Korean Job Discussion Forums

[freshking]

I teach a few lessons in a Gyo-seop-so style mini hagwon owned by a Korean woman. These lessons are completely separate from the work the Korean woman does. Apparently, some other gyo-seop-so owner in a nearby apartment became jealous of this woman's success, and called the Ministry of Education. Said jealous person also took video of me coming in and out of the building.

Ministry of Education visited the gyo-seop-so and busted her. She had Korean workers working in there, and her license only allows her to work alone. She'll likely have to pay some sort of fine for having these workers. Then the MOE people told her about the video of me and she admitted I worked there and gave them my phone number. Needless to say I was not happy about her doing that. Now they are going to be contacting me soon. That's where things stand now.

I am on an F-6 visa. I've been here in Korea over 10 years and this is my first time dealing with this kind of hassle. What I'm hoping for here are responses from others on F visas who have been caught in a similar situation. Please refrain from commenting if you don't have experience with this kind of situation on an F visa. I'm not interested in getting into any other kinds of discussion. Thank you.

[Coltronator]

Do you have your license?

If you do then you may be able to argue that you were only renting/using the space for your otherwise legal privates.

Do you trust your wife's ability to explain that quickly and succinctly?

If so then all you may have to worry about is a 20 minute phone call and then making sure you quickly register that class with the MOE.

[ttompatz]

[Coltronator]

I agree with ttompatz on that being a better strategy.

However Question of ttomptz.

If the owner to save her some extra charges says she was just renting out space, won't that make the simple F6 it is my employer's fault for not registering me a bit more complicated?

[freshking]

@Coltronator no I don't have that license. I've been researching it today though, and I'm on it first thing tomorrow. I'm hoping that if they contact me in the next few weeks, then showing that I went ahead and got the license may help my cause.

[freshking]

From what I've read about business licenses, I only need one if I'm making more than 12million a year off privates. I wouldn't break that threshold at the three privates a week I teach at her place.

These students are not adults though, and that seems to be a separate issue and requires a tutoring license. That seems to be the license that I will need.

[Coltronator]

Not Business license. your Private Tutor's license. Costs like 40k W. If you don't have it now, don't bother cause getting it after won't do a thing except help you avoid this problem next time.

The main problem you probably have is what are you charging the students per hour?

Most MOEs cap the per hour rate at 11k per hour for each student, plus cost of materials (This also has a cap, so you can't just make a 25 page PDF and sell that for 100k to each student. Thank CDI & YBM for making the MOE specifically close that loophole)

[ttompatz]

[baedaebok]

Where can I get the tutoring license? I'm doing privates with adults and kids (different privates). Do I need a license for either? I meet them privately in home or coffee shop.

BDB