Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Cynical Optimist]

Please help me with this since the Korean consulates in the California are about as helpful as a kick in the nuts.

If my replacement teacher lives in Utah, he should send his paper work to the consulate in San Francisco. But he's visiting his son in Arkansas before coming here, so the return address on the envelope says Arkansas. So the SF consulate sent his paperwork back, unprocessed, saying that since he's in Arkansas, he needs to send his paperwork to Houston. My boss called the Houston office and they said -- don't send it here, send it to SF!

So I called the SF consulate this morning and they said, "Not our jurisdiction," blah blah. The man said it doesn't matter where his actual residence is, but simply where the envelope is being sent from. That seems strange to me. The Houston consulate was closed already so I couldn't ask them yet. In the meantime, my replacement teacher needs to start working on June 9th!

Anyone have experience with this??

[Bibbitybop]

Why don't you get someone you know in SF to help you by being a middleman with your documents? They can be sent to SF and then overnight shipped to AR.

[TBirdMG]

I agree with Bib,

It's an assanine way to interpret jurisdiction, and probably is incorrect behavior from some low level consular officer who lacks attention to detail...but if that's how the Korean consulate wants to play, let them play....

You can special arrange with any UPS store for them to receive and forward a package via any of the major express couriers. Just call a store, ask for the general manager, explain the situation, what is needed, and they will quote you a reasonable handling fee of @$20-25.

You are best off faxing the UPS store manager with explicit instructions on how to handle the package once it is received.

Good luck,

TB

[raketbaler]

I have my interview with the Korean Consulate in San Fran this Monday. Any advice people?

[Cynical Optimist]

[bettyspaghetti]

My interview was on Tues and it was sooooo easy. Don't sweat it at all. I think they are more interested in finding out if you, indeed, an obvious native speaker and not a transvestite or something. Questions were "Why did you pick Korea?" "Do you plan on teaching more than one year?" "How does teaching in Korea fit into your career goals"... Consul Lee is very nice.

As for the OP OMG! I couldn't get a human on the phone at the SF Consulate so I called the LA one and when I told them I lived in Denver they wouldn't even answer my questions! Nope- you have to call SF. So irritating. I left messages at the SF branch and they called back 2 days later!

[raketbaler]

[bettyspaghetti]

I had to do an interview with the SF Consulate because the Denver one closed 4 years ago. I lucked out actually and they let me do a phone interview! So I was in Pajamas! Anyway it was less than 5 minutes... Like I said, don't sweat it.