Korean Job Discussion Forums

[GaryCooper]

Dont forget, if you are in Seoul, to volunteer to help the 444 Campaign, a protest going every day until the opening day of the Beijing Olympics! email: [email protected]

[On the other hand]

I'm sure this is a good cause and everything, and I don't mean to stoke fear, but...

Isn't there some law against foriegners particiapting in political activity in Korea? If so, that's probably something to keep in mind before going out to join any protests.

[The_Conservative]

Yes, I believe for the E-2 visa at least. Not sure about F-2 or F-5's

But since the vast majority of foreigners here (who are teaching English) are on an E-2 visa, it is extremely irresponsible to promote and foment civil unrest. Let the Koreans take care of their own...they are the ones who will create change if they want. A few hundred whities protesting will not change anything and will at the most generate some curious looks.

[happeningthang]

[GaryCooper]

There is no law against foreigners showing up at a demonstration.

Foreigners showed up at the big demonstrations of 2002, and I've never heard of any of them getting arrested for it. Yours truly was at a huge demonstration in Seoul on March 1, 2003, and I certainly did not get arrested. Police do not comb the crowds looking for non-Asians, to cart them off to a cell somewhere by virtue of skin color. They would only care about crowd control, not dissident control -- unless it were someone extremely well-known whose opposition was gaining momentum, as in the case of Norbert Vollertsen.

I challenge anyone to find the actual Korean law on this in English, snip it to this forum, and provide a reputable link to where you got it. Failing that, the claim of illegality is an empty slur.

As for letting Korea "take care of its own," there's no shame in joining in to help.