Korean Job Discussion Forums

Karabeara · Last edited by Karabeara on Tue Jan 10, 2006 10:00 pm; edited 1 time in total

I took an under-the-table editing job. I hate doing this sort of work. Not only do I not like it, I worry that they will not pay me or something. I also did it because my friend begged me and even bought me dinner. She guarenteed me there would be no problems with pay, because it is one of the largest publishing houses in Korea, etc...

I took on this editing job ONLY because I am on vacation, it was to pay pretty well, and my friend begged me to do it.

She begged me -- twice -- to please, please edit this book because her other friend was really in a dire situation. I told her no. They needed it turned around fast, and agreed to pay me XXX won per page. At that rate, I was to make just shy of a million won for what turned out to be about 12 hours of editing work. Not a bad deal. I noticed that the work had been started by some other foreigner, but not finished, so I called my friend to ask if I should finish the section he did not finish. I was concerned, because this would make the pay higher, and I wanted her to verify that I would indeed be payed for the extra work. She called the people, and they agreed, so I finished that too.

I finished it in four days, and turned it in on time. I was told by my friend that I would be payed the next day.

The next day, my friend mails me and asks if it is OK if they wait a few days to pay me because of some banking transfer excuse. Sure, no problem. Then last night, my friend calls me and says that that guy in charge of the book wants to take out tax, because the money is going through my Korean friend (I will not accept illegal work money directly). Fine. It is a very small amount. I just want my money ASAP.

Then she tells me that he seems to want to renegotiate the pay, and she implies that they might not pay her. Not because of the quality of work, but just because of no reason other than that the guy is a cheating bastard. So I unloaded on my friend. I am really, really angry. This has tarnished our friendship. I really yelled at her. I feel bad about that, but I also want to call her and unload on her again. I am livid.

I want my mistake to be a lesson to the newbies here. Koreans (I can speak only of Korean men, from my experience) are just like this. They will cheat you if given any inch of an opportunity. Not every Korean, but a great many WILL do just that. They have no scruples about it. They seem to consider it smart business to get away with cheating someone. Never, ever, ever trust a Korean who is not your close friend. That is the absolute key. Even still, be cautious. Never, ever, ever do work for anyone without meeting the person, and sizing them up first, or if possible, making some kind of contract. This work was not legal, so I have absolutely no recourse short of sending some really big male friends to this university and taking it out of the guy personally. I should have met this guy first before agreeing to do it.

You have heard of how Kim Jong Il makes deals with governments, then two days later decides to change the deal. My friend who is a higher-up in the US military here told me that the SK government does this to the USA all of the time, with certain agreements they make over different things. A lot of this stuff will never reach the newspaper, but he said it happens often.

It is a Korean thing. This is how a great many Koreans try to cheat people.

You have been warned.

The Korean Ph.D. guy who is in charge of this mess is a professor at some Korean university. He was the one who wrote the book (I find that hard to believe, as the errors were extensive, and different areas of the book showed vastly different errors-- I think his students wrote it and he is just submitting it in his name). At this point I do not know which university this guy is from, but I am going to find out, if I can.

Grotto · Joined: 21 Mar 2004

If you still have a copy of the book post it online and tell everyone what a thief the guy is.

revenge is a dish best served cold Cool

Karabeara · Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 9:54 pm Post subject:

No, I have absolutely nothing. I trusted my friend entirely. The book was a work print with no cover or information on the writer. It consisted only of copied pages.

I have now been told I might be getting the money tonight. I think my friend must have gone King Kong on the Ph.D. guy. I hope so.

My poor friend is stuck in the middle of this. I know she is fighting hard for me. What a mess. I had her in tears last night, I think.

Another foreigner told me that the only way you can get things done in such situations is to make a scene and go absolutely nuts, because it is the only thing that works. I am not sure I agree with that, but I will say I definately exploded over it.

Dan The Chainsawman · Joined: 05 May 2005

This really sucks but it also demonstrates the pitfalls of working under the table. Unless you want to admit to breaking the law there nothing you can legally do.

Have his kneecaps broken.

All that said I do hope you get your pay.

The Cosmic Hum · Joined: 09 May 2003 Location: Sonic Space

Is your "friend" Korean?
It seems to me your problem is with the integrity of your "friend".
Regardless, when editing...half up front...half on delivery...even under the table you must posess the tact of a professional.
Good luck to you.

Karabeara · Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 10:09 pm Post subject:

Yes, Korean. I am the only foreigner in the mess. I highly doubt anyone in Korea would pay anything up front. I am not saying you are wrong, but apparently you have done that?

I would have been better off if my friend had kept the money in a sort of escrow and given it to me once she looked the work over and saw that I had indeed finished it.

I wish I could have been more calm and controlled my temper in this situation. Unfortunately, I am always on-edge, and not trusting of Koreans. Is that terrible and unfair to say? I simply do not have any semblance of trust for this culture left in my body. This means that when something like this happens, or if I feel I am (or will be) cheated, I go off like a bomb.

I have worked with some excellent, honest Korean people. Unfortunately, I have met my share cheaters, too. They seem to be plentiful in these parts.

Sliver · Joined: 04 May 2003 Location: The third dimension

One word for any 'under the table work' and it is (��) 'payment in advance'.

Hope you get the money though.

denverdeath · Joined: 21 May 2005 Location: Boo-sahn

I hope your friend gets the cash for you. If not, do as Dan said...break the knees, or at least turn the Ph.D. twerp upside-down and take the change that falls out of his dirty pockets after you rub your shoes in his face. Best of luck.

Paji eh Wong · Joined: 03 Jun 2003

JongnoGuru · Joined: 25 May 2004 Location: peeing on your doorstep

OneWayTraffic · Joined: 14 Mar 2005

There's too ways you can do payment on editing work. Payment after you deliver is fine for someone whom you have an ongoing relationship with. If they cheat you once then they can't get any more editing. But for a one off, especially a large one off, you need to either get payment in advance or do the coffee shop thing. (That's the best advice here BTW. If they try to renegoiate payment then just take your work home with you until you get sastifaction.)

The best thing you can do here is find out the publishing company's name and the guy who wrote the book. Then contact them directly and make a fuss.

BTW immigration will fine you for doing illegal work but the person you were working for also gets a fine.

wwidgirl · Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Location: Seoul

My parents always told me to never trust koreans. Oddly, they themselves are korean.

Real Reality · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: Seoul

A Country of Liars
by Kim Dae-joong, Chosun Ilbo (July 3, 2005)
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200507/200507030027.html

Corrupt Professors Common, Students Say
by Baek Il-hyun and Kim Ho-jeong, JoongAng Daily (April 28, 2005)
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200504/27/200504272214239309900090409041.html

78 Percent of Koreans Consider Corruption Level Serious
Donga.com (June 17, 2005)
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2005061709768

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

ddeubel · Joined: 20 Jul 2005

I don't think Koreans are any more corrupt than other places, namely our home and native land, god bless America ........ I have found the place safe and in business, the same number of scheizters. I have lived in places horrific for corruption and dog eat dog...Korea ain't one of them. Just business and the normal level of ill morality involved in that. Try Ukraine, Columbia....the only bad thing I had happen here was something valuable stolen and guess what....it was a foreigner. I don't think we should categorize Koreans as "liars". They exist everywhere and we are just being overly self-conscious in labelling them so......There are a lot of expat liars as well.... Smile

But I would caution others about publicizing their "under the table " work in a public forum like this. SHHHHHHH . There is a whole bloody book about this illegality now. And that will cost a hell of a lot more than the payment for services rendered.

DD