Korean Job Discussion Forums

[trachys]

[UncleAlex]

It's about time Korea catches up with Japan where foreign teachers are permitted to change jobs without having to procure a Letter of Release and obtain a new work visa. This private monopoly on foreign workers is one reason why Korean employers often take the liberty of exploiting them.

[bassexpander]

That's rather ironic. I would think that giving us freedom would raise wages.

Employers would pay more to hold onto a good teacher.

[trachys]

from the reporter:

[expat2001]

[ED209]

Will this separate the MAs from the BAs or is everyone invited to the party?

Scraping the current serf owner visa would do a lot to keep teachers in the country. Would it drive up costs? Maybe not so much in the English teaching industry as Taiwan, China and Japan have coped well enough with freer labour movement. But if I ran a textile factory with 100 underpaid Indonesians working for me or if I was a juicy bar owner I might panic("What I have to pay my staff and if I beat or sexually harass them they'll get a job down the road? And be able to stay in the country long enough to sue me?").

[TheUrbanMyth]

I very much doubt the average foreign teacher here meets the qualifications of foreign professionals they are talking about.

If you were a teacher or some other professional back home and won awards or had stuff published or something along those lines then maybe. Professionals and investers are the kind of people they want.

[birdfool]

Here's the whole article...I was wondering whether we would be categorized as a professional or not. I'd hope that would depend on your certifications rather than simply the fact that you're a teacher...ie, no teachers are professionals... Also, this weird thing about 6 month visas for people from top rated universities looking for work...does that mean you could get a 6 month visa to look for a job??



Ministry promises more openness for foreigners

The government will implement plans to encourage foreign professionals to live and work here, the Justice Ministry said yesterday.

The ministry plans to introduce various visa incentives for qualified foreign professionals and investors, and to allow foreign workers to switch jobs within the same profession. It also plans to launch programs to help foreigners, particular those with Korean spouses, adapt to life here.

From September this year, the ministry will issue permanent-residence visas to qualified foreign professionals and investors.

Foreign nationals with special job skills in various areas, including science, education, culture and athletics, can apply for the visa from Korean embassies in their countries. Business professionals with plans to invest over $500,000 - a drop from the current $2 million - are also eligible for the visa.

Currently, only foreign nationals who meet various requirements, including several years of residing in Korea, are eligible for the visa. To ease worker shortage in provincial industrial complexes, the ministry is planning to reduce the required length of stay for workers from the current 10 years to five, beginning December 2008.

From July, the ministry also plans to issue visas for job-seekers with work experience in world-renowned multinationals or degrees from globally recognized universities.

The companies and schools must be among the world's top 300 and 200, respectively, as listed by professional rating organizations such as Fortune, the Times of London and Newsweek.

The visa will be valid for six months, but can be extended upon request if legitimate reasons are given. Currently, anyone wishing to come to Korea for education or work is required to have an official invitation from the school or employer.

Foreign professionals will be allowed to switch jobs within the same industry from December this year. Currently, anyone who wants to move jobs is required to get permission from the government, a measure favored by local employers who fear high turnover rates. The ministry said it will further discuss the measure with local companies to stave off expected problems such as an increase in wage costs.

The ministry is also planning to devise a five-year plan by June this year to help foreigners settle in Korea. The plan includes various support programs to protect the fundamental rights of foreign immigrants married to Koreans and prevent discrimination against them.

As part of the efforts, the ministry plans to run Korean language and culture courses from January 2009. Foreign nationals seeking Korean citizenship who have completed the courses will be exempted from taking a naturalization exam.


By Song Sang-ho

([email protected])

2008.03.20