Korean Job Discussion Forums

[wylies99]

http://briandeutsch.blogspot.com/2010/04/investigated-by-immigration-over.html

Read the entire story at the above link. This is an eye-opening story in that a KT (Korea Times newspaper) reporter is an active member of the Anti-English Spectrum and that this same reporter tried to use Immigration to silence an expat blogger. Talk about conflicts of interest and lowball tactics!

[Captain Corea]

Unfortunately, it's not really a surprise.

I'm actually surprised Brian took any money - I figured he'd be smarter than that. Good to hear that nothing came of it though.

[ThingsComeAround]

Lame.
If that is the best that Kang Shin-woo can do, he is a coward.
The least he could have done was have a face-to-face talk.
Instead he tries to set Brian up with the law

Kudos to Brian for keeping his head above water.

[Unposter]

Reading stuff like that just makes me sick. Kudos to Brian!

[Burndog]

Wow!

I guess if you are going to get investigate a journalist's links and potential conflicts of interest, then you might expect him to do some 'research' also!

I think that Brian showed questionable judgement in accepting payment for his articles. Having said that, he's hardly the only person in Korea to take a little extra income outside of his E-2 requirements.

It's a brave and difficult thing, blogging without a pseudonym. Kudos to Brian for having the balls to put his name to everything that he did. It's easy to call someone the worst journalist in Korea when you're hiding behind an alias...to do it with your real name and then try to investigate the guy via a telephone interview...ballsy move Sir.

[sendittheemail]

It's nice to know that immigration doesn't have any serious problems to worry about, so they have time to investigate petty disputes between no-name third rate newspaper staffers and random internet bloggers.

I don't even know why this Brian guy bothers reading emails from or exchanging emails with this Korean moron.

Blogging without a pseudonym might be considered brave in the developed world, but may be just plain foolish here in Korea, especially considering Koreans inability to accept even the slightest criticism without stomping their feet on the ground and throwing a little princess temper tantrum.

[CentralCali]

I'm wondering if the Korea Times reports to Immigration the names of all of their "contributors" who get paid a nominal fee from KT for their missives in "Thoughts of the Times" and other sections.

Also unacceptable is the "investigative methods" used by Seoul Immigration. One day agents of the various government bureaus in Korea will start to follow Korea's own laws, instead of the usual method of violating those laws and complaining about foreigners breaking Korean law!

[I-am-me]

Lesson to be learned: Never answer questions at immigration unless you have someone from your consulate present at an interrogation. Never trust what an interpreter paid for by immigration will say, so have it taped.

[Smee]

Yeah, it was stupid of me to take money, and when I agreed to that . . . agreement, I didn't think it would be a problem if I took the money after my E-2 visa expired. Obviously that wasn't the case, and nearly a year-and-a-half later it came back to bite me in the behind.

Nonetheless, thanks for the kind words everyone. This episode is a warning to bloggers and writers, whether they get paid or not, that if you make yourself a public figure in any way your critics have ways of shutting you up.

I-am-me, the immigration officers had nothing to do with it. They were very professional and gave me a fair hearing. Nothing they did got me in trouble, or in further trouble. Actually, as you read, they ended up not levying a fine, above and beyond the amount I received and refunded, something I very much expected them to do. You act like the embassy really gives a damn what happens to English teachers in Korea.

[PatrickGHBusan]

[Moldy Rutabaga]

[wylies99]

[CentralCali]

The United States Embassy cares enough to advise US citizens about working here. The United States Embassy cares enough to inform US citizens of what it can and cannot do for them if said citizens encounter legal problems in Korea.

The Canadian Embassy cares enough to advise Canadian citizens about working here. The Canadian Embassy cares enough to inform Canadian citizens of what it can and cannot do for them if said citizens encounter legal problems in Korea.

It's a fictional plot device that one's embassy can ride into the local jail or courthouse, grab their citizen, and ride off into the sunset, all the while ignoring local law. The reality is different, as explained on the embassy sites themselves.

[PatrickGHBusan]

Good response Cali.

I think many people need to better understand what an Embassy can, cannot, will and will not do.

The same logic applies to the Canadian embassy as well. If a canadian breaks Korean law...the Embassy can do nothing beyond recommend a lawyer. They cannot act, nor should they act!

[CentralCali]

They cannot even recommend a lawyer. What they can and do is to provide a list of English-speaking lawyers (and I suppose French-speaking lawyers).