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some waygug-in
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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 Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 8:43 pm Post subject: Life in Korea???????? |
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The latest episode of the saga of my dire existence here in Korea.
What the F*** am I supposed to do?
My wages are somewhere between 3 and 4 months behind, but nobody is sure as there are no pay records.
I tried to find the MOL for Gimhae, as I was told that the one in Busan won't help me. However, no one seems to know where it is. Great. 
What next?
I was contemplating a midnight run, even had ferry tickets bought and paid for to Fukuoka and was ready to leave ..............
Then everyone I met kept telling me, "Don't do it! You'll never be able to work in Korea again!"
So they convinced me that I should try and work things out here first.
I only have 1 month left on my contract, should be simple right?
Wrong! The jerk never got my visa finalized until 3 months after I had started work, he claimed that it was all Immigration's fault. So now I am wondering if he can force me to stay here until July? Oh joy of joys! Wouldn't that be lovely. 
So I thought, why not go to immigration and report his ass.
In order for me to go there from Gimhae, I would pretty much have to skip a day of work, as immigration doesn't deal with these things on the weekend. In doing such, I would be giving the boss some ammunition to use against me.
See...... he skipped a day of work. He's a trouble maker, deport the stupid wayguk f***er!
If that all weren't enough, my ex-girlfriend got involved offering to help. Only her version of "help" involved ranting and raving at me about how foreigners are all causing problems in Korea.  And how I should just go back to work and keep my mouth shut. 
If it weren't happening to me right now, I would never believe it would be possible. What a joyous time I'm having here in the land of Kimchi.
Hi mom. Aren't you proud?
Does it get any better than this?
I hope your experience is better than mine.
Cheers
Then everyone kept telling me that immigration will automatically take the hagwan's side in any dispute, and most likely will charge me with breach of contract for bothering them with this........ and then most likely have me deported. |
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fidel
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Location: North Shore NZ
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| Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 10:14 pm Post subject: |
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Instead of everyone telling you things make your own decisions, that way you have no one to blame but yourself!
Hope whatever you decide works out. |
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Summer Wine
Joined: 20 Mar 2005
Location: Next to a River
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| Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 10:56 pm Post subject: |
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Ok, we all have bad experiences. Firstly ignore all advice that isn't helpful. Secondly, when does your visa run out? Ignore the contract as it has no impact on how long you should stay in Korea. The visa tells you that. Thirdly, if they aren't paying you then they are breaking thier laws, not our laws, thiers!!! Fourthly, decide what you want to do, life is usually better after you have time out or get something better.
I had experiences here that made me so angry at Korea that I could have pushed the button and danced with joy afterwards. But I am now in a place that is Ok, and it evens out the other problems. I am still in Korea.
Don't fret, work at it and ignore those who find life great here. It just means they haven't felt the pain, otherwise they would be more limiting on thier complaints about you and thier support for here would be limited.
Be cool with life, its not all bad. |
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some waygug-in
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 1:20 am Post subject: |
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That's all well and fine, but what should I do?
Person A says ------- do this.
Person B says --------no, no, don't do that - do this.
Person C says-------- they're both wrong, do something else.
Can anyone tell me what immigration is most likely to do if I do take this up with them?
This ain't a lot of fun right now.
Also, does anyone know where the labour office is in Gimhae? |
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bosintang
Joined: 01 Dec 2003
Location: In the pot with the rest of the mutts
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| Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 2:13 am Post subject: |
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I'll keep my advice nice & simple.
Go over to http://www.efl-law.org/forums and post your problem over there. Listen to the EFL-Law guy's advice. |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 2:28 am Post subject: |
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#1. No, you would not be barred for life if you ran now. Only until your current visa expires. (If you run, you'll never get the money that is owed to you.)
#2. Look on the back of your ARC and check the date. That is the expiration date of this E-2 visa. That will tell you when your contract finishes. (The dates are the same.)
#3. Look in your bank book for deposit dates. That should tell you when you last got paid.
#4. Contact ESL law.
#5. Call the MOL in Busan and ask if they can help. If not, ask for the phone number and address of the branch that will.
Good luck. |
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Real Reality
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: Seoul
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tomwaits
Joined: 05 Feb 2003
Location: PC Bong
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| Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 6:17 am Post subject: |
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Don't worry about Immigooks. Just get on with your life.
Good luck I'm in the same boat.  |
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Teufelswacht
Joined: 06 Sep 2004
Location: Land Of The Not Quite Right
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| Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 7:27 am Post subject: |
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I usually don't post to topics like this one. However, after reading the OP several times I just couldn't resist.
First, the advice given by the others is all good. I would also recommend you contact the good people at EFL Law - and educate yourself. No one is going to be responsible for you but you.
I don't mean to be harsh SW but I have a few questions for you that kept coming to mind as I read your posting:
| Quote: |
| My wages are somewhere between 3 and 4 months behind, but nobody is sure as there are no pay records. |
What do you mean "nobody is sure.?" Don't YOU know the last time you were paid? If there are no pay records (?!) how do you know taxes, pension, health insurance are being deducted and forwarded/paid on your behalf?
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| I tried to find the MOL for Gimhae, as I was told that the one in Busan won't help me. However, no one seems to know where it is. Great. |
Who told you? Have you called Busan? Have you looked up the phone number of the office in Gimhae? Do you have an internet connection? Just how much have YOU done yourself to rectify not knowing where the office is? How about a Korean speaking friend, other than your EX-girlfriend, do you have one? How about a friend of a friend?
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I was contemplating a midnight run, even had ferry tickets bought and paid for to Fukuoka and was ready to leave ..............
Then everyone I met kept telling me, "Don't do it! You'll never be able to work in Korea again!"
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Am I to understand that you were planning a runner and were running your mouth about it (sorry for the pun - couldn't help it)? What's the first rule? Riiiight, keep your mouth shut about doing a runner.
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I only have 1 month left on my contract, should be simple right?
Wrong! The jerk never got my visa finalized until 3 months after I had started work, he claimed that it was all Immigration's fault. So now I am wondering if he can force me to stay here until July? Oh joy of joys! Wouldn't that be lovely. |
What do you mean by "finalized"? Are you talking about when you received your ARC after landing or are you talking about working without an E-2 in your passport? There is a huge difference between the two. Someone else posted here telling you where ot look to see when your visa expires. It doesn't matter what your contract says. What is on your ARC or in your passport is what matters to immigration. I can't believe you are not even sure when your visa expires. How long have you known about this little discrepancy?
| Quote: |
So I thought, why not go to immigration and report his ass.
In order for me to go there from Gimhae, I would pretty much have to skip a day of work, as immigration doesn't deal with these things on the weekend. In doing such, I would be giving the boss some ammunition to use against me.
See...... he skipped a day of work. He's a trouble maker, deport the stupid wayguk f***er!
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So you are afraid you are going to get in trouble when your boss tells immigration you skipped work to come to immigration? Tell the boss you have no choice but to go, and that you are also going to stop off at the Ministry of Labor office, the National Pension Corporation (NPC) office and the TAX office. Then sit back and watch the shortness of breath, facial color changes, etc, that your boss will exhibit. Again, the people at EFL Law should be able to tell you how to handle this.
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| If that all weren't enough, my ex-girlfriend got involved offering to help. Only her version of "help" involved ranting and raving at me about how foreigners are all causing problems in Korea. And how I should just go back to work and keep my mouth shut. |
O.K. this is an April Fools joke, right? If not, then this is just sad. You are sharing your problems with an EX-girlfriend? Incredible.
SW, nobody is going to help you out but you. I am sorry you are having all this trouble but you are the only one who can get yourself educated and out of this mess.
With your pay problems what do you think the chances are of you getting your severance. Riiiiight. That's what I thought, too. What do you think the chances are that you are going to get fired prior to completing your contract just so the boss doesn't have to pay severance. Riiiight. Now you're catching on.
I don't know, but from what you have shared so far it appears your boss could be in violation of the Labor Standards Act, the Tax Code, the National Pension Scheme, etc., etc.
It's time to get busy, get smart, and stop being a doormat.
So to recap:
You worked over 3 and maybe even 4 months without being paid.
You kinda, sorta thought about doing a runner, but thought better of it after discussing it with others (which may have included an EX-girlfriend).
You are not sure when your visa expires.
You can't find a government office in Gimhae.
You are afraid to go to immigration because your boss might have a hissy fit.
Simply incredible.
Not specifically directed at you SW but why does it seem that some people spend more time researching the brand of beer they are going to drink, than educating themselves about living and working half-way around the world? |
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some waygug-in
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 3:00 pm Post subject: |
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No, I was receiving partial payments until such time as student numbers come back.
Student numbers are only sufficient at this place during the vacation times in January and August. Those are the only times when the guy can actually afford to pay me.
The reason I am not sure, well my last payment was 800,000 won. That was 2 weeks ago.
I tried to confront the boss about it at that time, but he says "next week", then when next week comes, he says next week again. He's never here in the morning, so the only time I can confront him is after class at night.
He always says 'tomorrow' and I've been letting it slide partly because I feel sorry for the guy. He really doesn't have enough students to pay me.
I just want out of here without having to worry about being barred from Korea.
On January 1, I was owed 2 month's wages and had been paid small amounts during the past 3 months. In January and February he paid me in full, but only for those 2 months. Now it's back to small amounts again.
As for the date, on my ARC it says July 7, on my Visa it says July 7, but on my contract it says April 30. (final dates) You ask me how this is all possible. Well it's possible because no body seems to know what the laws are here.
I contacted EFL Law a long time ago. They told me to give 30 days notice, but keep working.
I gave my 30 days notice, but I'm not so sure the boss understood, as his English ain't so hot.
If this will really get me out of this place, fine. I will work this last month,
but with everything else that's happened here, I doubt very much that it's that simple.
I intend to confront the boss again this evening, as this was supposed to be the day he paid me after delaying 3 times.
If there is no pay tonight, I will demand that he sign a release letter and this will be my last day. But I'm sure the boss will try and pull something else to avoid the issue. Maybe he won't show up today. He's done that several times.
Last edited by some waygug-in on Sun Apr 03, 2005 3:09 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Derrek
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 3:06 pm Post subject: |
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| some waygug-in wrote: |
No, I was receiving partial payments until such time as student numbers come back.
Student numbers are only sufficient at this place during the vacation times in January and August. Those are the only times when the guy can actually afford to pay me.
The reason I am not sure, well my last payment was 800,000 won. That was 2 weeks ago.
I tried to confront the boss about it at that time, but he says "next week", then when next week comes, he says next week again.
On January 1, I was owed 2 month's wages and had been paid small amounts during the past 3 months. In January and February he paid me in full, but only for those 2 months. Now it's back to small amounts again.
As for the date, on my ARC it says July 7, on my Visa it says July 7, but on my contract it says April 30. (final dates) You ask me how this is all possible. Well it's possible because no body seems to know what the laws are here.
I contacted EFL Law a long time ago. They told me to give 30 days notice, but keep working.
I gave my 30 days notice, but I'm not so sure the boss understood, as his English ain't so hot.
If this will really get me out of this place, fine. I will work this last month,
but with everything else that's happened here, I doubt very much that it's that simple. |
Dude, you've been here long enough. I appreciate how these problems can compound slowly into a really big one, but geesh.... get a Korean-speaking friend and meet you boss and clear this stuff up. Give him the 30 days notice in writing.
Better yet, find an older person and shame him into admitting it in front of the older guy, if possible.
Demand you pay, and tell them you are contacting the labor board if you don't get it. |
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paperbag princess
Joined: 07 Mar 2004
Location: veggie hell
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| Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 4:08 pm Post subject: |
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| 3 months late in pay??? are you kidding me. call the labour board 1350. talk to them. report your boss. |
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Derrek
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 4:39 pm Post subject: |
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| paperbag princess wrote: |
| 3 months late in pay??? are you kidding me. call the labour board 1350. talk to them. report your boss. |
What does 1350 mean? |
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some waygug-in
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 7:16 pm Post subject: |
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Labour board. Well, I finally found out where it is in Gimhae.
It's somewhere near city hall. But according to advice I've received on this board, I need some kind of proof and I also need someone who is fluent in Korean to go with me as all the forms will be in Korean.
There's the rub. The guy's just been handing me wads of cash now and again. No pay stubbs, no bank records, nothing.
How am I suppposed to prove anything? |
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tzechuk
Joined: 20 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 7:27 pm Post subject: |
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| 1350 is the telephone number for the labour board. |
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