Korean Job Discussion Forums

[lastat06513]

First, the advantage to signing a contract in Korea is that the prospective employer can stamp it (which makes them legally binding to it, so they won't screw you too much) and make sure the contract is bilingual (it is not legal binding if it is only in English).

Also, as I said in my post regarding part time employers, the same goes for full-time employers too. From my experience, they are obliged to provide a tax statement from the district tax office if you request it and also a statement on pension deductions as well.
If they refuse, you can call either the pension office itself and give them your ARC number and they can calculate on the spot how much was contributed to the pension fund. If they didn't, you can provide them with a copy of your pay statement that shows the deduction from your pay.

Then if you suspect tax irregularities, you can call the district tax office and ask them if tax is deducted from your pay (again, give them your ARC number) and they should be able to provide a statement within 2 weeks. But with them, if they have no record of you on their books, they will initiate an investigation on their own (I have seen that once).

Also, if the employer tries to screw you out of your severance, just go directly to the labor office with your contract and explain the situation to them (that is why it is always good to get the boss to stamp the contract and that the contact is bilingual for them to read.)
It could be time consuming, but you might walk away with double of what you were expecting.

Just some final pieces of advice from the original "devil's advocate"

[keithinkorea]

Useful information. I didn't realise that an English language contract was not legally binding: does that mean it is not legally binding regarding the employer too! Might explain a few things around here.

Personally I have never signed a contract written in Korean and I've signed a few here.

With a previous employer I had 'pension issues' along with a few of my coworkers. The info regarding the the pension people, you can contact them on 1355, in Seoul they have a few English speaking CSA's I'm not sure about other areas. The number is the same throughout Korea and it is well worth checking to see if your boss is paying in, as long as you have your alien number then they can tell you if you're registered or not.

[Col.Brandon]

Bear in mind, too that regardless of what your contract says or what you signed you are not able to sign away your rights under Korean law.

So, even if you have a crap contract you are still entitled to whatever the law says (i.e severence bonus). And if you are 'stuck' in Korea with no air ticket home, then the school as your sponsor is required to get you back to your home country so you don't become a burden to Korea.

[PEIGUY]

*bump* I called the pension office or shall I say a Korean called the pension office for me and they refused to tell her over the phone. I suspect my employer of not contributing properly (on and off contributions) so I want to make sure all is in order before I leave the school in a couple months. Can you go to any pension office with your pay statement? Or do you have to go to the main one over in Shincheon?

[Hobophobic]

[jacl]

[aisainmind]

Call the cops.

Koreans don't like that s.h.i.t they lose face...as they say. Call them everyday until the school pays you. Have a buddy that speaks Korean with you so you don't get sandwiched by the school and the pigs.

Just make sure you warn them first and tell them you will call the cops everyday so people can see them walsing in and out all the time.

[Big Mac]