Korean Job Discussion Forums

seosan08 · Joined: 10 Oct 2008 Location: Korea

I got an email from a friend of mine, and I'm not sure how to anwswer. He's thinking about coming to Korea but has a minor record from the mid-1980's. He was pretty wild back then and ended up with a couple DUI's and 2 petty thefts while he was drunk. He's older and much mellower now and as far as I know, he hasn't had any kind of trouble in since then. No drugs or drinking in a long time, he says.

How could this affect him, if he wants to get a job teaching in a program like EPIK? He's a lab tech with a BS in Biology (or Chemistry--don't remember exactly) and is just burned out on doing lab work and wants to try something different. Any advice?

Juregen · Joined: 30 May 2006

What we have heard of is that people with the slightest issue on their CRC are being denied an E2 Visa.

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

plynx · Joined: 03 Jun 2008

Juregen · Joined: 30 May 2006

Don't entries into the CR get effaced after 10 years?

TheChickenLover · Joined: 17 Dec 2007 Location: The Chicken Coop

It depends on the jurisdiction and level of offence. In most cases, offences can remain on your record for life.

Chicken

chemdah · Joined: 09 Mar 2007

I heard these kinds of offences automatically get dropped off the record in many Asian countries, including Korea after a certain number of years...

Is it just Western countries that have you eternally damned?

Sucks big time.

I feel for your friend....

Tobias · Joined: 02 Jun 2008

Some states allow one to expunge his record, while other states will force a criminal offense to follow one around for life. It simply depends on where the offense occurred. Know that an expunged offense doesn't really disappear. The FBI will always have a record, as will the police department of the jurisdiction handing down the conviction. If Korea starts requiring FBI checks, those even with expunged records will be discovered.

The best thing for your friend to do is see if he can get at least a partial expungement, especially of the petty theft charges. He may get lucky and find he can get it all expunged, or he may learn he is eternally damned. It's worth the shot. See if he can get rid of this shit. It's no one's business now anyway. He's done his time, in a way.

The criminal record in the USA is but another way to control your behavior. It actually works pretty well. A guy gets busted for stealing a candy bar, gets convicted, and then has a yoke following him around forever. This yoke may as well be a tatoo on his forehead, as he will be denied good jobs and will be forced into the pool of designated losers. This pool serves as an example to others and convinces them that criminality ain't the path to take. Again, it works. Electronic records that don't disappear and are used to discriminate against the naughty mean a more stable society with fewer police. But it sucks to be in that pool, I imagine.

chemdah · Joined: 09 Mar 2007

Once someone brings their own CBC, does Korea do their own independent search? I would imagine that if they did, it would be a national one with info similar to that of the FBI. However, if they don't......another city's CBC may be the solution around the unjustified "mark of Cain" imprinted on your friend's forehead in the 80's.

However, I'm not sure if even that would work. I did hear from a GEPIK agent that Koreans will do their own independent check anyways; Much like they do with the Medical questions before, and test afterwards...

I then asked what would be the use of a teacher getting a CBC done or answering a medical form, if Korea can just do their own CBC search and drug tests on their own. Its much easier and saves a big hassle for the applicant. She then said "Well the American government makes Koreans go through alot the hassle of documentation when they come to America. Why should we make it easier for them to come here?" Shocked

Tobias · Joined: 02 Jun 2008

To be honest, you need to go to the real experts. Simply call up the consulate in your friend's region and see what the requirements are and what will disqualify one.

Here at Dave's-Opinions-For-Free, home of the armchair experts, you'll hear today that a CRC that is less than spotless will shoot you down. It will have to be squeaky clean to get the E2. A few days later you'll read that only "serious" offenses will break the deal. Who's right? I sure as hell don't know.

Call the consulate.