Korean Job Discussion Forums

[chaz47]

I've been building a strong rapport and an e-mail list of students (150+) at my current academy. I'm planning to attempt a go at online teaching, possibly with these students, in the future. I know that Korean labor law forbids me from working at another academy while on the E2, but what about freelancing online?

As many of my current students prefer small class sizes and try to adjust their schedules to get into smaller classes I think they might be interested in this. I'm especially looking at this as a viable alternative to similar academy style work if I eventually transition to SE Asia. From there I could still survive comfortably while undercutting the rates they pay here in the ROK.

[YTMND]

Probably not legal the way you want to do it. However, there is an argument to be made (maybe not accepted though ) that you aren't really working in Korea to make money. The income would be recorded for tax purposes in your home country's currency or another country which allows teaching online. You would then be responsible for paying and reporting this. You could have investments back home and would be earning money also, or possibly renting a house out.

Will it fly? You probably have just as much luck convincing authorities this as you would have chances of getting caught.

[Troglodyte]

I suppose that there's a bit of gray area here but if your students are paying into a foreign bank account, then you're probably safe as far as visa restrictions go. There may be some questions about running a business that is based in Korea, but that's a side topic.

If you were working online for a foreign company or if you were teaching foreign students (e.g. students in Argentina, Russia, Spain, etc.) while you're in Korea then likely no one would know or care. The problem is that you're potentially taking students away from someone who knows who you are and likely knows where you live (and even if your boss/ex-boss doesn't know, immigration does). If someone else (e.g. your employer) starts losing clients, then he'll likely try to solve the problem by eliminating you from the picture (thus hopefully getting his clients/students back). So if he can report you to immigration then he will. Immigration might then have to investigate the complaint to see what you're up to. They will check your Korean bank account. No unaccountable deposits, so you'd be ok. They might ask some of your students though. If they do and the students say that you're teaching them online, then you might get a warning (or worse). I suppose that you could deny it. Your students might not say anything (unless someone is upset at you or dissatisfied).

In general, even if you were blatantly breaking the law by working at another school without permission, it's unlikely that you'd get more than a warning and possibly a fine. There is a lot of work involved in catching illegal workers and proving that they were in fact working illegally. The immigration guys are a lot more likely to go after illegal factory or farm worker (3-D worker) that can be caught in batches doing something which is clearly illegal and usually come from countries that Koreans consider dirty, as opposed to investing time and energy into investigating and MAYBE catching a foreign teacher. The potential payoff (if there is any) is much lower and most people (immigration officers included) honestly don't consider it a serious problem which is why most teachers who get caught get off with a warning.

Now if you're planning on leaving Korea but teaching Korean students online, that's another story. If you have something set up before you leave, you could teach those Korean students while you live in Thailand or China with no problem at all. Keep in mind that privates (and that what these are) have a high turnover rate. Even if you're good, they will eventually stop taking lessons because other stuff will come up. Your list of students will slowly dwindle away. If you're planning on staying outside Korea for more than a year, you might want to partner up with a Korean to help reel in more students over time.

[thegadfly]

I did Skype classes for 18 months during my stint in the US before returning to Korea, and am still doing a few for students in the US while I am in Korea.

While I was in the US and my students were in Korea, and those students paid into my Korean bank account, and I was affiliated with a school based in Korea, I was considered to be earning money in Korea by both the Korean tax office and the US IRS. I paid Korean taxes on my earnings, and the folks at the IRS in the US were fine with it. (I DID get audited, but the lady was very pleasant, and confirmed that everything I had been doing was correct -- the reason for the audit was unrelated to the classes I was teaching.)

While in Korea, my students in America pay into an American Paypal account, in US dollars. I pay US taxes on my earnings from those classes. I am considered to be earning money in the US as far as those classes are concerned, by both the Korean tax office and the US IRS. I am also teaching at a school in Korea, and I did ask my boss about continuing the classes, but as has been pointed out, since the students I am teaching through Skype could not actually attend the school, then I am not competing with the school, nor stealing its students, and so I am fine as far as my contract is concerned.

...so, while you are here, if you are stealing students, you are breaking the strictures of your visa and your contract. Once you leave the country, if you are paid via a Korean bank account or Korean Paypal (they have that, right?), then you would be fine so long as you pay Korean taxes on earnings.

Skype classes have a whole slew of other problems connected to them, not the least of which is connectivity. If you are curious, ask away.

[chaz47]

[thegadfly]