Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Derrek]

This is the style of van (complete with a red light) that the immigration boys will likely be driving when they come to your school. Also, note the larger green and white bus in the background behind the taxi. That is another one of their vehicles, for larger busts.

When I had problems last year at the hagwon that didn't file my paperwork, this style of van is what they hauled me away in. Although I distinctly remember that one didn't have stripes. If you see one of these with a red light on top come driving up to your school, along with 4 or 5 guys -- take heed.

I snapped this pic the last time I was by the Omogkyo Immigration office.

[just because]

Man that is funny with the red light and all.

[hippie]

Isn't it fun how you are the one who gets blacklisted when your boss is the one who screws up?

[rapier]

What picture? I guess i'll just have to use my imagination.

[Bulsajo]

Funny, I had always pictured them driving this:




or maybe this:



or perhaps even this:



And I hear that if they bag their quota this year they'll have enough money in the budget next year to buy one of these:

[TECO]

So, Derek, how did you get out of that situation without being banned from working in the country?

Any fines?

[SuperFly]

This is what they USED to drive back in the 1970's when I was a teacher in Korea.

[Derrek]

Oh gosh, this thread is getting funny.

For those of you who didn't get the story last year:

I got fined the minimum 500,000 won and got an "exit order", so had to leave for Japan, but could come right back the next day. Was banned from working at that particular school for 6 months. Didn't matter though, because the school went under from all of the fines.

The school was Discovery School near Ichon station. It's not there any more, unless someone bought it or something. I was very stupid, and was working there before my E-2. At the time, another job had not panned out, and I had been living in a Yagwon and had been without work for 1 1/2 months (just returned from a trip to the USA). I was low on money and needed a job and a place to stay. I told them that I wouldn't work until I got my E-2, however once I moved into the school-funded apartment, they told me "work now or get out." They had a summer intensive going on, and needed me.

I didn't want to, but they said, "Don't worry, it's only a week, and we'll be processing your Visa." I gave them all my documents, and bought my ticket for Japan that next Friday, because the director said she "knew someone" in immigration (this is the biggest lie all directors will tell you). She (the director/owner) and would get the blue paper quickly. She also told me the would "take care of me" if any problems occurred, but not to worry since it was only illegal for a week.

My 2nd full day (a tuesday) of working there, immigration raided my school. They had never even turned in the documents! They pulled them out of a file and told the immigration guys they were "planning on it." JERKS! And I had even bought a "to be reimbursed" ticket for Japan to take off a few days later. They wouldn't have had my Blue Paper for my E-2 anyway!

Turns out one of the disgruntled CANADIAN teachers who got canned was married to a Korean, and they went to the immigration office and tipped them off. The other teachers blamed a former Korean teacher, but I later learned this wasn't true. The former Canadian, who had met his wife in a room salon, by the way, was a decent teacher, and the kids liked him, but he was angry and wanted to get even because the new owner had demoted him from his management job and was pushing him out. He was probably the one teacher at that school who cared, but when he left he ratted out the school to immigration.

Most all of the rest of the teachers were trash. And people wonder why I now hate drunk/pothead Canadians (not all Canadians -- just the losers). Most all of the teachers in that school were Canadians, and were potheads who made the school a hell for the director.

The director had just bought the school, and they didn't like the changes, so they would just ban together and say, "no". These same teachers (and the new owner) had lost a lot of money from the previous owner, who had jumped the country with all of their pay, and they didn't want to do any work for the new owner. It didn't take long to figure out that the school was doomed. Often a few of them would come to work late, drunk, or stoned. I'm not kidding -- they were horrible. The school was doomed. On my first day, the new assistant manager asked me what I would do with those teachers, and I told her they should fire nearly all of them. And they should have.

I didn't share this part of the story before, but the one other American guy was constantly singled-out and blamed for all their problems. They said he was a drug dealer, among other things, which was sort of funny since they seemed to be the ones who looked stoned all of the time. I have no idea if he was or not, but I don't think so. There was a woman there who was married to an American, but she was from Samoa or something, and didn't get too involved in the politics, from what I saw.

When immigration busted our school, I was totally unaware what was going on. I happened to be leaving between class to use the restroom when these korean guys by the front desk grabbed my arm and were yelling. They were very rude and obnoxious. I actually thought they were parents who were angry about the teacher change! Duh! Anyway, they sat me down in a chair and the director said, "just tell them the truth." So I started trying to calm down these guys I thought were parents, but when they slapped a paper in front of me and demanded that I answer the questions on it, and when I saw one of the guys scanning teacher E-2 cards with a portable hand-scanner, I suddenly figured it all out.

A few of the questions were, in no particular order:

1. Name, address here and home country
2. How long have you worked here
3. What are your exact working hours here
4. Who is your boss (I think this was on there)
5. Do you pay for the apartment you live in, or does your school?
6. How much does your housing cost?

Here's a side note -- I was told that if they school hadn't been paying my housing, I would have been deported!

I didn't have my passport with me (who the heck carries their passport??) and they lambasted me for that. At that point the American teacher was getting grilled in the same room, but it was really funny. He had a legal E-2 with the school, and started calling the immigration guys names like, "Go Fu#@ off you A-holes! I remember you! See -- I've got an E-2!" It was sort of hilarious.

The immigration guys tried to bribe my school first, according to my director. They told her they would leave if she paid them money. I think she said it was 5 million won. This is why I look at immigration in Korea as a trashy, low-life, corrupt bunch of individuals.

The immigration guys stuffed me in a van like the one above, and took me to my home to get my passport, which they later took and held until I had an "interview" later that week. I wasn't even given an interview time from them until three days later. I was only told I couldn't work, and I couldn't leave the country. This put me in even more of a financial hell.

During that waiting period, my boss had the nerve to tell me that I should still come in and work! I told her no way! She then threatened not to pay any fine that immigration might give me. (so much for "taking care of me" like she had promised).

I had to show up at the interview that Friday with my director/boss. At the interview with immigration, no English was spoken. I was there, along with my director and one other illegal teacher who had been there for over 5 months illegally. The director lied that he had only been there 2 days as well. She did all of the interpreting, and I had wished like heck that I had brought a Korean friend along to help me. But it was the middle of the day, we just found out about the interview the evening before, and I don't know who I could have gotten anyway!

When the immigration guy told us our fines, and that we couldn't work there for six months, the director/owner of my school then backed down and said she wouldn't pay my part. I and the other teacher got 500,000 won fines. She got a 3 or 4 million won fine (can't remember exactly). I got really angry, and decided what the heck, and just blew up at her right there in front of the immigration guys. I told her that I would tell them all about how she had just lied that the other teacher had only worked there for 2 days (he was sitting right there, but at the time I didn't care). I told her "pay my fine or else". She sad silent for almost a full minute, then agreed to pay it. The immigration guy didn't know any English. No one in that upstairs office did.

I was also told by them that I "might not get my next E-2 approved". I'll tell you , it's hell trying to learn what "might not" means when the Korean is being translated by someone who doesn't speak good English in the first place. Best I could tell, it was up to that immigration official who happened to be working to sign the E-2 papers that day. Stupid! So I could live there with no pay until I found another job, and once I did and paperwork was filed, I "might not" get approved??? Try explaining that one to anyone who wants to hire you!

As luck would have it, I found another job at a hagwon that weekend through a recruiter called Haanrecruit (who later stole my degree, by the way!). I got my new E-2, but it was for only 6 months! I think my new school paid immigrations some kickback money to get me a new E-2, but not sure. When I questioned the immigration guy why it was just 6 months, they said, "You teach English illegally! Only six month Visa!"

At first I was really angry at this, but it turned out to be a very good thing that I only had a 6 month Visa, because that meant I finished in time to get my current gig at this high school. Some form of "punishment", Mr. immigration man! HA!

So there you have my story.

[Juggertha]

good story man. good to know.

not sure about the bribe thing though. Sure they might have asked for it, but form the sounds of it your boss was a liar anyways so its hard to tell.

[Derrek]

Oh, now I've got to tell the cute "exit order" trip story...

I took the flight to Japan, and had it set up so I returned on another flight 45 minutes later.

I arrived in Osaka, and the flight was 10 minutes late. This Japanese stewardess was standing just inside the airport as we exited the plane. She is calling out names, one of which is mine.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Wait!" she said. (I think it was one of the few English words she knew).

I was getting nervous as I waited about 10 minutes. My flight would be leaving soon, and I still had to pass in and back out of Japan immigrations. Other passengers were singled-out, and told to "wait."

Finally, after she had gathered all of us together, she turns to us and says, "Hurry up!"

All of the foreigners looked at each other in disbelief. This crazy lady held us for ten minutes just so she could tell us to "hurry up" because our next flight was leaving soon.

Classic!

[crazylemongirl]

that's one bizzare story.

[tomwaits]

Hello derreck---That brings back memories as almost the exact thing happened to me...A few differences-I was at the school over 4 months and -I only learned later they weren't licensed for my 1st 3 months..Yes I know it's my own fault..But I was new to Korea and this place was really treating me well. Nicest people I have dealt with. What really hurt was we had decided on an amicable parting and Immigration showed up on 2nd last day...OH and yes I was told to teach the last day. Weve ALREADY been busted the manager said which was sort of hard to argue with...

Whoever reported us had the phone number of the school..Guilty party -I'm pretty sure--was either a girl that was breaking up at the time or someone I phoned looking for my next job. Anyway I was fined 700 and the school 2 Mil. Don't know if bribes were discussed or not...The Imm guys were tough-sort of looked like undercover cops in in movies. I did not tell them to F--- off.

Problem was it sort of doomed me in Korea. Up to 14 months later I was still refused an e-2.But by then maybe they assumed I was still working somewhere..I'm going to give it one more shot next Jan. By then it will be 2005 and the crime was in 2001. And I exited Korea in 2003. If they still refuse I guess I am banned for life...Anyway thanks for sharing that story...PS...Why do you think those guys were stoned?

[Derrek]

Because they looked like it, smelled like it, and the one who was late most often was often talked about as smoking it.

They'd say, "Oh, **** is late again. He really does too much weed."

(They didn't say "weed", it was some other term but obvious what it was)

Last I knew he left for China.

That school went under about a month or so after the incident.

Oh, here's the kicker... I told my former boss that story after it all happened, and he KNEW about the school and had heard, "That school has drug problems."

He was glad I got out of there, and told me he'd like me to come back in a few months after he fired a teacher he had at the time, but I was already doing another thing.

[just because]

Good stuff derrek, and there was a happy ending after all.

[TECO]

WOW shittty luck, eh.

Berlitz must pay off Immigration because I've personally told Immigration that I was illegal and that there were several illegal teachers working at their schools and nothing seems to ever happen to them.