Korean Job Discussion Forums

[koreanalysis]

This may seem like a confusing question, but how exactly do "midnight runs" work? I have heard so many stories of people simply abandoning their careers in Korea and heading elsewhere for various reasons.

Aren't most foreigners bound by their Korean contracts? How do you make it out of the airport without a "letter of release" from your employer?

I heard that the immigration authorities and airport personnel have begun enforcing the contracts indirectly by detaining foreigners at the airport to make sure that they are not fleeing a job or other contractual responsibillity.
Any truth to this, or is this just another rumor?

Do any of you actually KNOW someone who made a so-called midnight run?

[flotsam]

[thepeel]

[braunshade]

I heared that if you run away from your job and attempt to flee the cointry- you are automatically sent to North Korea to teach English for a year with no salary.

Is this true or just a rumor?!

[SuperFly]

[n3ptne]

[Cage Kennylz]

If you have a good reason the midnight run is an option. Regardless of what some of the apologists will tell you I'm all for midnight runs when they are putting the screws to you... that is if you have attempt to settle it civilly already. However, having been in that situation I realize the word "civil" is not a word many hogwon owners would understand.

Have I done it? Yes.

Do I know people who have done it? Yes. It's not that difficult at all.

This is going to sound made up, but when I was trying to wrangle out of a horrible job an immigration officer at Seoul immigration told me to do a midnight run.

"You don't like job? Just leave Korea come back, get new job. What's the problem?" Him

"But I cant get a new visa without a letter of release and my boss wont give me one." me

"Ok no problem, you get new visa." Him

I got his name and number in case I needed it when I applied for my new visa. I never needed it because I got the visa without a LOR. People on this web site have WAY more faith in Korean immigration laws than is the reality. The left hand has no idea what the right hand is doing in regards to Korean immigration.

[venus]

Yeah, for anyone suffering under a terrible director at a terrible school, but scared to leave for fear of not getting release letter and not being allowed back here to work, relax.

Seriously, the sentiments expressed in the above post are spot on. Should you be in this situation where daily life is being made so unhappy, then leave the situation. To be honest most schools once you've done six months will give release letters without problems.

Even if they don't, I haven't done it myself, but I even knew a guy who was deported. He went to China for a few weeks and then came back and had no problem getting a new E2 visa. Straight up.

I myself had the misfortune of working under an absolute crazed tyrant. Seriously, no other description could describe him more honestly. Fired me and the other native teacher with three days notice to leave the job and the apartment and witheld a whole months salary from me and over 4 million won from the other guy, who payed for his own E2 visa run on the premise he'd be refunded....

When we told him we would take him to the Labour Office (Anyone considering this course of action - don't bother, they're totally ineffectual and your case will take years to get to the front of the queue) he tried to kidnap me. I pushed him and ran out of his office and he chased me through the streets. Luckilly, he's about 60 years old, smoked two packs a day and was fat as a whale, so I shook him off. I got another job. He smashed up his own office, took photo's of it and told the police I did it. I had to go to the Police Station with my new boss. Not nice. Police believed my version of events and let me off without charge.

We then got summonsed to the Immigration office in Seoul. He had pursuaded a mother of one of his students whom I NEVER actualy taught and whom owned a business in the same building as him to come along and say that when her daughter was in MY class (the other teacher taught her not me) I used to shout at her and hit her and make her cry. They tried to have me deported, even bought a lawyer along with them. The fact that they were all three hours late, stank of soju and shouted at me, my boss and the immigration officer, convinced the officer that they were not honest people. To be honest I still can't believe the guy came through for me, just goes to show not everyone here is CORRUPT! Perhaps my new boss might have bribed him, but I don't know.

A month later, my new boss got a call and told me we had to go to the police station again and that they wanted to collect samples of my hair. The old boss had told them that I smoked drugs in my old apartment and had prostitutes back there every night...

Long story short, I'd had too much, had just finished a long term relationship and flew back home to relax and get away. Even after all that trouble from the guy, I still came back after and got a new E2, no problems. Most poeple would think me crazy for wanting to come back, but I'll leave a country on My terms and when I'm happy about leaving, if I am guilt free.

Moral of the story is, it's not as difficult as people make it out to be. Recruiters spread these myths and your supervisor and director will tell you that if you leave or they fire you, you will have to leave Korea etc. Not true.

I also know someone else who simply 'lost' his passport, got a new one and applied for a new E2. Got it no problems. Because they use your passport number to proccess you. Like Cage Kennylz says, they have more important things to do than weeding out "Rougue ESL Teachers."

Oh yeah, the ex boss I've described has his Hakwan in Bangi-dong, Songpa-Gu. It's near Bangi Sa Gori and was called "Joy reading Club." Before that it was called "Future School." He's a big fat guy who talks about Church and religion all the time, but is a complete gangster. Anyone thinks they might have been offered a job by this guy, pm me and I'll let you know...!

[djsmnc]

Midnight runs are fine, as long as you are a spineless little poon who can't hack what you think is a tough job for a year. I want to work at the Immigration line in the airport so I can kick midnight runners really hard on their way out with a steel toed boot.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[butlerian]

[kimchi_pizza]

[djsmnc]

[kermo]

[Novernae]