Korean Job Discussion Forums

Zaria32 · Joined: 04 Dec 2007

After her director refused to pay pension, pocketed her taxes, charged her 1,000,000 for health insurance, withheld 900,000 won for "bills," (nothing about that in contract) and only reimbursed her 1/4 of a round trip ticket, a friend of mine was just fired.

She had NUMEROUS meetings with Labor Board, talked to Pension, health insurance and tax in Seoul, and basically they've all told her there is nothing they can do for her, as the director simply refuses to respond...director even admits she's gotten all sorts of letters saying she MUST pay pension...she's been receiving these letters for several years.

Now the director has said that she, the director, has had my friend "black-listed" so she can never teach in Korea again.

Although I've heard there is such a blacklist, does anyone know if it REALLY exists? And if so, can a hogwon owner just put someone's name on it?

Imrahil · Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 1:14 am Post subject:

I have seen one but it was on a Korean website. It was mostly made up of people who did midnight runs and were ovbiously never coming back. My wife showed it to me, and yes my name was NOT on it. Nor is there any reason for it being on it.

Cerriowen · Joined: 03 Jun 2006 Location: Pocheon

oh oh oh... can I see?

Saxiif · Joined: 15 May 2003 Location: Seongnam

There is not formal blacklist, there's only one websites where a few schools bitch about people and that the vast majority of schools don't even look at before hiring people.

There's nothing the boss can do, don't worry about it.

Imrahil · Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 1:49 am Post subject:

Yeah it is no different then the 'hagwan blacklists' nothing formal.

valkyrian2 · Mod Team Joined: 15 May 2007

The only blacklists are by a couple of the local hakwon associations.

It means that she may not get hired back by another school in the same association but really, who would want to be?

Most of the time however, it is a hakwon director blowing smoke out his ass to try to get away without having to fight because the foreigner tucks tail and runs.

If she is staying around she should push the labor and pension offices to file criminal charges against the director/owner instead of just letting it slide because he won't respond to his mail.

Hotpants · Joined: 27 Jan 2006

I remember a couple of years ago seeing a webpage, too, which had about a dozen English teachers' names listed on it - most midnight runs. It was discussed here on this board. Don't know if it still exists, but it was strange how the turning of tables on hagwon owner blacklists struck a nerve.

A hagwon owner does not have authority to blacklist you with immigration. You can only be blacklisted if immigration deems you to have abused your visa conditions. There are many people who have done midnight runs, however, who have succeeded in re-entering the country only a year or two later without any question, so I'd say that you would have had to committed something above the ordinary to get blacklisted.

Your employer is calling absolute bluff in this case. It's a surprise that the labor board won't do anything about it seeing as she apparently has been fleecing teachers for years. Such a hagwon owner deserves to get exposed as it's not fair that successive generations of English teachers get screwed over by that person.

Darkness · Joined: 12 Oct 2006

I'd volunteer to black list myself from hogwons...

Netz · Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 3:38 am Post subject:

that guy · Joined: 29 Feb 2004 Location: long gone

There's this one:

http://www.kftra.co.kr/black_list.asp

They've removed most of the info recently.

I saw a black list by a black listed recruiter once. That must feel good.

CentralCali · Joined: 17 May 2007

The Korea Herald got onto them about their posting of both personal and libelous/slanderous information, not to mention that putting someone on that list is an illegal attempt to interfere with the person's right to seek employment.

Here's what many of the entries on that site now have:

polonius · Joined: 05 Jun 2004

I hired a teacher who got screwed by a school. Short story: came to Korea, once here, promised job didn't exist. He looked for work, came to me. I COULDN'T get him a visa because his recruiter called immigration and said that my teacher owed him money (the money the recruiter lost because the position didn't exist) (I know, it's between the school and recruiter, but what can I say, this is what happened.) The recruiter went as far as to say that "He owned" the teacher.

So, it is possible to make a complaint to immigration stating that moneys are owed, and a visa will not be processed until the complaint is dropped.

Korlingus · Joined: 01 Sep 2007