Korean Job Discussion Forums

krisinkorea · Joined: 16 Mar 2006 Location: Not too far from Seoul

Okay, our school told us it was closing down due to financial difficulty. This is my 7th month at the school. 3 of the teachers have ony been there for 3 months. The school is being sold by the bank along with the building we live in to pay off the school's debts.

At first, on May 1, 2006 we were told that we would get our final wages at the end of the month, a plane ticket and the Head investor/director asked if we 5 teachers would accept 50% of our severance because by korean law he said he had to pay us out the severance. We somewhat agreed while trying to absorb the shock.

The parents were all told last week and freaked out of course and enrollment has dropped less than 50%. One teacher didn't even have classes today because there were no students.

Then today, it was translated to us that the 4 Korean teachers were told that they would not receive all of their final pay. The Korean teachers are now not even going to show up tomorrow, and the office English director plans on walking out also if the Korean teachers don't get paid. We can't function with Mr. Investor only speaking Korean and all these Korean kids.
I don't have my plane ticket yet and the last day is on May 30th. And so now we are panicked. Of course, the stress of finding a new job, going home, is the severance pay out right....will we even get paid? A few of us will be royally screwed if we don't get all of that money.

Second shady thing the school is doing is that they promised us our apartments for 2 weeks after the school closes to find work. Well now we've been told it will be less than 10 days....we have to be out June 10th because the school is selling the furniture and on the 12th the building will be sold to a new owner. In addition, we have to pay upfront for the utilities if we plan to stay. But, the plan they told us was that our phones and electricity is going to be cut off on June 1st. So how does any of that make sense.

We want to contact someone that can help if we should need it after s*&% hits the fan tomorrow?

Have any numbers? I've tried links but end up nowhere as the page cannot be found, etc, etc.

Khyron · Joined: 27 Jan 2005 Location: Japan

Here's the best advice that you're going to get:

Start job hunting as soon as possible. You seem to be able to use the internet. So, use it right now and start applying for jobs!

Why are you still reading this? Go and apply!!!

krisinkorea · Joined: 16 Mar 2006 Location: Not too far from Seoul

I already have a job at a university, NO MORE HOGWANS. Start date July 10th. I'm more interested in legally recourse and getting screwed out of 3 to 4 million won which I completely earned and my plane ticket home.

5 teachers x 4 million won....2.0 for wages and 2.0 for severance each is alot of money. Who should I call first, Lawyer or Labour board?

Grotto · Joined: 21 Mar 2004

Ask for a letter of release. Start looking for another job.

Tell them that you want your ticket in hand.....they can book your flight and give you the ticket...that way you wont have as much to worry about.

GET SOMETHING IN WRITING! Tell them you want the guarantee of pay and severance, airfare etc in writing!

Good luck!

seoulsista · Joined: 31 Aug 2005

Forget about a lawyer. We're not in Kansas anymore, toto. But I secong the other poster who said get something in writing.

If he gives you something in writing or not - get prepared to go to the labor board. Also, make it clear to your boss that you will be back in Korea soon enough to fight him tooth and nail if he scews you (obviously, you might not want to use those words).

If he's screwing you and others you have a good chance of hearing your case out at the labor office but your chances of see any money as a result...don't know.

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

As Grotto said, get the LoR...that's the most important thing, especially if you want to stay in-country. From what I know, if you don't finish a complete year, you're not entitled to severance. The 2mil or 2.2mil is after a year is completed. If they're offering to give you partial severance, take it. Better than nothing. WRT the housing, stay as long as you can, and in the meanwhile, get that new job asap.

http://english.molab.go.kr/

krisinkorea · Joined: 16 Mar 2006 Location: Not too far from Seoul

Yeah, yeah. LOR is another story. I've had about 6 conversations with the school about the LOR. Still no LOR. The uni has been asking for it from me for 2 weeks. I finally just gave the uni the number to the Hogwan and offered to let them harass my school about it in Korean since my asking for it has given me no results.

My current school said something like immigration will issue the paperwork for LOR after the school closes and then she would give it to me. So then I asked my director how exactly I should expect to obtain the so called paperwork when I'm in Canada. (And from my understanding, all they really have to do is date and write, we release so and so to work at another institution and sign it. What is so difficult about that?)
Knock, knock....right....I'm in Korea!!! Nothing is simple or organized.

Then my current director said she was typing up the LOR today. I still haven't received it. Some serious confusion going on.

ontheway · Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 6:02 am Post subject:

Your boss, the owner is bankrupt. His or her business has failed and you will have little chance of collecting anything beyond what they give you. There is even an exemption built into the penson law, if a business failed or a person is bankrupt they don't have to pay.

Bankruptcy is a terrible thing to go through in Korea. It's a horrible shame and the individual looses everything. It's not like in America where you can keep tens of thousands of dollars in assets. If your boss is bankrupt, he will end up with nothing.

Get whatever you can, get a letter of release, get ready to move and find a place to stay BEFORE June 1st, move out, move on and don't look back.

Good luck with your new job.

krisinkorea · Joined: 16 Mar 2006 Location: Not too far from Seoul

Hard to say about that one really OP. There are 5 or so investors in the school. One of the investors owns about 3 other schools and it's no secret that he is a multi millionaire among the Korean teachers. One of the Korean girls is engaged to his son. That is how we know. I don't think they're wallets are that empty. This school is just one in a collection.

And question. A contract is a contract though right? Yes, normally, if we had chosen to leave the school I could see no rights to severance. They told us that they were required to pay us the whole thing and that's why they asked if we would be willing to accept 50%. Also, we did not breech our contract. I guess I'll be phoning the severance department for the labour board tomorrow. I am willing to take 50%, however, if it comes down to less than what we were promised then I really do have a problem with that and might as well just ask for it all, providing, that we are entitled to it.

ontheway · Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 6:33 am Post subject:

It is possible to be an investor without being an owner and to be exempt from paying the debts of the business. It's hard to know who owes what in your case without details. Who signed your contract and sponsored your E2? That is the most likely person to collect from. Find out if that person is broke or not.

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

Very true. A competitor of my wife was having big financial difficulties. They changed ownership(to a distant relative) and have no obligations to former Seoul uh creditors. They are doing very well today, and no one is any wiser.

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

krisinkorea · Joined: 16 Mar 2006 Location: Not too far from Seoul

LOR was issued today after the uni phoned my school. Sigh of relief.

Plane ticket was bought today. Sigh of relief.

Pay day....we will see.

See how easy it is to panic. The Korean teachers did show up today. Everything is running normal. Only 5 more days. Well, it's no over until the fat lady sings. That will be ...the fat lady in Thailand I'll be looking for when I'm sitting on the beach after payday hits and I can get out of Korea fast. LOL.

Talks went on behind closed doors and all is supposed to be well and promises are going to be kept. However, anything can happen tomorrow.