Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sigmundsmith]

Well, I have been in Korean for 5 years. And happy I got the job I wanted. The new employer says I must open a bank account with Shihan (spl?) bank as my pay must be put into this bank. No problem, i will just need to make phone calls to change my billing for fone and credit card.

Then they said I must wait 3 months for a card. To me this is ridiculous. Im not a newbiiiiiii. I have two Korean bank accounts and a korean credit card account. I asked for their reasoning (not angrily) about having to wait 3 months for a card and the person at the branch I went to couldnt give me one.

The thing is if they give me a card what could I do? Steal my own money?

[Triban]

Accessing your own money through Shinhan prior to a 3 month arbitration period is punishable by law.

You could give the bank HIV, or steal it's women.

[tiger fancini]

Return to the branch on a daily basis to request the card. Be polite at all times. I'm pretty sure that after a week you will have your card.

[littlelisa]

You've been in Korea for 5 years? Continue to use your other bank for withdrawals. If you have no money or not enough to get you through 3 months, go into the Shinhan bank when they are open and ask them to set up an automatic transfer of (your salary minus tax, pension etc) every month to your other bank.

Your school is being cheap, forcing you to use one bank. I guarantee they not only have fees waived to transfer money to other accounts with the same bank (give you your pay), but they are also getting other kickbacks from the bank.

Edit: Actually, why not ask your director? Tell him that if you are forced to use this bank, could he at least call them and see if he can get them give you your card sooner? And if not, can he send your pay to another bank for three months?

[redaxe]

Sounds like you're getting scammed here

[big_fella1]

Call Shinhan's English line 1577-8380 and ask them if this is really the policy. If they say no, tell them to call the branch and fix it. Should they say yes then file a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission of Korea.

http://www.humanrights.go.kr/english/guide/complaint_01.jsp

It is illegal to discriminate against a legally registered resident solely because of their ethnicity.

I have had success with 1 bank by dealing with the bank directly and another person recently had success against a mortgage insurer by going to the National Human Rights Commission of Korea.

[cdninkorea]

The same thing happened to me years ago- I went to the Shinhan in Itaewon to open an account, and they told me they couldn't give me a bank card because there was "a problem" (they wouldn't elaborate).

But Korea being what it is, I went to a branch in Yeouido the next day and got a bank card no problem. I didn't, but wanted to, go back to the original branch and confront them about it.

[Rothbard]

Tell your boss to deposit your salary in your existing account. There is no reason to open a new account EXCEPT if he is trying to scam you. Having been here for a reasonable amount of time, you should know that.

[PigeonFart]

Thank you for the Human Rights Commission link. I'd never heard of them before now.

[laguna]

[tiger fancini]

[Who's Your Daddy?]

I've had employers ask me to open accounts. Even PS said I must use NongHyup, I said no I'm KEB. In all these cases they hum and haw and put it into my KEB account.

I think the reason is so they save 1000 won transfer fee because they have their corporate account at that bank.

[perkxplosion]

[cdninkorea]

I think you guys are making too big a deal about the OPs boss getting him to open a new account.If the concern is being watched,he can transfer the money to his other account each month or even take it out in cash so his boss wont know where its going.But I had to open a new account for my job and its a university,not some hagwon with a snooping boss.

[captain kirk]