Korean Job Discussion Forums

[BigBuds]

[UncleAlex]

Sounds like you're dealing with people you can't trust.
If you have a signed contract, but no E2 visa, then stay
here and look for another job. If your employer has applied
for your visa and it's now being processed, ask him to cancel
it and "Walk on."

[Hobophobic]

[Unreal]

[Unreal]

Update:

We went to the provincial education office, an hour away, to sign the contract and figure out what was happening. The contract was good except for the part on housing which said that the employer has the right to either provide a place or a $300,000 won housing allowance. I asked the official about key money and he indicated that key money would be up to the principal (who we would meet later in the day). The official said that what he was offering was all he could within his power.

We signed the contract as we had met the principal before and figure out that he was a good guy that we'd be able to sort through this mess with. We came back here to talk to him and he immediately told us (through the English program supervisor) that he couldn't provide any key money for us, which seemed very suspicious, as if he had just talked to the official at the education office. Compared to our first meeting with him, it seems he completely turned a 180 and implied that if we couldn't come up with the key money that we were poor and that perhaps we should ask my wife's "auntie" for it (her "auntie" is an acquaintance of ours who we thought had been acting on our behalf but we are quickly realizing has her own agenda and expects favors in return).

So basically here are our options: 1) live in "auntie's" apartment, which would mean that my wife would have to work at her hagwon and we'd be eternally indebted to her and I'd be travelling across town every day to work or 2) take a hole-in-the-wall place that requires no key money, until the school finishes building its new apartment building in the summer which we can move into or 3) take money out of my investments at home (and take a hit on the exchange) to pay for key money for a decent apartment.

Any advice would be appreciated and yeah, I probably shouldn't have signed the contract yet but when I did we were pretty sure of getting "auntie's" apartment but only today after talking to her did we realize all the strings attached to her offer.

[schwa]

My 20 won, I'd go with option 3. A nice independent homespace pays dividends beyond a few dollars spent.

[riley]

Unreal, If I'm understanding this, your wife is Korean. Why aren't you on an f-2 visa? This could help you later if there are any problems with this place.

[Unreal]

Last time I visited immigration they said I needed to prove that I had at least 4 million won in my bank account to get my F-2, but I won't have that for a while.

[Hollywoodaction]

[steroidmaximus]

let me get this straight: you signed the contract without the housing being worked out, then they told you to pay for it? You're married to a Korean and can get an F2 (that stuff about 4 million IS BS)? Just walk away and find another job; you said yourself the pay wasn't fantastic, and with an F2 they can't hold a letter of release over your head. This job sounds terrible, and you'd be doing all of us a disservice if you were to sell yourself so cheap.

I'd have to call you an idiot if you stayed at this job the way it is now.

[canuckistan]

[Unreal]

Update:

After much hassle, we finally got our own place. It seems that the ministry hired me but doesn't have enough money but they're 90% sure of having it in June. That wasn't good enough for the school so the school refused to help out at all for fear of being left holding the bag. We got a deal and ended up paying 3 million for key money (borrowed from my mother-in-law) plus 200,000 won per month. Since the ministry is providing 300,000 won, we will be making an extra 100,000 won per month.

The job is great and the people I work with are great...that's why I didn't want to let this gig go so soon. All of the foreigners that were here last year stayed on for another year. Talking to them it seems that they've all had difficulty with their housing situation with this school because housing depends on not only the school and the ministry of education but also with the city of Gunsan which donated much of the housing to the school and maintains some degree of control...basically a huge beaurocratic mess.

Anyway we're not sure if it was worth the hassle but we're happy now and things seem to be working out.

[just because]

Glad it worked out for you unreal..