Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Kwai_Chang_Kain]

Well it's not like I was robbed at gun point or anything like that, but just over a month ago I had a Korean "friend" whom I trusted a great deal order a new cell phone off a website for me (460 000 won). In addition to the money I gave her for the phone I also lent her 150 000 won. Now she's ignoring all my phone calls, text messages, and emails and I'm out 610 000 won altogether. I was wondering if anybody has any idea of what I can do to get that money back? Are there such things as small claims courts in Korea?

[JongnoGuru]

Forget going to court. Completely.

I hope that W150,000 loss isn't hurting you too much, because you may very well not get it back. Not unless you're prepared to get out-of-character rough with your friend, and that involves taking a much more direct approach than text messages & email. Does that unnerve you? Would you shy away from visiting them at their office during work hours and shaming them into repaying you? If so, then consider this one of life's lessons learnt on the cheap. And if you're the sort of person who will lend a friend in need some money, then just be sure from now on that you lend no more than what you can comfortably live without.

If it's any consolation, Korea taught me this very same lesson. But I had to repeat the course a few times before I learnt to stand firm.

[jazblanc77]

Go down to your local ajoshi nightclub and get the mafia to collect the debt for you.

[itaewonguy]

could call the police.. but then again you dont have any proof that you gave her the money do you?
she sounds like a real Biatch man...

could be tough. my advise is.. call the cops, and make a big deal of it..
she might not wont her parents involved. if cops are involved her parents might find out..
dude, where you meet this girl? how well you know her? you say a friend
or do you mean a chick you banged?
not that its important. but does help to know the Psyche of her..
do help offer advise..
how old is she, what type of chick is she etc..

[JongnoGuru]

Those must be some pretty hard-up ajosshis. 150k??

[Summer Wine]

Does anyone else read english?

[Kwai_Chang_Kain]

Thanks for the replies. I'm out the full 610 000 won since I never got the phone I wanted and I very much doubt she ever ordered it in the first place.

I met her last July, we worked at the same hagwon but she quit when she had to go back to school and we kept in touch. I never banged her, we're just really good friends. Or rather we used to be...

The whole situation is really upsetting for me and going to the police is the absolute last thing I want to do. I'm hoping someone can give me a better option first. I do have proof of lending her the money though because I transferred it directly into her bank account and it shows in my bank book.

[itaewonguy]

[JongnoGuru]

delete please

[JongnoGuru]

Okay, no money AND no phone.

Do you know where she is? Her home address? Her school? Is she in university? Know which one? Can you track her down and meet her face to face? (and unannounced)

I suppose you've already tried calling her from other numbers, or had a Korean call her from their phone, right? Is she not picking up any calls at all on her mobile?

Were I you, I'd try a face-to-face encounter. If that were impossible, I'd probably see if the police would at least make some noise in her or her parents' direction. (Apparently you don't want to do that.) If that also proved fruitless... not sure. I'd either give up or, depending on how large a sum and what that money meant to me in the grander scheme, I might actually talk to Rent-A-Thug. But that's scarier for everyone involved than going through the police, and what they'd make of the average foreigner wanting to employ their "services", I really can't say. The average foreigner should probably steer clear of them on principle.

The small claims court idea. Sounds nice, neat & legal. Sounds like a minimal expenditure of time and effort. Don't count on it. Forget about the fact that you're a foreigner and all the confusion, misunderstandings, delays and such that comes when we walk through the door. Even Koreans, I think very few of them would seek legal/court means of getting that amount back. Of course I'm just guessing, but it really would surprise me if even 10% of Koreans would consider going to court worth the hassle in this case. And of those that did, I'll bet a majority regretted not trying some other route. Or another one. Or another one.

[Tiger Beer]

[Babayaga]

Just goes to show that despite the professed and much--lauded low-crime rate in Korea, crime still occurs there. It pays to be on one's guard and not to be too trusting and complacent, otherwise one may end up feeling stupid. I'm sorry for your mishap: I had my luggage stolen at a train station as a result of my naivete, and I understand how frustrated you must feel.

[ontheway]

If this girl is a young college girl, as it sounds, she's probably just bad with money, broke, embarrassed, and afraid to tell her parents or ask them for the money. Do you really think she wanted to rob you, or is it possibly just money trouble? Maybe she needs time.

You could try to visit her at her parents' home. Go with another mutual friend/acquaintance from your hogwan. The parents will invite you in and you can ask her, in front of her parents, for the money. Then they will pay you out of shame.

[mishlert]

She may have been a friend who you could trust, but what you should have done was given her the money when she gave you the phone and then asked her something like, "When do you think you can pay me back the 150 you owe me?"
All that being said, the damage is done and from what you wrote it does not sound like you will ever see her, or your money again. The best you can hope for is that she feels so bad for what she has done and decides to pay you back.
Hope it all ends well for you.

[crazylemongirl]

Sorry to hear that but have to say this is a classic example of foreigners not thinking through their actions. Would you really give a whole heap of money to a person you barely know back home who's already proved to be bad with money? No. Why do it here?