Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bap]

hello all,
i've got a little situation here,
i'm three months into a one year contract and i want to leave. i'm planning staying until six months of my contract are over but i was wondering what the best way to get out would be.
i want to leave the country and go home so do i need a release letter or should i just give my thirty days notice to immigration?
my boyfriend is in the same situation as me but he wants to stay in korea and find work elsewhere. does he need the release letter or should he just give notice to immigration too?
i've read a few posts about this already but it seems as though there isn't one answer and i'm confused.
also, i was wondering if anybody who has left mid contract had any problems recieving their last months pay.
thanks

[Anda]

If you give notice through immigration it is two months not one. If you do a mid night run and your boss doesn't put in a formal written complaint on you, then you can come straight back in most locations. You can come back anyways after your contract time reguardless.
Your boss doesn't have to give you a release letter if you leave him even with notice. So take your pick.
If you choose the midnight run then it is better to come back under a different immigration office.

[K-in-C]

If you choose the midnight run then it is better to come back under a different immigration office.[/quote]

I gave notice and got my last pay but Immigration did staple something to my passport. Has anyone had this happen? Any idea what it might be?

Hmmm, the variety store down the street is owned by Koreans. Maybe they will translate it for me. :idea:

K

[The Cube]

..

[mack the knife]

did your school buy you a round trip ticket when you came over? they might ask you to reimburse them for that, and you should pay it. why? the only reason they gave you airfare was because they expected you to work for a whole year. korean law [i]does not [/i]require hogwons to pay airfare. if teachers continue to take advantage of this fact by skipping out on their hogwons before the one year contract is completed, without reimbursing the school for airfare, sooner or later they won't provide it and all newbies will be SOL.

**steps down from pulpit**

on the other hand...if they ask you to pay for other expenses such as recruiting fees or tickets to japan for the next teacher, you don't need to pay those.

[Skippy]

Posted by Skippy's Girlfriend
I guess a lot of people, if they leave have problems with the last months pay.

My hagwon boss fired me and didn't pay me the last months pay. I had told them I wanted to stay in Korea and find another job, but they wouldn't give me the letter of release. That is key. I waited around too long after finishing the job, so I had to leave for 20 days. I think if you're organised you can leave the country to japan, get another visa and come back on a tourist. But I guess you should have visa paperwork ready if you don't want to make a second trip.

[bap]

i was told that if i do a midnight run i will be turned back at the airport once my passport number is entered into a computer and they findout that i have a contract.
my contract states that if want to leave i must give 20 days notice and that if i leave after six months (i plan on waiting out the six months) i don't have to pay back the plane ticket. the cost of my plane ticket (as far as i know) was for a one way trip - this was on my ticket stub. but i don't know if for a round trip ticket you pay the other half later. even if it is was a round trip ticket, couldn't i still use it to get home and just pay my employer half the cost of the ticket (the cost to get back)?

[mack the knife]

you should reimburse your employer for the full amount of the ticket in normal circumstances...however...your contract states otherwise (if you stay for more than 6 months), so you don't need to pay anything (if you complete the 6 months).

nothing will happen to you at the airport. you can leave whenever. most teachers are issued a multiple re-entry visa by the school/immigration, which means you can come and go as you please.

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

[Rebel Rob]

Ok, I've read throught the posts and I still need some info. I'm working at a hawkwon from hell. I'm almost at my 8 month mark and I can't stand my employer any more. Our boss deducts 6% for tax and medical insurance but we are not provided with medical insurance. Instead we have to pay 50% of any incuded medical expenses. So each of the teachers is being gouged an extra 550,000 won a year out of their pay.

Working conditions are terrible and the school is filthy. The boss won't even spring for a cleaner. No one has renewed at this school in the past 2 years and it is not likely to happen soon. There is no chance of getting a release letter from my boss. I need to do a midnight run. I have managed to find a new job but I still need to leave the country. How exactly does a midnight run work, and if my bills are paid is there a chance I can get my deposit back from my boss? If not, is there a way to get back the illegal tax money my boss withheld?

[mack the knife]

since you have worked at the hogwon for more than 9 months, your boss is required to give you a letter of release. it's not his choice. go to immigration and tell them what the situation is (you could also go to a local government office, but they probably won't speak english and you'll need a korean friend/co-worker to be your interpreter).

you do not need to get a new visa (i.e. leave the country). immigration will give you a stamp to show your change of school (once they have received the letter of release).

midnight runs are bad business for everyone, particularly because they are totally unecessary.