Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Harvard Material]

Hey fellow ESL'rs...check this out.

Seoul Classified, Vol.5. Issue no.9, May 3, 2003. Centerfold story titled "Soldiers of Fortune".

'They're the language institute owner's latest weapon in the war against contract breaking ESL teachers. They do everything from pre-employment background checks to round the clock survelience and midnight apartment ram raids. Sound a little too Orwellian for your liking? Tough luck. Welcome to the future of ESL contract enforcement in Korea. by Jean Breisbois'

Spies, hired by hakwon owner's to hassle, extort...whatever. To make your sorry spot (if you are in a sorry spot), a lot more miserable. I'll only post a few direct statements from this article, but I would urge you all to find a copy of the Seoul Classified for May 3rd, and give it a read. You can find it in Itaewon, Yoido, Hongdae and Sinchon, Kangnam, Yongsan-ku, Jung-ku.

EnfCorp = 3 directors and 34 employees. Brainchild of the operation is Jung Joo-Chan; '...a former English institute franchisee who was driven into bankruptcy by a combination of the IMF crisis and a runaway teaching staff.'

Mr. Jung '...believes that foreigners who come to Korea for employment must fulfill their obligations and behave in a manner which is expected in Korean society.' "Foreigners have a very poor reputation in the ESL industry when it comes to doing the right thing" he says.' "All I want is, to make them behave [foreigners] in an honorable way and not ruin small businesses, this is mine and EnfCorp's goal."

'The majority of EnfCorp's employees carry licensed firearms, and are authorized to use force to get the job done.'

"My first summer with EnfCorp was very, very difficult for me," 'he (Jung??Kim??), says.' " One high profile, nationally franchised imstitute was having great difficulty with a group of foreign teachers from New Zealand." 'It seemed six of these teachers had barricaded themselves inside the institutes apartment and refused to come out until their wage grievances were resolved. The ownership of the institute had tried everything short of calling the police to calm the situation but to no avail.' "To call the police would have caused the owners great shame and difficulty," 'says Kim starring intently ahead. A former Special Forces seargant with a no-nonsense manner, Kim is unapologetic about what he did to end the stand off.' "We waited until they became drunk and then we smashed the door down with a sledge hammer and went in," 'he says.' "They fought like devils and as we were unarmed, we had a very difficult time dealing with them."

'To cut a long but very interesting story short, the lads from New Zealand were overwhelmed, paid an appropriate amount of compensation for the damage they had caused to the apartment, the owner's business and reputation and left for the land of the long white cloud the very next day. EnfCorp 1, Foreign Teachers 0.'

'...24-hour surveillance of employees who are deemed a flight risk, and upon request, frustrate an employee's efforts to leave Korea without their employer's permission.'

ESL teachers have a "poor reputation"? Sure, some teachers are not cut out for Korean living, or teaching for that matter. So if you sign with a bad institute you can't leave it? Held hostage?

What about the many hakwons that don't honour their written and verbal agreements? Is that O.K.? Legal? Can I hire, or better yet!, organize a company to have my contract agreements enforced? Hold the owner accountable for misconduct, false information regarding salary, living conditions, hours, health insurance, pension, overtime, etc...and be in a position to receive compensation for it? I feel some conditions of employee behaviour reflect the conditions at the work place, or the management therein. I am not trying to protect the teachers alone, 'cause some are not doing any good by being here, but to have an employer spy on us? That is deemed 'expected' in Korean society? Watch the numbers of ESL teachers in Korea continue to plumet. How is this to be considered to help the ESL industry?

I would ask the moderators to post this on each forum that they might feel it belongs on, and I would also urge all readers to reconsider inviting their former university mates to come to Korea to start a ' Wonderful future teaching ESL in Korea!'!! My god. Warn your friends of what to expect here.
I will be sending the complete article to as many Canadian universities as I can, immediately. It may not help the industry here, but many of the hakwon owner's aren't interested in improving the industry either. They are simply protecting their assets, and will do anything to increase them.

You people may wish to do the same...

[Gord]

Just so I understand... it's ok for us to threaten school owners with force if we feel they might mistreat us, but it's just wrong for them to have a security detail who may try to ensure we do what we promise to do?

[The Lemon]

[Harvard Material]

[Gord]

I didn't state an opinion in favor or against this EnfCorp issue.

I just merely pointed out that in this thread ( http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=3825 ), that many felt employing the services of others to use violence was a perfectly acceptable solution. For the record, I think it's exceptionally retarded that a person would threaten a smaller woman with violence and then claim they are a tough hero, but I was in the minority.

Now this perfectly acceptable solution has swung around. You're saying it's not so acceptable. That's fine. I'm just pointing out the hypocrisy that is about to unfold.

[The Lemon]

[Harvard Material]

O.K. Gord...have to agree with that. That is an extreme case, but all the more reason for an owner to want the services of an agency such as EnfCorp. EnfCorp takes the owner's problem, for a fee I am guessing, and removes the the key resolution figure from the equation all together. The owner buys their way out? For what? Leaving an employee to deal with an agency? A total unrelated stranger who has little idea what in fact is happening/happened?

Personally, I wouldn't do what the Donkey dared to do, but I am not surprised that some people will. It was a lot of money, and he worked for it. He claims he got his money, and the owner had good reason to pay it...if not for the fact that it was owed in the first place! Why did it have to become a problem for him, and why did he have to go to such extremes to get paid? Pay the guy and the problem is resolved!

This is what owner's are willing to do to get a bit farther ahead. Most people would have given up. Donkey took a radical approach and it worked. Sure there are more peaceful approaches, but I think they were exhausted from what he stated of the events.

Reaching a peaceful resolution is the key, without the use of head-hunters. That I do agree with Gord. That is why I disagree with owner's using an agency to spy and forcibly 'frustrate' disappointed teachers. It is a stall tactic. A scare tactic, and an immoral stand.

[hellofaniceguy]

Yeah, like the "goon squad" is going to prevent someone from leaving korea?!?! Won't happen! Never. What, they going to force someone to teach? Force them to go to the hokwon? Wrong answer.
The part about the Kiwi's door getting kicked in, I'll go for but that would happen in any country.
If the school is screwing you around, leave! No one can use you unless you let them. Schools need you a lot more than you need them!
Just do your job the best you can, give the school no reason to complain and hopefully you'll survive and get a parole in a year! Again, if not, leave korea if the school does not appreciate you.

[Gord]

[hellofaniceguy]

[quote="hellofaniceguy"]Yeah, like the "goon squad" is going to prevent someone from leaving korea?!?! Won't happen! Never. What, they going to force someone to teach? Force them to go to the hokwon? Wrong answer.
The part about the Kiwi's door getting kicked in, I'll go for but that would happen in any country.
If the school is screwing you around, leave! No one can use you unless you let them. Schools need you a lot more than you need them!
Just do your job the best you can, give the school no reason to complain and hopefully you'll survive and get a parole in a year! Again, if not, leave korea if the school does not appreciate you.
On another note; all businesses are required by immigration to provide you with airfare home. That is the law. Before immigration will issue a Visa, the business must sign a sponsor form with immigration or no Visa will be issued. Businesses know this; they are hoping that employees don't and won't force the issue. Airfare does NOT have to be returned. But if someone agrees to it then that is another story....

[Gord]

[richinkorea]

Picked up a copy of this free mag the other day.

[panthermodern]

Well, I think we should find there office and "frustrate" their ability to conduct business. Whose with me?

I have never heard of these baracaded Kiwis before and if they did indeed sledge hammer their way in I am surprized that I have never heard of it before.

I agree that this sounds more like a hoax than anything else.

But, I will keep my eyes and ears open ... These folks sound like they need making an example of ...

CYA

panthermodern

[panthermodern]

If this article turns out to be bogus, which it most likely is, I think the collective ESL community in Korea should express our displeasure with the Seoul Classified, for, if it were a joke it was 1) not funny and in poor taste, and 2) they should not be putting ideas into Hakwon owners heads.

[Tiger Beer]

Annoying.. if a Hagwan is having problems retaining teachers.. they should probably re-examine what they are doing wrong..