself another ARC.

Who knows what she did with your card. But it seems as if she can not be trusted.

[nomad-ish]

[yeti08]

Thank-you for the bevy of useful replies.

I will see if the ARC gets returned today when I go into work, if not I think secretly going and getting a new one would be my best option. I don't plan on running, but I do plan on traveling around Korea and don't want to fall into a hard places.

Is there really no one else out there having to file any new paperwork for a new Korea issue background check? Or did my boss really pull a fast one.....

[carpetdope]

While getting a replacement secretly is probably the best course of action I must say I was delighted by Chilgok's T minus 30 minutes and counting scenario.

[yeti08]