Korean Job Discussion Forums

[saharzie]

Went on the visa run to Osake today..due to snow my flight was delayed so I only had about 45 minutes in Osake before my return flight wsa due to leave. When I was at immigration, the woman said "You must go to the transfer desk, otherwise you will miss your flight". Went to the desk and they take ages. Eventually give me my boarding pass. I get no stamp. I ask about it and they say its too late. I explain I need it and they bring out a form saying JAL will not accpet responsibility if I get deported from Korea. REfuse to sign and they say no sign, no boarding pass. No real choice so sighn and make the plane.
I know I am in trouble when I get to Korean immigration as I only have a Korean departure stamp and no evidence of any foreign country as I legally never entered Japan.
Get brought to office where some woman interrogates me. Spends about an hour asking me questions, presumes I am teaching english illegally but has no evidence. I tell her various excuses which do not seem to be working. Then she says you will be deported, either to Japan or Ireland. You will be kept in our custody until the money for flight is paid. She walks off.
10 mins later she comes back and starts asking me more questions. My basic defense is that I did nothing wrong and I wonder why she is so shocked why someone likes Korea enough to travel around and absorb culture. I ask her what other option I had other then to get tourist visa. She doesnt really have an answer to this. She goes off and comes back 5 mins later. She gives me a 3 month tourist visa and tells me to be more careful in future..

Just wondering what the hell she was thinking?? Was the whole thing a bluff? I have no idea what her line of thinking was?

Any ideas..btw..I know illegal teaching is 'wrong'.....just wondering has anyone else had a similar situation? I only got pulled over becuse of no japanese stamp...is there an official poilicy on deportation or is it just how the particular official is feeling? Dont know if it made any difference that she was a woman...

[matko]

She probably had a date with Derrek the night before.

[rapier]

Interesting..I nearly missed my flight out on the day my exit order ran out, due to the huge queues at the airport... I had to just start shouting, jumping queues and waving my ticket at the people and pointing to my watch so they let me through. they can be very slow and polite manners will do nothing for you, you have to make a big fuss to hurry them up.
re: deportation: I wonder if they allow you time to get all your stuff before they deport you?

[Derrek]

[Derrek]