Korean Job Discussion Forums

[OverLeft]

I have an interesting dilemma for you all to ponder. My wife and I would like to begin looking for work in Korea this fall, however I've a BA and she does not. I've heard that she could accompany me as a dependant and as such she could work up to 20 hrs per week. Is this true?
If it is, what kind of employment opportunities would she be likely to find? Alternatively could she make any money if she was to possibly start a day care/English school for toddlers in our apartment? Have any of you ever started your own small business in Korea (or heard of other foreigners who have)? What are the logistics of doing so?

[kimcheeking]

You wife could come on a dependant visa but she would be unable to work. She must have a 3 or 4 year university degree.

[OverLeft]

Hmmmm..... ...... A 3 to 4 yr degree required to open a small business, that's interesting criteria .... one would think they'd usually inquire about startup capital, business plan, etc; a 3 to 4yr degree seems a little arbitrary doesn't it?

Does anyone else have a second opinion or advice based on actual first hand experience (second hand could suffice as well) to offer?

[desultude]

My understanding is that a four year degree is needed to get a work visa, period. There is growing unemployment here in Korea, and there are many Korean women who could do the work your wife wants to do. All countries, including the U.S., use some means to protect their labor markets.

From everything I have read, it is really a bad idea to work without a proper visa- big fines and potential deportation.

[OverLeft]

That's interesting.. .. .. where did you find your information? I'd like to have a look.

[desultude]

Sounds like you are committed, good luck.

I have met Korean women here who have small children, no jobs, and speak fairly good English, which is all the toddlers really need.

All I am saying is:

1) There are rules, which include having at least a B.A. to have a work visa in Korea.

2) There are reasons for the rules.

3) You violate them at your own risk.

[OverLeft]

Initially I hadn't intended to get into this sort of disputive argument; maybe some clarification(unfortunately clarification usually doesn't lead to brevity) is required on my part. Failing the work visa option, my wife was wondering about obtaining a business visa(yes there's a difference between the two). I was hoping for some feedback from those individuals who'd experienced the process of starting a business in Korea. I've done some basic(very basic) research on-line, but apart listing a few necessary prerequisites (which we fulfill), most sources obviously do little to convey the actual possible lived experience of the applicants who are/have been in the midst of the process.....

desultude ... The English daycare (friends of ours are doing this in Japan - it's amazing how a caucasian appearance and a North American accent can be a phenomenal competitve advantage) is just one of many ideas we're floating, and as far as it relates to the other questions posed, a re-reading of the start of this thread would show that it is a fairly nonessential part of the overall inquiry. Which as you will no doubt now notice is more tied to the question of the small business start-up process in general. The subsequent post asked for an informed opinion; which one might think would normally be accompanied by the standard referral to a source of information...... Your "understanding" of "the rules" which I have no intention of contravening (by the way where did you get that idea?), hasn't lead toward any elucidation whatsoever. I now regret having been drawn into this mess of negative discussion, however it seems that my manners, like those of certain others, have been thrown into desultude..

[Jensen]

It has been a while...ok, quite a while, since I worked in Korea...planning a return to do some language study, hence my lurking around. If I am providing outdated information here, somebody please say so. My impression was that a spouse without a contract with a hakwon could keep entertained and get some decent compensation with private lessons as long as it wasn't so obvious that someone, say the hagwon owners, made a stink about it. At the time there was a lot of argument over whether private lessons should be against the law, and if so, how the laws would be enforced. I do know that the spouses of military/support people were often very aggressive with setting up private lessons and made an amazing amount of won which they spent on the local economy, or else used to "buy dollars" in the back room of a...uh... underwear store, in Iteawon. I understand that there are rules and risks, but I wonder what the realities of the situation currently are? Are people really being deported for teaching private lessons?

[desultude]

I'm sorry if I seemed rude. I tried to answer the question you initially asked, and obviously I misunderstood your intent. I didn't know you meant to try a business, and you are correct, I don't know the rules about such things. I do know that a lot of people try to work illegally here, and there can be serious repercussions for that. I have worked off the books in Mexico, but would not try it here.

And you are also correct about the caucasion/North American advantage. We all seem to have the great talent of being white and speaking English, and this is not something I am complaining about.

Jensen, I have seen posts here regarding the legal situation and privates. It does sound like people get caught and penalized. One poster told of his hogwan being raided and several teachers being fined and/or deported. It just sounds riskier than in other places. Do a search here regarding privates and you may find the information you need.

[Jensen]

Thanks desultude, made for interesting reading and then I got caught up in the whole "affairs with married women posts" which was even better. Sounds like things are a little more strict than before regarding private lessons.

Over Left, sorry my post had nothing to do with a legitimate approach to doing business in Korea...it's a novel concept and one I obviously know nothing about. It always seemed to me that by trying to follow the rules and do things legit, I got peppered with fines. My buddies who were teaching tons of private lessons and were totally illegal on tourist visas were raking in the dough and never seemed to get hassled. Perhaps things have changed, but day-to-day business in Korea always seemed to me to be largely a matter of survival and timing. I would contact a lawyer working in Korea about formally starting an enterprise as a foreigner, and what that entails. My experience with rules in Korea, particularly with immigration, was that they are used against you, but have little meaning when you might benefit from them. If you are patient and persistent this might be well be worth the effort, but it will probably be a nightmare of bureacratic hassles initally, and later I would expect a multitude of small fines and fees for processing paperwork and supposed "violations." Pardon the voice of doom, and good luck in your endeavor.

[marsha marsha marsha]

For a foreigner to start a business in Korea, you need to have an account in Korea with at least KW70,000 (last I heard) and fill out about 200 forms. No joke. All the forms are in Korean and you will probably need a lawyer. That is why most companies owned by foreigners, like hogwans, are started by folks with Korean spouses.
My friends own a restaurant and it took all of their money and their family's money to do it. You don't have to spend that money, you just have to show you have it. Odd but true.
I know a guy that started his own yoga teaching business, no set school location or anything, and he had to fill out 212 official forms in Korean before he could start business!
Not to say your wife couldn't just do it on her own and not worry about permits but legally, it would be a very expensive pain in the rear. Plus, your apartment will probably be to small to do anything anyway.
Most spouses without degrees, non native English speakers included, end up teaching at a hogwon illegally or just doing privates. It is so easy to do and the money is usually hard to resist. I am not advocating this but it is usually what happens. I had a friend who is married to a Pakistani. I could hardly understand his English but he was still a phone English instructor. Soooo scary! Did they think the students couldn't tell he was a non native speaker just cause they couldn't see him? Bizarre!
Anyway, just what I know, hope it helps...