We first saw these in February, and this time they have gone up in multiple locations around Suncheon. This one was taken across the street from NC Outlet and the apartment complex where many native speaker English teachers are housed. The banner reads:
Intensive Control Period of Foreigners' Illegal Extracurricular Work For Forced Repatriation
[원어민 불법 과외 적발시 본국 강제소환 집중단속기간]
As you can see the phone numbers on the bottom are for the Yeosu Immigration Office, the Suncheon Office of Education, and the Suncheon Hakwon Association. It goes without saying that you should always be wary of strangers approaching you to teach private lessons, as they not only lead to headaches but also violate the terms of our E-2 visas and can thus lead to deportation. While many Koreans don't seem to know it's illegal, there's always the possibility that the person asking you is hoping to trick you and cash in.
25 comments:
Meanwhile I'll be on the lookout for drunk ajosshis hitting on Korean women and otherwise being unqualified in multiple departments....
OP:
alerting citizens to be on the lookout for native speaker English teachers giving private lessons illegally
I'm not so sure it's asking people to report teachers; I think it's simply announcing a crackdown. Crackdowns, when they occur, are commonly pre-announced.
But even if I'm right, I don't like the idea of the hagwon association being part of the dissemination process. Even if their livelihood is affected by illegal activity (and it's a punishable offense for both tutor and tutee or tutee's parents), it smacks of vigilantism.
Wow, I had no idea they were looking to crack down on this. Most offers for private lessons that I have received have been from coteachers at my schools for their kids.
This makes it even more awkward to say no and they should honestly know better that we aren't allowed to.
Jacob, most Korean nationals are blissfully unaware of many of the regulations that foreign nationals have to follow.
Then again, I can't say much better for all the Americans who conflate student and H1 visas with green cards.
"This makes it even more awkward to say no and they should honestly know better that we aren't allowed to."
Actually, the criminalization of private lessons by E-2's makes it much easier to "just say no".
But have you seen this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDcZRFh_rlI
They used to actually follow teachers in residential areas looking for them to show up at an apartment where they were not suppose to be. I had a friend who used to carry a bible with him in case they wanted to know what he was doing going to his privates.
"I don't like the idea of the hagwon association being part of the dissemination process. Even if their livelihood is affected by illegal activity (and it's a punishable offense for both tutor and tutee or tutee's parents), it smacks of vigilantism."
You don't have to tell me... I live in Daejeon, home of the "We're watching you" campaign by the Daejeon Hagwon Association. The DHA was offering rewards for turning us in to them, and they in turn would pass the info on to Immigration.
"Most offers for private lessons that I have received have been from coteachers at my schools for their kids."
Most of my offers have, truthfully, been from police and Immigration officers. People who know the laws and should know better. And while I said no, they just got my friend to say yes. He taught both groups for more than a year each.
"They used to actually follow teachers in residential areas looking for them to show up at an apartment where they were not suppose[d] to be." (emphasis added)
That really sort of says it all about Korea, does it not?
"Most of my offers have, truthfully, been from police and Immigration officers. People who know the laws and should know better."
No, I take it back. That really sort of says it all about Korea.
Just as ROK Hound stated...You don't have to tell me... I live in Daejeon, home of the "We're watching you" campaign by the Daejeon Hagwon Association. The DHA was offering rewards for turning us in to them, and they in turn would pass the info on to Immigration.
It was only a matter of time before this stupidity went out to other parts of Korea.
I do my job, I refuse to do any privates and yet these adds make me feel like a criminal.
WeikuBoy said...
"They used to actually follow teachers in residential areas looking for them to show up at an apartment where they were not suppose[d] to be." (emphasis added)
That really sort of says it all about Korea, does it not?
What's your point? That I left out a 'd'?
Who made you lord overseer of all things past tense?
silly puppy
Is the sign above it for a place called "Oatmeal Market?"
Under the auspices of President Lee Korea is slowly but surely degenerating into a semi-fascist state dominated by unprofessional, xenophobic and unashamedly racist sentinments promulagated both by the media and shockingly ignorant lawmakers. When will the next native teacher be killed by a Korean racist incited by the hate campaings of the Chosun Ilbo and other right-wing newspapers? Is it time for us to leave this narrow-minded peninsular for friendlier shores like Japan and China?
nb --
I can't speak for WeikuBoy, but I took his comment as a reference to either the fact that certain segments of the population want to keep foreigners segregated from the rest of the population period, or that showing up at an apartment automatically means we're teaching privates. (Presumably operating under the assumption that a Korean citizen would not normally invite a foreign national over to their residence out of friendship.) Hence the bold for 'apartments where we're not supposed to be'. Not like there's a law delineating which apartments were 'okay' and 'not okay' for foreigners to visit.
But that's just my own take on the comment.
Samedi; what he said. The idea that there would never be a good reason for a foreigner to go to a private apartment in Korea. The presumption that sex, even between consenting adults, is as wrong as private tutoring when a foreigner is involved. That sort of thing.
One of the Korean teachers at my school today told me that China is a racist country that I would find hard to take after two years here.
In Korea's defense, WeikuBoy, Korea is far more advanced in dealing with foreigners than China. In the 10+ years that I have been here, I have had only one instance of a Korean stealing from me and the number of times that I was overcharged due to being a foreigner are fewer than I could count on both hands. In China, as I have heard, there are two prices: one for Chinese and one for everyone else. This system does not exist in Korea.
I cannot believe that came from me.
I also heard that a Chinese cannot live with a foreigner unless married and that overnight guests will be reported to the authorities. (Cannot back up the varacity of this).
nb, I had experienced that first hand (sort of) when visiting, but it was in the 1990s. I have no idea what it's like today.
Meanwhile, in Japan, there's rampant housing discrimination against foreigners.
It's rampant because it is not illegal. It IS unconstitutional, but not illegal.
If you're discriminated against in Japan, you can sue them, but if you want the police to help you, you're wasting your time and breath.
"In China, as I have heard, there are two prices: one for Chinese and one for everyone else. This system does not exist in Korea."
This used to be true for lodgings, which posted different rates for Chinese nationals, ethnic Chinese with foreign passports, and foreign nationals. This is no longer officially true. Chinese merchants are ruthless and will charge more or add extra fees if they think you'll pay. They're motivated out of greed, not racism. Stores with fixed prices charge everyone the same.
"I also heard that a Chinese cannot live with a foreigner unless married and that overnight guests will be reported to the authorities. (Cannot back up the varacity of this)."
Absolutely not true, at least not in metropolitan areas, where most foreigners reside. I personally know of several foreign-Chinese couples who lived together, and many, many foreigners whose partners had regular sleepovers.
China used to restrict foreigners to living in approved housing, but that is no longer true. However, Chinese police still shake down foreigners living in formerly off-limits housing by trying to sell them overpriced home security systems.
In any case, treatment of foreigners in China ia not a relevant concern for foreign nationals living in Korea.
Thank you, Sonagi. I knew as much, but lack the resume to say so with confidence.
Nevertheless, your comment raises a question. I was taught that Japan, Korea, and China were #1,2,3in racism & xenophobia. But that's old news; and after reading your comments here and elsewhere, I'm keenly interested in what you think. (?)
ROK Hound wrote:
It's rampant because it is not illegal. It IS unconstitutional, but not illegal.
And this distinction helps the gaijin trying to get decent housing how?
Is that supposed to be a defense of this situation in Japan? If Korea had anything like the kind of housing discrimination that apparently exists in Japan, the K-blogs would be overflowing with ink. Koreans would have cinched their position as The Most Racist People In The World™.
If you're discriminated against in Japan, you can sue them, but if you want the police to help you, you're wasting your time and breath.
You can do the same in Korea. Actually, if this were a problem in Korea, there would be organizations that would get on the case of the owners who are doing the discrimination.
Though I know of none personally and have never heard of any, I would not be surprised to learn that there has been housing discrimination in some cases in Korea.
The apartment association secretary in my apartment asked me not to get a foreigner for my next tenant (I rent out my apartment while I'm in Hawaii). In a polite but very stern way I asked her what the hell she meant, after which she became quickly embarrassed by how she had said that and explained that she meant she wanted someone who spoke Korean and knew the rules. Though my current tenants at the time spoke no Korean, they had presented no problem and were very nice to the neighbors, who all told me they found them very polite and sweet.
But what the secretary said — even if she had meant that maliciously — would have had no bearing on anything because (a) I am the owner, not she, and (b) my real estate agents would not have followed any such stipulation about my apartment from anyone except me.
Sonagi wrote:
In any case, treatment of foreigners in China ia not a relevant concern for foreign nationals living in Korea.
Absolutely correct, except when someone gripes about "Korean racist" and suggests foreign nationals living in Korea should "leave this narrow-minded peninsular for friendlier shores like Japan and China."
"Is that supposed to be a defense of this situation in Japan?"
Not at all. Just adding info to the discussion. With so many people noting Korea's position as "the most racist place on Earth", one can easily point to Japan's more blatant anti-gaijin policies; policies that are not illegal.
Plenty of places still post that gaijin are not allowed to enter. Plenty of housing complexes will not rent to gaijin. Etc etc. (debito.org is a good place to get the skinny on many of them. and what to do when it happens to you--I'm not entirely sure what options there are in Korea when it happens, though)
Even though last week was a pretty brutal one for foreigners in the Korean media, Japan has similar anti-gaijin articles, from the gaijin criminal menace to low sexual morals of gaijin in Roppongi. Korea, Japan, same same.
I forget, is it the mayor of Tokyo or the Governor, that is on record with all the blatantly and explicitly anti-gaijin comments?
Anyway, not saying one is worse than the other, or "see? Japan does it too!"; just saying Korea is not exactly the only kid on the block when it comes to anti-foreigner sentiment, so arguing about who is the "most" anti-foreigner seems a bit silly.
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