Korean Job Discussion Forums

[maxxx_power]

So far my ESL experience in Korea has been far from great, my previous employer was a total snake and recently suckered someone into buying his school.

Every teacher (including myself) had given notice and the new owner feared we would all leave if we had to renew our visas. So the old owner kept his name on the business to prevent this.

I then agreed to work another 30 days provided I got a pre-dated release letter and everything in writing. I indeed felt sorry for these people as they were swindled out of several hundred thousand dollars by the previous owner.

Come to find out that the old owner has since disappeared, moved out of his old apartment with his family and so on, and has possibly fled the country.

Oh yes, he also cancelled all the foreign teachers' visas before vanishing (this was last wednesday!) without telling anyone. I just learned this today and now I have to get out of the country in a few days to come back on a tourist visa

Is this a normal business practice in Korea?

&$^&#^&$*&@^&*^#&$^*@&^&#$!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[some waygug-in]

Before you get too sorry for your new bosses, I'd see if you could check and find out if they are "distant relatives" of your former boss. They may know more than they are letting on. It's been done in the past. Just check out some of the stories on EFL-law.com.

I don't know how common it is, but it does happen often enough.
I'm sorry about your situation. I hope things work out for you.


Good Luck
Some waygug-in

[Mody Ba]

Unfortunately,the situation described by the original poster is not uncommon at all in Korea.That is why hakwons generally have such a sleazy reputation.That is why people should avoid working at hakwons.

[rapier]

I really despair of it all, I really do. Koreans go all out to screw eachother over and the poor ESL teacher at the bottom of the food chain bears the brunt. Why can't people be good to eachother? Why can't they play fair and just do the right thing for once! I'm sorry, but half the time Koreans appear to be a miserable, ego/appearance -driven people bent on making eachother's lives hell, and also the lives of their foreign visitors in the process!

[Mody Ba]

I agree with a lot of what Rapier said in the previous post.However,in my opinion,it is important to look at the TESOL "industry" in Korea and the rest of Korea separately.There is no doubt in my mind that the TESOL "industry" here is sleazy,despicable,especially in regard to the hakwons.I certainly agree with Rapier on that point.Yes I KNOW there are SOME good employers in Korea.
I think it is unjust to judge the entire country by the despicable TESOL situation here.Personally,I like most things in Korea fine,including most of the people I have met here(the Koreans that is,not necessarily the other TESOL teachers...they are in a class of their own,most of them).Sure there are problems, here just like everywhere else,but generally,the TESOL mess aside,I personally like most of the things in Korea and most of the Koreans.I know of course,other people may not share that view.That is fine.They are entitled to their opinions.
The TESOL mess here is something else, though,although to be perfectly fair,there are problems in TESOl almost everywhere.But the widespread hakwon problem here makes it especially bad here ,in my opinion.

And what is the cause of a lot of the hakwon related problems?MONEY$$$$$
GREED.Not the root of all of the problems here,but certainly a major factor.