Korean Job Discussion Forums

[The King of Kwangju]

I'm not in Korea, but correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Seoul Classified aimed at the expat community? Why would they print a bogus, scaremongering article to frighten their readers?

Any chance of tracking down the author, Jean Breisbois?

[chi-chi]

There used to be an article on here about something like this-I think it was the old board.
A guy came on with a warning about Nowon SLP in Seoul. He had been taken to the police for something he had been doing in his apt. (herb, maybe?)
Then the hogwan owner came on the board, saying "see you in court" and all this mess. He admitted that he had had a video camera put into this dude's apt.
Do you really think that anything's NOT possible in Korea? This is the land of Oz....(that name should have been given to Korea, not Australia....)

[The Lemon]

[Harvard Material]

I agree with you on all your points panthermodern. Seoul Classified seemed to project a rather "It's funny 'cause it isn't me!" Homer Simpson approach, in my opinion. Was a pretty heartless read...certainly one-sided. "EnfCorp 1. ESL teachers 0". Or Kiwis, or whoever it stated. Jean Breisbois sounds pretty witty. No doubt a potential nominee for the Pulitzer Prize over that crack.

When you read the article, Seoul Classified is making reference to the likes of Arnold Schwartzen$%#@@!& - The Terminator - and instead of acting/reporting professionally, Seoul Classified gave me the impression they aren't overly concerned about the legal or personal rights of ESL teachers; a very large percentage of it's readers, I would imagine.

If this is a hoax they should be exposed for supporting it, if not inventing it. They better be able to back it up. If it isn't?

Step #2 - If it does actually exist (Enforcment Corporation), I hope they encounter a rougher ride than the Seoul Classified success story is advertising for 'EnfCorp'. They literally ended up seeming like the 'good guy' in this article. I can just follow people around and video tape them? Through their apartment windows? That's legal!?

Start e-mailing EnfCorp at enfcorp@ie, and Seoul Classified (...sorry. don't have that address with me), and get some serious Q and A happening.

What institute did these New Zealand 'lads' work for? Why did a group of 6 teachers voluntarily refuse to return to work, all at the same time? The hakwon/owner wasn't breaching any of the individual's contract's? How was all of this resolved so quickly - within the course of one day - and the Kiwis immediately sent home to the 'Land of the Long White Cloud'? EnfCorp have a private jet for such instances? Must have their own set of Immigration laws as well as their own privacy laws...it does sound totally unrealistic.

[panthermodern]

IF (and I do mean IF) EnfCorp is indeed real we (the EFL community) will need to ...

1) Get their phone numbers and call and call and call and call ........
2) Get their email and mail and mail and mail and mail ...(unleash the GWoW)
3) Go to their HQ and photgraph anyone and everyone going inot their office and post their photos.
4) Photograph thier vehicles and plates and post those as well.
5) to be continued .....

IF (and I do mean probibly) EnfCorp is indeed a HOAX we should ....

1) Call the Seoul Classifed once, politely and expalin the case and ask, politely for a retraction and an appology.
2) If #1 fails call the Seoul Classified and call and call and call
3) and email and email and email (GWoW would be good at this)
4) Go to all the advertisers and explain how unfunny this was and have them contact the Seoul Classified and have them explain how, in one month, thier establishement will be no longer in reciept of any dirty foreign lucre.
5) Boycott the Seoul Classifieds clients.
6) To be continued

This concept is bad in all ways. As many know I work in the "slave trade" as a Human Resources Coordinator and I pray that nobody takes this article at all seriously both in and outside of Korea.

The last thing I, or any anyother hakwon needs these days, is some B.S. tale that scares away potential employees.

Smart business will see such draconian tactics as counter productive. As someone else wisely posted, question why people are leaving?

In addition, why would a hokwon boss hire goons which I am sure are more expensive then paying your staff?

That is the biggest clue that this article reeks of HOAX.

How much to these goons cost and will they cross the field for cash?

Will they "frustrate" a hakwon from not screwing their staff if the price is right?

I must agree that background checks would be valuable, but I can do them myself, unless it requires a "legal look in". Personally I am scared to death of hiring any pedophiles, and if I could, investigate potential staff for sex crimes. Of course we (the Co. and I) can not afford to do this.

I agree (Choke) with Lemon that it is a hoax, but, I disagree that we should not bother talking about it. The author and the Seoul Classified should be called up on the carpet on this one. The article, if untrue, is just plain stupid, a kind of "bitting the hand that feeds you".

Typical xenophobic arrogance that I for one am sick of, I am sick of this B.S. and I am ready to make my stand.

When you think about it, the Seoul Classifeid was especailly stupid, with growing rumbings of the Yongsan Garrison moving south of the Han and the Anti-USFK sentment; the Seoul Classified's main readership is slowing becoming not the military but ESL instructors. Since this rag relies on the advertisers, the advertisers are the ones that we need to rally or use to seek some justice, or art least truth

Or, this does not piss you off as much as I.

Whatever ....

[marsha marsha marsha]

I think it is the reporter that got dooped. I am sure there is some overeager idiot who thinks he is Rambo and thought up this idea. It somehow got to the reporter who just took this idiots word for truth. The guy probably has business cards, an office but no business. This is Korea, people always pretend to be much bigger than they are.

Bottom line, the reporter believed some trumped up story and it got printed.

BTW, once I saw this Korean guy on the subway dressed head to toe in FBI garb. His hat, his jacket and everything. He was even wearing jump boots! He was walking thru the subway cars like he was patrolling themor something. Absolutly hilarious! All the Koreans were stiffening up when he walked by and became really silent. I, of course, was cracking up. I am sure this guy had some delusion that he was FBI and some gulliable Koreans believed him. Same case with this sad reporter, I suspect.

[The King of Kwangju]

[FlagWaver]

Hmmm,

Gotta go with the Kingster on this one.

Not very Korean at all.

[Skippy]

This Enf comp sounds more like a leg breaking business my Uncle Tommy ran for some bsiness men in New York.

Na this is a hoax or overblown situtation. This business will not make money. As most hagwons would not spend the money to watch teachers as they will not spend money to hire teachers or pay them faitly. And besides there is probally private detectives you can hire here that would be cheaper. Hell you can hire a guy off the street to handle this. Or hire some of those tough Korean gangsters.

Besides the one that makes me laugh is the armed security. Why do enforcers need guns. At the most one would need a baton or baseball bat to deal with the most pissed off teachers. And it would raise less international incidents. You try explaining to the Korean government you had to shoot a canadian teacher because he would not leave his room to work. Most armed security in this country revolves around money and moving money. Banks and armored cares. Riot police batons. Which are in a more dangerous job.

I would say some of the services would be useful for a haqgon. The background checks yes. Following of teachers also. All is fair in love and war. If I work illegally and my school wants to find out. Remember I am breaking the law. So they send some one to follow me. If they find out I am smoking dope by sending someone to follow me ok fair. All for them to fire me for breaking the contract (within in reason).

People be careful. Check to make sure your apartment has you new locks. Give your spare keys to a trusted friend not you boss. Spell the rules for your boss. If he goes into your apartment with no permission you quit. Be carefull how you party - dope and booze can get many people in trouble. And do privates and illegals carefully. Do not tell everybody what you do.

Skippy the Evil Scientist

[Bulsajo]

Maybe it has changed over the past couple of years, but except for the fact that Seoul Cassified actually had some classified ads it was a piece of [edit: doodie]. If the editor hasn't changed it's definitely a hoax.

[The King of Kwangju]

I wrote these guys yesterday under the name Riddley Walker, seeing if I could contract out their services. It was a rather transparent ruse, I admit, and even more so if they read these boards, but here's our brief exchange:



Dear Mr.Walker,

Thank-you for your communication.

Unfortunately we cannot assist you with your
"friend's" problem as EnfCorp is a private company
that accepts referral business only.

If your "friend" is an institute owner then they can
contact us through channels which have already been
established.

As you have emailed EnfCorp using a unique client
email address that was created for use between
ourselves and a third-party, we can only assume that
your enquiry is fraudulent.

Please advise the individual that you obtained this
address from that his act of bad faith has been noted
and will be communicated to our client.

No further correspondence will be entered into.

Yours faithfully,


Lee Joochan
Communications Manager
Enforcement Corporation




--- ���� �� wrote:
> Dear Enfcorp,
>
> A friend of mine read about your services in the
> Seoul
> Classified magazine. He's hesitant to contact you,
> but
> he's very interested in employing your organization
> to
> handle a particularly thorny issue he's
> experiencing.
>
> How much do you usually charge, and how do we begin
> the process? He needs to start as soon as possible.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Riddley Walker
>
> __________________________________
> Do you Yahoo!?
> The New Yahoo! Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo.
> http://search.yahoo.com

[Stunted Wookie]

What a crock of BS.....

If this company is real, it must be registered....and how would they advertise to hogwan?
"referral business only" ....so how did they start in the first place?

There should be contact to our embassies to have them inquire on a higher level.
Remember they may intimidate the average teacher..but they are just thugs that can be dealt with if handled properly.

Without blowing a gasket of being over reactive, there should be further steps to verify if this is real.
Your attempt to contact them at least got a response...a fairly professional written one too. So how can we go around Lee Joochan to find the real details?

[The King of Kwangju]

Wookie -

The response is a little too professional. They even get a little sarcastic. I'll eat my hat if that was written by a Korean. This guy tipped his hand.

It reads like it was written by a wayguk, which makes more sense.

Guns, sledgehammers, drunken kiwis, established (secret) channels of communication - someone is putting us on, and probably the Seoul Classifieds, as well. I can think of a few on this board who would do it, just for kicks.

It's actually quite funny.

[another old hand vet]

some of you teachers will believe just about anything

[The Lemon]