Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bassexpander]

Guys, don't come here. Save yourself the trouble.

If you are a newbee considering it, then just don't. It's too much of a pain in the ass to deal with cheating people, clueless bosses, banks that deny you when you try to send YOUR money home, and the worst of all -- immigration. They don't have their shit together, and it's even worse now that they have new E2 rules for newbees, yet they don't know how to interpret them. This is just one big clusterfu(k.

I've been here several years now, and I don't for the life of me know why anyone would bother to come here anymore. Not legally, anyway. It used to be difficult. Now it's an absolutely crazy insane mess. If I didn't have my wife around to help me through these insane hoops...

I've had a very bad day, courtesy of Korean's sparkling immigration service. I don't want to go into details. It's really not that major of a thing, but it just irks the living hell out of me when one person at one window says something one day (and I bothered to double-check with a 2nd person even) and the next it all changes.

If I wasn't married to a Korean, I'd probably have thrown up my hands and said, "screw this" this year. The luster of living in this country has gone, and all that remains is the dirty reflection of backwards society out to screw you for every dollar (and keep you from sending your money out).

[Cheonmunka]

Sometimes it is like this. Sometimes, when things are going so well that you forget, it's not like this. Often it (Korean society, its people and geography) can make the most positive cheery person go a bit bonkers.

[poohbear]

lol man your post is making me curious to come even more! i kinda miss clusterfuSks after a long time in prim & proper and super efficient Japan. those guys were always on the ball, made me feel so disorganized compared to them.

[Gnawbert]

I'm sorry you had a rough day with immigration, and you're a lucky guy to have a wife there to lend a hand. I hope the whole mess sorts itself out.

As a newbie to Korea (but not to traveling or living abroad), I've been very VERY frustrated with the E-2 changes. My girlfriend and I were going to come over in early November, but delayed it, and the difference in procedure between then and now is hair pulling to say the least. I've never, *NEVER* had to jump through such a byzantine amount of hurdles to procure a job abroad, but by the same token, I understand why they're doing it. It's just the implementation that blows.

Despite all the head aches, we're still excited to come over there. We leave for Korea in a week and some change. We might get screwed over by our employer. The school may go under a week after we arrive, leaving us with 11.9 months on an E-2 being unable to renew it. I'm sure I'll be a lot less optimistic in such a circumstance. But despite reading Dave's for some 5 months now about how awful it is, I'm still excited.

So why come over?

Honestly, because I can. I'm 28, I'd like a bit more adventure, some challenges and a little spare money in my pocket before going to grad school in 2-3 years. I'd like to say I tried, I suppose, more than anything. Worst thing that can happen is I hate it, and don't renew, or I go back home a few grand in the hole and borrow some money to get back on my feet from a failed adventure that never happened.

Hope Immigration sorts your situation out. G'luck!

[SHANE02]

Sorry you had a bad day too. Get your wife to send your money out. There's obviously nothing stopping Koreans sending billions of won offshore for real estate and education.


That's what gets me pissed off.

[Sapa]

Well i would advise anyone thinking of going to Korea to read people's blogs on sites like travelpod and travelblog or even facebook groups, you actually read some positive things. If Korea was really as bad as people on this site make out there would be hardly any foreign teachers there.
Plenty of people actually have an amazing time, I actually know a few of them. Maybe it's because they only did a years contract, maybe it only starts getting to you after a few years.

[cdninkorea]

[Kwangjuchicken]

[Cheonmunka]

[Real Reality]

[Sapa]

[bassexpander]

And I don't even have it that bad compared to the E-2s.

Lady down the street was just fired because she called the Labor Board on her boss after he didn't pay her for over 2 months. With the new regulations, we're not even sure she can get another job if she does stay here the month to win her ruiling. Signs point to no. From what it sounds like, since she's only been there less than 5 months, she may be up a creek and not be allowed a visa back in. Why? Because she had the nerve to turn her boss in for not paying her wages!

I used to tell newbees considering coming here that the best idea was to come here on your own dime and visit the schools in person -- that way, you can see the living arrangments, talk to teachers, meet the boss, and get a good feel for what's going on. Thanks to the new visa rules, that's pretty much impossible unless you plan on paying your own to come and go, as well as waiting, visiting the consulate for an interview BACK HOME, etc.

When I first came here, we could get international ATM cards at banks, and there weren't limits on what we could send out (not within my pay range, anyway). There were no consulate interviews, no police checks, no medical exams, and the blue paper was considered a hoop. Now you guys have transcripts, medical exams, no international ATM cards allowed, limits on what you can send out per year, and immigration officials who can't give you a straight answer on the new rules.

Plus, if you get screwed by your boss -- don't pass go, don't collect $200 -- just get the hell out, and you don't get to come back.

By the way, don't get hit accidentally hit by some drunk-ass ajosshi in a car crash... that's a criminal offence, whether it's your fault or not, which disqualifies you from your E2.

Not worth it anymore for a newbee. Just not worth it. LMB can take his pie-in-the-sky English plans and cram a bunch of filipinos up Korea's cake-hole for 1 million won per month if he wants. I hope, after 10 years of getting screwed, they unite in a big union and take over this town, too. They deserve it a lot more.

[CentralCali]

[SHANE02]

[bassexpander]

Still haven't heard the results of that. I'd assume so. Just don't bother applying for a new E-2.

All of these "highly qualified NOVA teachers" the SMOE/EPIK sunshine blowers keep talking about are in for a rude awakening when they find out Korean ain't nothin' like Japan.