Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bourquetheman]

So I'm going back to do my Bachelor of Education in Canada and the admin of the university I'm going to says I should try and get a "security check" done over here since I've been here 14 years. Has anyone had any luck doing this? A co-worker (from England) mentioned that he was in the same boat a few years ago and ended up going to the police station in Chogno area of Seoul as they were the only ones who could do it in English.
I just wanted to see if anyone else here at Daves had any such experience.
Thanks in advance...........

[Sinnerman]

I went into a local Police department, and handed them a note I had a colleague draft up explaining that what was needed and for what purpose. It couldn't be done from the little dispatch unit, so they drove me in the back of the cruiser to the main department of that gu. I can't recall the name of the document, but it is easily accessible. It was in Korean, but I had it translated and notarized in Canada.

[lifeinkorea]

[Big Mac]

It's very easy to get. Just go to your local police station with your alien card. I got my co-teacher to write out in Korean what I wanted. I had it in a few minutes. The check was completely in Korean though. I had to get it translated by a professional translator for my application for registration in Queensland.

In Ontario, the Ontario College of Teachers never asked for anything from Korea. I did, however, get a second police check from Korea just in case I needed it. The website for the embassy in Ottawa has a form that you fill out. You take the completed form to the embassy, they stamp it and then you send the form to the National Police Service in Seoul and they will mail you back a check IN ENGLISH. It takes about a month to get. You have to buy a bunch of international stamps from the post office to send to Korea with your application, and that costs about $25.

P.S. There is usually a shelf life of six months or a year (can't remember which) for criminal background checks when applying for registration. So if you get a background check now it might not be valid when you apply anyway.

[lifeinkorea]

[Big Mac]

I just copied this from the Ontario College of Teacher's website. Keep in mind they are talking about Canadian background checks. As I said, they never requested a check from Korea for me, and I lived there for five years. It's pretty clear about the six month limit.

Canadian criminal record check
You must submit an original, signed, Canadian
criminal record check report.
The report must not be older than six months
from the date the College receives it. The report
must include your current and past full names.
These will have to match your proof-of-identity
documents.
The report must indicate that a search was done
on all the names using the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) database.
You can obtain a criminal record check report
from a local, regional or national police service.
If there is something on your criminal record,
include a letter that explains in detail the dates,
circumstances and outcome of the events.
Having a criminal record does not mean you are
automatically ineligible for certification. The
College assesses each report individually.
Having a positive declaration and/or information
obtained from a criminal record check will delay
processing of your application.
Check the date on your criminal record check.
The College must receive it within six months.

[bourquetheman]

Thanks for all of your help guys. Helpful to know...