Korean Job Discussion Forums

beast · Joined: 28 Jan 2003

So, here I am on my ninth bottle of soju tryin to convince my friend that the han river ain't the best place for him to jump into at this time of night, but when you just got ripped off 4.7 mil from a place you been working for a year and a half it's kind hard. I think that those snakes should at least throw in a life raft since they don't wanna pay the severance, airfare ni salario.

jacl · Joined: 31 Oct 2005

You friend was ripped off or you? That sucks, man. Is there anything you can do?

Nine bottles of soju. Holy crap. I'd be headed over to the hagwon after that throwing rocks and such.

newinseoul · Joined: 22 Sep 2005 Location: Busan

Beast: What happened? I am very curious about your situation. I hope your friend is okay. Did they not give him bonus or severance? Did he quit?

Signed,
Curious

bellum99 · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: don't need to know

Why lay down and die? If the money is owed and there is proof of it...then fight to get it. Your friend needs to get up and go after his money.
He can at least try....

margaret · Joined: 14 Oct 2003

Tell your friend that he should live long enough to get back at them anyway he can--blacklist them, report them to the labor office, tell the parents, picket the school, whatever. Keep us posted.
Margaret

beast · Joined: 28 Jan 2003

My friend decided to live. Basically they owed him 2.2 million salary and 2.2 million severance, plus another four days of work or something. What happened was that his contract had a date of February 20th 2005 to February 20th 2006 on it. He had begun working on February 20th of last year, but because his E2 visa was not processed until 3 weeks later, the stamp on the visa is March 15th. So the school therefore wants him to stay until that day. He argued that he has served his year with them and they have no right to hold him until March 15th. He said they should honor the one year contract and pay him all he's due on February 20th. They argued that he would not get any of his severance until he finishes his visa period on March 20th. Then they threatened to cut his visa on February 21st making it look like he did a midnight run or something. Anyways guys, it's a lot of blah blah blah and everything my buddy told me has to be taken with a grain of salt because he was hammered beyond belief. I usually don't have the time of day for people who complain in Korea because my feeling is that you should almost expect to get ripped off in this country and if you don't think that way then you are living in dream land.

margaret · Joined: 14 Oct 2003

Thanks for the update. I'm glad he didn't off himself.
Margaret

pest2 · Joined: 01 Jun 2005 Location: Vancouver, Canada

beast · Joined: 28 Jan 2003

I'm not a tourist, but I've been ripped off a number of times since I first arrived here in 1997. I think you'd be hard pressed to find any foreigner here who has never felt like they've been taken advantage of. An hour or two of over time here, a few hundred thousand on the short side regarding the airfare cash equivalent, extra work that you never bargained for when you first signed up, apartment not meeting your expectations, that kind of thing, but nothing so horrific that you're going to make a big fuss over it. Small things like that. I guess I take the hope for the best, but expect the worst kind of attitude.

zappadelta · Joined: 31 Aug 2004

I worked at GDA many years ago. Not the best, but always got paid. What happened to you?