Korean Job Discussion Forums

[quidgimo]

I just got here a few weeks ago on an F-2 visa. I'm not here for the money, mostly because I love teaching and I get to see the world (yes, it helps that I can pay off my student loans too). However, I have been in a few situations already where people have helped me out (eg. given me free services, etc.) and then followed up with a request for me to teach privates to them, a friend, children, etc. How do I say "No, I could get deported and I'm not here for the money," without being a total ass? I'm feeling a lot of pressure here.

How can I show them I appreciate their kindness, but make it clear that it's not worth the risk to me? Any ideas?

[Donkey Beer]

How do you say "No"?

By growing some balls!

[quidgimo]

Haha. Maybe I should give some specifics to make it clear how awkward one particular situation is:

A few nights ago I took bad fall and busted my head open. I needed stitches and went to the local ER. Just so happens that the ER doctor is my upstairs neighbor. He stitched me up and walked me home. Then he told me to come back everyother day to have my bandage changed and to check the wound. He is doing this free of charge.

I went last night to get checked again, and this time the room was full of nurses nagging him about something in Korean. He took me aside before I left (and after telling me that it would be several more days before getting the stitches out) and asked me to teach private classes to the nurses at the hospital. He told me to think about it and give him my answer soon.

I feel like an ass saying "Thanks for the free medical care, but no, I won't help you out with all those nurses nagging you about free lessons."

[Fishead soup]

Most of it is sheer ignorance Korean citizens are just not aware of how harsh the penalties are.
Stay Frank and polite. Offer to take them out to dinner if they have taken you out in the past.
But don't accept any offers for private teaching. You can be jailed, fined, and deported.

[marckot]

I just want to clear this up. Is your visa an F-2 or an F-2-1 or maybe an E2 visa?

If you have an F-2-1 visa then there are ways to make private tutoring legal. I am not 100% on how to do this. Search the site for some info.

[quidgimo]

Sorry, you're right. I have an E-2 visa.

[Draz]

Isn't private tutoring legal if you do it for free? It sounds like they are asking for free tutoring which should be legal.

But then it's sort of a barter, so maybe that is illegal after all. I'm interested in hearing an answer for this. Is the doctor maybe expecting something like a free fifteen minute lesson for the available nurses every time you go in to get the bandage changed, or expecting that you will set up real paid private lessons? The former seems reasonable enough and no money is changing hands so it's probably legal (might want to check this though )

[bassexpander]

Nope... illegal if it's for free.

The point of the law is not because you're making money (although they hate whitey taking their money out of the country) the point is that you're taking money AWAY from Koreans who want to make that money themselves.

By the way, rumors I'm hearing are that they are considering LEGALIZING privates, or at least, sending foreigners to teach legally in people's homes. This would be for businesses like Pagoda, etc., who have lots of foreigners.

Certain people "in control" realize that A WHOLE LOT of money is being paid-out for private/illegal education. They want their cut, and they want control.

The question is... would foreigners want to travel all over the area, teaching little groups of Kims, Parks, and Chos, for the same money as at the hagwon, while the boss cleans up?

[quidgimo]

What about language exchanges? Are those illegal too?

[bassexpander]

Nope, they aren't going to bother with that.

What they're worried about are people doing on an E-2 what I'll be doing with my F-2 some day (legally, after I register with the right offices). And that is going into every mom's house in the apartment complex, stealing business from every hagwon in the area, and making some big coin doing it.

[The_Conservative]

[Draz]

[bassexpander]

It's technically illegal to volunteer your time at an orphanage.

[Ya-ta Boy]

Are you SURE the nurses want free lessons? Or are they asking the doctor to set up a private class for which you would be paid?

[cbclark4]