Korean Job Discussion Forums

[chaz47]

So, I have this Korean friend. She is a flight attendant and I've known her for many years. She recently got offered a job with Qatar but won't start for another 6 weeks. Unfortunately she's been having problems with her inner ear and needs a surgery before she starts work with the new airline.

I'm totally clueless as to the nature of the inner ear but I do know Koreans seem to have a penchant for unnecessary surgery. I have lent her money in the past and she has repaid it... this time however it could be up to a million won (apparently her current airline, Zest, has crap insurance). She has offered to give me her passport as a a guarantee of repayment.

Is that any sort of guarantee? Is there any sort of formal document or IOU, etc. that would be valid in court? I mean, I had the Labor Board wipe their arses with my contract after my last hagwon screwed me on severance and pension. To think that any Korean court would side with a foreigner in a matter like this makes me skeptical to say the least.

But... she has been my friend for years and I know her family is poor. This job with Qatar is the big break she's been slogging away for... for years.

[Yaya]

Just remember that anytime you lend money, be prepared to lose it. I guess it's your call, but I remember that I lent whom I thought was a reliable Bible-thumping friend I met in Los Angeles 2.5 million won (he was Korean American) for less urgent needs and I never heard from him again.

[Lucas]

[Hootsmon]

I'd say lending to a Korean is the same as lending to anyone else. If they're really your friend, you have nothing to worry about. If they're just sort of a friend you see sometimes, then you need to think about it.

A friend recently lent me 5 million won and I would rather sell all my possessions than not pay back a single penny, because he is my friend. If you can't trust your friends, you're in trouble.

That said, I only have a few close friends I'd trust with large sums of money. The rest are just "mates" I enjoy meeting for beers but not much more.

[Lynns]

In this situation, how are you going to hold her passport? She needs it to work, and she needs to work in order to repay the loan, so you're not going to be able to hold onto the passport, right?

She needs a million but it doesn't have to be all on you. Offer her 200,000 (if you can afford to lose it) and she can raise the rest from other friends. Actually I think she'll try that much harder to repay it if it threatens several friendships rather than just one. And if she ends up not being able to repay for some reason, you'll be glad you didn't give her the whole amount.

She probably fully intends to repay it, but unanticipated problems can arise. It's nice to help a friend but you also have to protect yourself, assuming you can't afford to lose a million.

[In_Exile]

I had 2 friends who recently got jobs with Qatar but were later let go due to medical issues. One had minor surgery to remove a cyst 4 years ago and the other had the tip of her finger cut off due to a childhood accident. Both issues did not affect their current health.

Its likely your friend will be let go after her medical. Qatar is really anal about these medical checks. sucks..

[tran.huongthu]

[Cartman]

Well put it this way, if she doesn't pay you back, $1000 is all it will cost to confirm that she was never a true friend. Pretty good bargain

Passport is no guarantee, but decent collateral to lay down, since it'll be a hassle for her to go through, especially since she'll need it quickly, being a flight attendant and all...

[javis]

[maximmm]

[maximmm]

[jjajangmyun]

[Waygeek]

[toby99]

Just don't lend more than you're prepared to lose.

[atwood]

"Neither a lender nor a borrower be..."

If she's really your friend, give her the money. If she pays it back great; if she doesn't you've done her a solid.