Korean Job Discussion Forums

[earthbound14]

When I first came here I wouldn't rat out a school or employer for doing anything illegal (except for the usual crappy stuff employers tend to do here). I figured the whole idea of illegal English education was a farse and Korea was driving itself nuts over something the local talent just couldn't do.

However after years of meeting wack job teachers who have no business teaching children and even worse employers I have little sympathy. If anything I see them as taking money from my pockets as I'm 100% legit to teach. Employers who hire illegal teachers are pure scum in my books. In a land where foreign people are paraded across the TV set as vile criminals Hogwan owners who are nothing but vultures in the English education system and do nothing but push wages down, get off.

Now I'm faced with a choice, I work at a good school, but it runs an after school program. I once felt bad for them because they couldn't get enough teachers to fill all their positions (sometimes all they needed was a teacher for a few classes). They hired illegal teachers. They have gotten so used to illegal foreign help that they don't even employ full time employees anymore. Rather than pay for airfare, insurance and accoms, they cut the hourly rate they once offered and now only hire illegal teachers. I work in a different department and wonder if I should rock the boat and send a message. Especially considering some of them are nice guys who should be allowed to teach part time. They have been here for years and teach with valid E2 visas at other schools. If they were all the wack job kind I'd have called immi already.

On top of that my wife and I have opened our own home school. I've worked hard in Korea and I feel I've earned the right to teach English for my own profit. I feel bad that the only way to have done this was by marriage and I wish there was a way that we could get permanent residency more easily and be able to work freely without all the E2 BS. But that's not the case and another foreigner is teaching in my apartment complex with an E2. They are essentially taking money from me and doing so illegally. Given the current system there is no way to know if they are really qualified to be doing so (currently under Korean law they are not, no matter how good a teacher they may be or what teaching qualifications they have....sad). It could be anyone. If I dig I'm likely to put a relatively nice person and good teacher in the spotlight or I just might find someone who should not be doing so while also helping myself out.

I'd love to bust the school but I know the people who'd get hurt the most are my friends and I don't want to hear another story about the horrible waeguk doing illegal things....because that is what would happen.

I'd love to turn in the next crack pot teacher I meet...but truthfully these guys are far and few between and most people teach English illegally at one time or another. I really see no problem with teaching part time on an E2 or finding someway for long term E2 visa holders to have their fair share. The only people I'd really like to see sent packing are those who aren't qualified (without real degrees).

They need to crack down on this nonsense. Perhaps Korea should actually raise their standards for once rather than making more stupid rules and silly restrictions on a very educated work force (be honest, a university degree from a western school is worth far more than the millions of paper pumped out of Korean universities and labelled as degrees....not one Korean university has cracked the top 100). Perhaps if those with skills, experience and qualifications were allowed to teach privately there would be no demand for the real illegals...English tourists and there would be little ability for the real crooks to keep trashing English education here...Hogwan owners. I think the rise in public schools and the great exodus of teachers from the private teaching sector has shown just how little we think of Hogwans.

Just my 2 cents...

[Cheonmunka]

It's not a good situation to be running a business and having your competition doing so illegally right next to you.
A sensible business operator would get rid of them.

[Cohiba]

Oh, yippee. Another newb finally opens his eyes to the unfair, corrupt
and racist visa system in place in Korea and concludes that teaching
privates isn't that bad after all. Well done.

If you turn in anyone here(except a pedo), then your a SCUMBAG, plain
and simple.

[ChinaBoy]

The OP's poll and post are obviously too one-sided.

Sounds like he got married just to open an English school. I should report him.

[cdninkorea]

I wouldn't rat them out. People should be free to hire and be hired by whoever they want for any reasons, provided there aren't any victims (e.g. a murder contract). Teaching English "illegally" benefits all parties, and no one is forced into the arrangement. I wish the government would stay out of it.

[gregoriomills]

Why would you ever turn anyone in for ANYTHING?? Unless of coarse you are personally being hurt by something. If not, do your job, make your money, let South Korea's finest worry about the rest, you narcs.

[Cerriowen]

I think it's stupid to make teaching english illegal. The korean people and the english teachers would both benifit from making it legal.

Only the hakwons benifit from it being illegal... They lose money if teachers can do private lessons (actual quality work vs hakwon entertainment). At the same time, they can hire teachers illegally and treat them like crap and avoid the taxes and obligations to employees.

If you turn people in, all your doing is helping the Hakwon industry exploit the Korean people and western workers.

[Straphanger]

[agoodmouse]

[Ukon]

Only illegal I'd like to see deported are the ones who can't teach at all...If you can teach well, I don't think having a degree means a person is qualified to teach

[sharkey]

who honestly picks the first choice, losers, thats who ... get over yourselves

[RyanInKorea]

I am reminded of that rap song where he says, "Caling the po-po just because your jealous I'm busting more (female dogs) and benjamins."

Don't be such a hater,
Ryan

[TheUrbanMyth]

The next time that the Korean media runs a story about how most teachers here are illegal or something along those lines, I hope I never see anyone who picked the last option complaining about it.


You reap what you sow.

If you are fine with illegal teachers coming here, then don't act all suprised and outraged when there are stories about them.

[RyanInKorea]

[Straphanger]