Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Speakerz]

Hi everybody, any advice is appreciated. This has been a very tough decision but I think there is no other way out of it other than to run in the middle of the night. I have a clause in my contract where I can give 30 days notice but my owner does not want me to leave. They have threatened to sue me for "damage to the school" and take my last paycheck if I officially give my 30 days. (this happened to another teacher already) They also took another teacher (korean) to court claiming that she "hurt the school before she left." Our school lost the case because our owner completely lied about it. Furthermore, even teachers who have completed their contract were not paid their final salary and severence after they returned home to Canada and were out of Korea.

I could go on, but needless to say, I feel like I have no options left. I dont have the time or resources to take my school to court so I would rather lose 10 days pay (paid on the 10th) rather than 40.

Anyway, here is my question:

I want to travel around asia for a couple months but dont want to take all of my things with me. I want to leave my computer, clothes and other things here at a korean friend's house and come back to Korea to get my things and then fly home. Is there any chance that my school will report me to immigration? Is there anything they could do to either claim that I have broken the law or will give me problems re-entering the country? Remember, this owner will pull just about anything to get what they want. My contract doesn't end until after I will return to Korea.

I just want to know if anybody else has had problems coming back into the country after leaving in the middle of the contract.

Thanks in advance!

[Apple Scruff]

Midnight run? Shouldn't be a problem. Wear comfortable shoes and bright, reflective clothes. Safety first.

[The Chewbacca Defense]

People will tell you their own stories.

But as for me; I did a run a couple of years ago from a nasty hogwan. I had 4 months to go in my contract and I just couldn't take the lying, cheating and stealing anymore. When I returned 5 months later, got a new job and had no hassles whatsoever. Just make sure you return after your initial contract is over. To back myself up I sent an email to immigration explaining why I left.

Hope this helps.

[Speakerz]

[The Chewbacca Defense]

coming back on a tourist visa...nah no problems

[Speakerz]

Before I let this thread go to the dogs, I just wanted to ask once more if anybody had anymore advice for me before I actually take the plunge. Can they claim I have broken the law (destroyed my apartment) and then immigration will stop me and arrest me?...or something to that effect? These people are pretty evil.

[some waygug-in]

They can claim anything they want............however, I doubt that they would bother if you have left the country. They tend to do those kind of things when a teacher quits and moves to a competitor's hagwan.

Best to buy your ticket in advance, book your flight for a Saturday, have everything moved out before the final day. Then just go.......they can't stop you from quitting and leaving.

They can try and make things difficult if you try to work for another school right away though.

Of course, there are no guarantees. You know the history of your boss/school better than anyone. You know what he/she is capable of.

Good luck.

[TheUrbanMyth]

They can put you on a blacklist if they think you might try to come back though. It depends how vindictive your boss is.

[Matman]

Well they can't just put you on some magic "blacklist" that ruins your life. Immigration officials are jobsworths everywhere in the world. You think they give a shit about some crooked small-time hagwon? No, they just follow the rules which are, if you leave the country your visa automatically expires. From that point on the slate is clean and you can come back into Korea as a tourist or apply for a new work visa as you please.

Of course the hagwon could accuse you of stuff but anyone can accuse anyone of anything anywhere in the world.

Also if you get paid on the 10th why don't you just work the extra 20 days, tell your boss everything is fine and you're staying till the end of your contract, then once you've collected you're pay do the midnight run. If you're not going to do that then what's the point of doing the midnight run anyway?

[TheUrbanMyth]

[ttompatz]

[davai!]

Send your stuff home in boxes thru Korea post surface mail.

Cheap. Will take a couple months. Will free you up to bring home all the clothes and crap you buy in Thailand!

[Hyeon Een]

[Matman]

[alabamaman]

Contact the National Human Rights Commission of the Republic of Korea. Thier contact number is 1331. Schools are don't like dealing with this outfit.