Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Mojo]

Hi There!
Does anybody know what the procedure is to get a release letter from the Daegu Immigration Office? Must the hagwon owner sign the letter or is there a way to bypass that. We work closely to 10 hours at the school and are getting screwed big time. Six people left in the four months the school has been opened. We want to stay in Korea but not at the same school. What to do??

[Anda]

The safe way is to go to the immigration office and tell them that you would like to finish with your current employer and give the reasons. You have to give two months notice to immigration and this way you don't need a letter of release. The other way is through your boss with a month's notice but this doesn't mean that he has to give you a release letter.
The third way is to do the midnight run and to come back and work in a different immigration area. This works most of the time provided that your boss hasn't lodged an oficial written complaint on you.

[Mojo]

Thanks for the answer, but if you go to another Immagration district don't they see that you have an E2 in your passport? Do I have to tell the owner about my 2 months notice or not.

[Anda]

First question: when you leave korea you have to hand in your alian E2 card. When you do this your E2 is cancelled so you need to get a tourist to get back in, then when you find a new job you have to do another E2 visa run.
Second question. I'm not 100% sure but immigration would do it anyway. Once you have gone through immigration your boss might be able to say; "finish up" but that is what you want so go along with it by going straight back to immigration and asking if it is okay to find a new job. Immigration are usually alright to get along with provided you talk in a normal voice in a business like manner by sticking to facts.

[Len8]

Some people have actually written their letters of release, and gotten away with it. Letters of release are just letters written by the secretary of your institute. No big deal. I know some one who payed a Korean friend to front for the Hogwan in case they called. The English teacher put the telephone number of the Korean friend on the bogus letter of release, but it wasn't necessary, as they didn't check anyway.

[Anda]

Immigration are not stupid but yes you might get away with a false letter of release but if you get caught then all hell would break loose. I personally wouldn't dream of it, if you have a real Uni degree.

[Medic]

Right I guess it wouldn't be the wisest thing to forge a letter of release, but I've met some good qualified teachers who have had such unbearable situations at their hogwans, and who were driven to doing this. They were desperate, and didn't have much luck with immigration, so forging a letter of release was their only resort.

[Anda]

Sorry to hear the situation. I warn because my immigration file has followed me about since 1990 and it's a really thick one. I got finger printed back then and they've never asked for a second set.

[Skippy]

Mojo sorry to hear of your problems. But can you do us a favour and gives us the name of your school and area it is in.

How long have you been at the school can make a whole lotta difference?

If it is a few months quit legally - give notice, tell immigration, save money, leave come and come back, look for job.

If you have worked over 6 months and you feel the boss is not approachable, do a runner and come back to Korea and work ina different sector.

Skippy the Evil Twin

[hellofaniceguy]

Release letter is NOT required by law. It got started some years back by some hokwon owners. They showed up at the immigration office given written permission for so and so to work elsewhere and be released from the contract. One thing led to another and it snowballed. But, nowhere in Immigration law is a release letter called for. Koreans are not known to think outside of the box and so the release letter business has gotten out of hand. From personal experience, twice over the years, I had to change jobs. In Seoul the immigration office required that you worked at the same place for at least 6 months before changing jobs. Both times a release letter was not needed. I know of many other teachers who also did not need release letters. You need to type up a letter to the school telling them in writing that you are leaving in 30 days and the reasons why. At the end of the letter, cc: it to immigration and the labor board. Hand carry it to both places and have whoever you give it to sign a receipt. 30 days later, you're gone. Now, expect the school to give you a hassle! And expect someone at immigration to also give you a hassle; most immigration people don't know their rearend from their elbows.
You will get a different response from the immigration office for the same question.