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How to Legally Hammer your Hagwon Boss Into Submission
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fern1210



Joined: 17 Sep 2009
Location: Toronto, Canada

PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 7:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

wow this has been extremely helpful. thanks for the heads-up.
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Troglodyte



Joined: 06 Dec 2009

PostPosted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 4:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lekker wrote:
I just called this number and spoke to the secretary.

The attorney charges 50,000 per hour. How do we know he won't take his sweet time in getting around to doing things leading him to rip you off?


Depending on how many hours he'll require and how much you stand to receive IF you win, then it might be cheaper to just hire some fat guy with a baseball bat to help you negotiate an out of court settlement with your boss.
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Young FRANKenstein



Joined: 02 Oct 2006
Location: Castle Frankenstein (that's FRONKensteen)

PostPosted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 6:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Troglodyte wrote:
Lekker wrote:
I just called this number and spoke to the secretary.

The attorney charges 50,000 per hour. How do we know he won't take his sweet time in getting around to doing things leading him to rip you off?


Depending on how many hours he'll require and how much you stand to receive IF you win, then it might be cheaper to just hire some fat guy with a baseball bat to help you negotiate an out of court settlement with your boss.

Anyone who hires a lawyer for small claims court in Korea is a sucker. Hire a paralegal to do your filing for you if you must (still kind of suckerish), but hiring a lawyer? It's throwing your money away. I was able to file all my papers myself for less than your quoted 50,000. Total.
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Hatcher



Joined: 05 Jan 2007

PostPosted: Tue Mar 02, 2010 3:08 pm    Post subject: Where can I get a paralegal or the paperwork>? Reply with quote

I want to file a small claims and need this info. Can u help?
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Young FRANKenstein



Joined: 02 Oct 2006
Location: Castle Frankenstein (that's FRONKensteen)

PostPosted: Tue Mar 02, 2010 8:34 pm    Post subject: Re: Where can I get a paralegal or the paperwork>? Reply with quote

Hatcher wrote:
I want to file a small claims and need this info. Can u help?

Did you read the rest of this thread?
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Young FRANKenstein



Joined: 02 Oct 2006
Location: Castle Frankenstein (that's FRONKensteen)

PostPosted: Tue Mar 02, 2010 8:53 pm    Post subject: Re: Where can I get a paralegal or the paperwork>? Reply with quote

Young FRANKenstein wrote:
Hatcher wrote:
I want to file a small claims and need this info. Can u help?

Did you read the rest of this thread?

Sorry, it must be in another thread where I posted my story a dozen times.

A paralegal is called a 법무사. They are everywhere. Have a Korean friend find one near you. They will most likely charge you in the neighbourhood of 500,000 do do the filing for you. Everything will be in Korean, so if you don't speak Korean, you'll need someone to translate your complaint for you; your 법무사 most likely will not speak English.

Filing on your own is pretty much the same except it costs about 90% less. You'll still need someone to translate the complaint into Korean, though. I filed my documents at the main courthouse in Seoul, down near (IIRC) 교대 station on the orange line. The signs and various queues can be a little confusing, so it's not an in-and-out 5-minute process. Get in line to file the complaint, get in line to pay for it, get in another line to verify that your complaint has been received and paid for, etc. Even knowing what I was looking for, it took me a couple hours to get it all done.
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Hatcher



Joined: 05 Jan 2007

PostPosted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 1:58 pm    Post subject: court house? Reply with quote

So I can get the paperwork at the court house? Can I file online?
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Young FRANKenstein



Joined: 02 Oct 2006
Location: Castle Frankenstein (that's FRONKensteen)

PostPosted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 2:36 pm    Post subject: Re: court house? Reply with quote

Hatcher wrote:
So I can get the paperwork at the court house? Can I file online?

Yes, paperwork is at the courthouse. Where else would it be?

Online, I couldn't tell you. I filed my case in 2002 (and another in 2005), and there was nothing online back then.
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caharrison



Joined: 03 Apr 2010

PostPosted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 6:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey,
So I started my first job here the beginning of July. The story of the school is slowly unfolding to me.
Within the first month the boss sold his brand new car. I also had a chance to meet the teacher I am replacing; she told me that right before I arrived, all of the teachers quit at the same time. She also told me the school had had about 120 students; we now have about 70.
The first month was fine, I got paid on time. Then in August, a "new co-director" showed up (of course the story is different, and in poor English, every time they tell me). Also, during August, the recruiting agency starting emailing me telling me their fee hadn't been paid, nor had my plane ticket, and that my boss was unreachable.
Now it is September; several days past pay day I hadn't been paid. After asking many times, I received half of my pay, and a story that the new co-director is actually the new owner because my boss lost so much money from the students leaving.
I also realized that my insurance isn't being paid, nor is my pension (both in the contract), and although I have asked many times, I am not being issued pay stubs.
I came here broke, so I don't have much money saved (not sure I can even afford a one way ticket home). If I do just up and leave the country, is there any way they can sue me for my airfare to Korea (since I didn't hit 6 months yet)? I just have a feeling that this job won't last much longer, and I'd rather leave before it winds up costing me more money.
What are my options (with regard to leaving Korea, switching jobs, etc.)?
Thanks.
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Young FRANKenstein



Joined: 02 Oct 2006
Location: Castle Frankenstein (that's FRONKensteen)

PostPosted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 3:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

caharrison wrote:
If I do just up and leave the country, is there any way they can sue me

Are you joking? He can't pay your salary, insurance, pension, airfare, or the recruiter's fee. Where will he find the money to sue you?
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TheresaTheresa



Joined: 24 Feb 2010

PostPosted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 7:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Young FRANKenstein wrote:
caharrison wrote:
If I do just up and leave the country, is there any way they can sue me

Are you joking? He can't pay your salary, insurance, pension, airfare, or the recruiter's fee. Where will he find the money to sue you?


Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy
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digby



Joined: 27 Oct 2010

PostPosted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 3:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Threads like these totally terrify me. The only consolation really is the fact that there are so many teachers over there they can't all be getting screwed. Right? RIGHT?!

But between information here and the wonderful help that people offer by reviewing the contract (even though they may not get honored even if they are perfect) my fear is somewhat eased.

I did notice that this thread was started 2+ years ago and it was mentioned that hagwon owners are starting to be hit for violations a bit more. Has the situation improved? The friends who got me started on this path seem to think so but they also all put in a first year that totally sucked from what they told me.
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Felyian



Joined: 20 Aug 2010

PostPosted: Sun Jan 09, 2011 2:46 pm    Post subject: Free Help Service Available Reply with quote

If you want to learn more about your rights in Korea as an English teacher, just email [email protected]

As an English teacher, I've had my own trouble with employers withholding pay and documentation; that's why I am active with these issues in the first place. I know where you're coming from.

You can contact the Free Help Service here:

[email protected]


Last edited by Felyian on Tue Feb 22, 2011 11:28 pm; edited 1 time in total
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ericgwilliams



Joined: 08 Feb 2011

PostPosted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 4:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If anyone has a minute, i have a legal issue that i could use a bit of input on. it seems pretty cut and dry, but...well, im not in the states anymore.

i came as a couple. we both entered the country in april of 2010 on 12 month contracts. my gf started work pretty much the day after entry, i started a month later. we are now nearing the end of the contract and i think that my director is trying to avoid renewing my visa for the last month so that i can complete my contract. i am able and willing to work and have not been disciplined or indicated to that my performance might warrant termination with any kind of reason.

the question is: if i am *not allowed* (via refusal to extend my visa for a month) to complete my contract (reminder that i am not looking to *renew* the contract, merely complete it) and am able and willing to do so, what recourse do i have?
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jack_b57



Joined: 02 Sep 2010

PostPosted: Mon May 02, 2011 10:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If a hagwon screwed me over - came up with a reason to fire me to not pay my severence and flight home - is this the e-mail I should write to? [email protected]

The hagwon is asking me to quite voluntarily or else they'll fire me. If I quit voluntarily, they'll write a letter of release so I can find a new job. If I do not quit voluntarily, they said they'll fire me..and i'll have to leave the country.

Any thoughts? Your help would be very VERY much appreciated.
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