Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Benjamin1934]

I have taught in Korea for four years and have experienced at least fair apartments and some times new ones and a nice apartment in Japan yet I recently made the human mistake of signing with a school and flew over to see the apartment that was old and dirty with no aircond. and only a 30 minute walk each way to the school. (My contract stated clearly with aircond. and I again made it clear with the recruiter Jimmy Seo) to no avail. The school made it clear they were in no hurry to correct the situation even though they already had almost 2 months to correct it before I came over as I signed May 20th 2005and came July 16th 2005 so I left in clear day light that morning.

My question is "Do I have to wait out this horrible contract and then try again next year when this one expires as I was only there 1 day and did not get the alien card as they offered and I let them know I did not want the card" or can I apply at another school? I seem unless I am mistaken to remember something on Dave's board years back about another person having the same problem and that person told about a look and see provision as before receiving the alien card you can check out the school and see if they are for real and the school can do the same with the new teacher.
Please advise as I know there are much wiser persons than myself out there !

[Hobophobic]

That guy is still kicking about(Jimmy Seo)...he should have been tortured with a wet noodle beatin' slowly for several years...he won't do a thing...waste of space he is.

[Hobophobic]

Sorry, that didn't really answer your question did it...I think you are fine, anyone correct me if I am wrong, as long as there was no E2 visa ever issued - which sounds right because you didn't even have the ARCard.

If I understood you correctly, you signed a contract, but never worked for them at all, and only came for a look-see?...smart on your part...as for Jimmy...drop him...he is just a money grubbing recruitin' lazy teacher trading weasel (IMO).

[NearlyKorean]

Sorry, I don't understand.

You signed a contract. You don't have an ARC card.

Neither one of these are significant in terms of if you have to wait out the contract. They are significant if you want to be legal.

What is your current visa status?
Are you on an E-2 or Tourist visa?

If you have your E-2, then yes, you have to get a letter of release from your employer or wait it out.

If you are on a tourist visa, then you are free to walk away even though you signed a contract.

[denverdeath]

I had a situation similar to yours nearly five years ago and things may've changed, but this is what happened to me. I arrived with the E-2 stamped in my passport. One of the people at the new place was really slow in getting around to showing me my new "apartment" even though I was as tired as hell from my flight and really wanted to unpack my bags. I found out that the place was a regular hole when I was finally shown it. I also had a roommate, which I wasn't supposed to have. I was also a surprise for that guy. Anyway, I said "forget it" and asked for a release letter. They tried to fight it, but I had saved all of the E-mails that they'd sent me and I printed them all off to show as proof that they had lied to me. They then tried to weasel out of giving me a release letter. I finally got it from them when the boss came back from an unscheduled two-day hike up some mountain. And, yes, I almost had to both threaten and beg them for it. That wasn't the end of the deal though. Fortunately, I had another company's recruiter go to bat for me. This was a guy who I told the truth to and he believed me. I then tried to get a job with one of the recruiter's branch schools and had a meeting with the director of the school and everything seemed okay and I signed a new contract with them. Not over yet. Immigration came to the new place so we could all have a little pow-wow. My soon-to-be new boss told me to smile and be nice when I spoke with the official. This was after I had written out a long letter explaining the deception used by the initial place. I went into the office and the immi guy had just finished reading my explanation. He said one thing to me. "If you cause any more problems, you will never work in Boo-sahn again. Understand?" I looked at him in shocked disbelief, changed my expression to a smile, and said, "Yes." My papers were processed within the week. My passport had a new stamp of "Addition/Change to Sojourn" on it for the new place. Strange how they did things. Strange that they thought I was the trouble-maker. I remember it being a stressful time and that the change wasn't that easy, but I'm glad that I didn't work one day at the initial place.

Have you worked for the place yet? Do you think you can get a release letter from them? I think that would be your best bet and get looking for a better place quickly.

[Benjamin1934]

I am no longer in Korea. No I did not work at the school much less accept their alien card. It was so strange as the manager at Ewas( The name of the school in Seoul) was trying to tell me have your passport ready tomorrow to get your alien card. I let her know I have no plans on going there when the school will not stick by the contract in providing an apartment with an aircond as the school already had almost 2 months to correct the situation then she was telling me another week or two "may be"(really trying to hold me off until the snow set in then would not need one right?). It was already almost August the worst heat month of the year. How would you get a release paper if the school won't work out the other items in your contract much less give you the time of day? My contract said clearly aircond. I think these release papers work more to the school's advantage 99%. I am the one caught in the net so to speak if I want to teach in Korea now. When I left via immigration he looked puzzled asking me don't you want this visa? I said no I do not want this visa with this school and he marked "used" via the visa in my passport.

[denverdeath]

Well, I don't know where you are. I also don't know what your true visa status is, given the circumstances. Apply to another place and see what happens. If you're going to be denied, you'll know before leaving because the embassy/consulate won't issue you a new E-2 in Can/US/Japan/wherever if you are deemed as having a problem with your first, right? Who paid for your airfare over here the first time? It would be really nice if that "used" stamp the official put in your passport meant you were good to go...but I think things could be a bit more complicated.