Korean Job Discussion Forums

[austinchauncey]

I did a midnight run for a job that I stayed with for 4 months. I was basically borrowing money from my family to rent a goshiwon room for the last month and did not get housing though my contract included it. Lots of illegal stuff. I scrambled at the last second to get the ARC after I was lied to repeatedly and had to hunt down my passport in order to do so after they were caught in their lie about having my ARC read. No pension or health insurance, even after I gave them ARC info and I have lots of emails from the end where they were implying that I would be fired if I kept bugging them about not having a place to live, pension and health insurance. The run was planned a few days before I left, the day I received the most blatant threat. I gave my multi-entry ARC to the customs people and told them I wouldn't be returning. In the chaos around that time, I didn't think to formally report to immigration that I was leaving apart from this, but now I'm being told that I have to cancel it. Otherwise, the school would do so and my passport would be flagged, meaning that if I return to Korea, I would be detained then deported.

I have found what looks to be a very promising job, though that last one did as well. I'm getting all my papers together and an acquaintance tells me about this flagging business. How do I find out if my passport is flagged? And if it's NOT flagged, how do I find out if it's canceled? Apparently, turning the card in doesn't necessarily mean that it's canceled.

I definitely broke the contract without warning which is something I wouldn't do normally. I extended my 1st contract to help out my hagwon. They let me transfer to a brand new school that was the opposite of what I signed up for, but gave them as much time as they needed to find my replacement. This ended being nearly 5 weeks more than my contract required, but kwenchana as it'd be wrong to screw the school over for having a misinformed or dishonest recruiter. Rules are rules though...

[Mr. Peabody]

You turned in your ARC at the airport and said you won't be returning. That means you cancelled your visa.

You'll be fine.

[ttompatz]

[austinchauncey]

Okay. Thanks. That's comforting, but still worried.

You'd think that one would have the right to come and go as they see fit, but I also see the point of keeping runners from getting work visas later on. If we could all come and go as we pleased, there would be far more turnaround.

I do know that there is a way for employers to report �desertion� cases to immigration online, a violation of Article 19. I was in contact with the labor board shortly 2 days after the threatening letter and my decision to leave, but I never told them that I was going to �run.� After I did, I contacted them to file a complaint against the school. My goal wasn't to get any pension or any sort of money back. I wanted to make sure that they didn't get away with not giving government-mandated benefits to future employees. I was later told by a legal adviser that once one leaves, they will not accept complaints. This seems absurd. I'm pretty sure this is how s--t schools get away with this stuff for so long. If you file a complaint while you're there, they will make your work life even more hellish. My requests, all polite, were met with hostility so imagine what would happen if I filed a complaint with the government that would definitely result in a fine. If you shut up, you're complicit in breaking the law. If you leave and inform the government that a company is screwing them out of money, they won't hear you out.

[50ptoes]

Hi. I'm just wondering if you've since returned to Korea and how the situation has turned out?
I'm in kinda the same position, and would like to return. Any info you can provide would be of great help.
I also wonder what you told your recruiter or new school about your last job? Did they ask? Did they care?

Good luck, I hope it worked out for you.

[austinchauncey]

No, I haven't.

I told the recruiter exactly what happened. She said that as long as my boss from my first job gives me a good reference, it's fine.

[50ptoes]

I don't know why your former employer would give you a good reference. You left without warning, but they were pretty terrible anyways.

I don't know how one could really lie about the situation though. I think if someone called up my former employer THEN my old boss would try to take some action so I wouldn't get a new job. Despite him being a total ****head, and my performance fine. I'm sure he was really pissed off when I left.

Well, I'm just going to try and see what happens. Korea is so desperate for English teachers, I figure someone will hire me.

[austinchauncey]

I had an okay job that I finished before I started the crap job. That supervisor would give me a good reference.

I think that as long as you're white, you'll be okay. Public schools seem to be cleaning house a bit and those affected appear to be overwhelmingly non N. American-white-attractive by K. standards

[travel zen]

You mean, non Hitler Youth ? Doesn't surprise me in Korea