Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Dragonfly]

Has anyone here ever had a package checked by the Korean government? I'd heard Korean "spies" check the mail of foreigners, primarily for drugs.

A box from home arrived last week containing some family mementos. The contents had obviously been rummaged through and damaged in the process. The underside of the box also revealed where the tape had been ripped off and then re-sealed.

What do you all think? Racist, profiling by heathens, or just life in a divided nation? Is this legal?

[bluelake]

When I first came to Korea in '84 (Chun Doo-hwan era), all overseas letters addressed to me were opened and messily sealed with tape. The message to me was clear: "We read your mail." However, I haven't had that happen in over twenty years now.

[Bibbitybop]

I've had friends who claim packages were not only open, but items were missing.

I had another friend who had coffee sent from the US. The sealed package was opened, barely taped up, the coffee was not only ruined, it has spilled all over the rest of the contents.

[justaguy]

My neighbors used to steal my mail. They usually stole home plus cupons and club cards. There are some very petty thieves out there. I suggest a mail box at the post office if you can get it.

[espoir]

Just get it sent to your school (if you trust your school) thats what I always do. Nothing ever goes to my house because we dont have proper mail boxes at my apartment,

[nathanrutledge]

I had some transcripts sent to my parents house. My father packaged them up in a big envelope for me and sent them over. When I got them, my sealed transcripts had all been opened and "inspected." Korean Customs has no clue what the hell they are doing.

[Dragonfly]

Do you think they indiscriminately check all overseas packages, or do they just look through the ones with English on the front?

What is so aggravating is the assumption that my package needs to be checked, but what is more, that the contents are so crudely replaced; as if the "inspector" gets a little power high off throwing around my belongings. This, and get refused service at a restaurant once or twice for being white, and it's easy to start feeling like a black man in Memphis circa 1950. Know of anything we can boycott, or anyone I can write a nasty letter to?

[Sleepy in Seoul]

[mole]

[sojusucks]

[John_ESL_White]

customs in most countries "inspect" overseas packages.... no big deal and definately not a Korean-only phenomenon

smaller countries inspect are able to inspect more than heavily populated countries.

don't blieve me? send some hash to the US from the canadia. it will get through 99%age-e of the time.

[bassexpander]

A friend of mine had his banjo sent here with him on Air Canada. They ripped the banjo apart, stripping the screws and breaking the wood between the front/back. You could see the big gouge from where they pried it open. Not even an apology note. I was worth several hundred dollars, and was a special gift.

[alice123]

Mine got sent back home for being written in English.

[ajgeddes]

[phoneboothface]