Korean Job Discussion Forums

[alphalfa]

Background(first): I successfuly completed my one year contract with a school in Incheon on Dec 17th last year. I submitted my ARC to the airport immigration upon leaving the country on Dec 18th. I returned to Korea a few days ago on a 6mth tourist visa, residing in Incheon.
Present:
I received a phone call from my previous school asking me for my foreign registration number. I thought this was odd. In response to their inquiry I told them I no longer had my ARC and suggested that they contact the immigration office. Not knowing the true nature of the schools' inquiry at the time, I received an email from the school a few hours later that night which said that I had received a card from the tax office asking me to report to them.

What could this possibly mean? I'm not sure to this day whether the school ever registered me with the Education office in Incheon. With no record of registration with the Education office I in effect was a phanthom
teacher receiving a salary without deductions for taxes. Should this be the nature of why the tax office has asked me to visit, I am guilty of (unintentionally) of not paying any taxes. I am prepared to pay any taxes owed-as I legally should- if the tax office requests.

My previous employer clearly has a legal responsibility in this matter,too.
I'm not a lawyer so I can't pass judgement but knowingly 'cooking' the books and deceiving the tax authorities is not proper as a legal sponsor for me. Naivitity and stupidity on the part of the school is a terribly weak defence.

This matter could potentially have similiar implications for the two current native speakers presently employed with the school. I will certainly inform them as the current process unfolds for me. We'll just have to wait and see the final outcome in the coming days.

alphalfa