I'm In Heaven (Apparently)
Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at 9:10 AM Oh Brother! A new year, a new round of seemingly pointless, seemingly lacking in evidence race baiting from The Korea Times.
Before we go down the rabbit hole let me state this up front: Under the provisions of an E2 visa it is illegal to undertake any activity, paid or otherwise, except for activities designated by the employer noted on your visa without the permission of said employer and the Korean Immigration Service / Ministry of Justice.
For holders of other visas (Mostly F2 and F4 visa holders) It is ALSO illegal to to teach private English lessons without first registering your activity at a local Gu (District) Office.
These are the facts, and they are reasonably clear, if not actually being reasonable.
So with that in mind you'd be forgiven for thinking not a lot of private English tutoring goes on in Korea. Of course you would be wrong, but it's not exactly the kind of thing I would fill 3 columns with, as the Korea Times has done this morning with Kang Shin Who describing Korea as an "Heaven for Illegal English Tutoring."
Which it is.
But it's hardly up there with the more serious crimes Non-Koreans might commit. Vehicular crime, drug crime, molestation, and rape can all get a tick in the yes column for crimes committed by non-Koreans that are both senseless, often violent and that should not be tolerated.
Teaching a couple of kids English twice a week for a few extra bucks is hardly going to reign anarchy down upon the peninsula though is it.
And what of the cause? Not drug filled craziness. No. More like supply-side economics. Shit! Basic capitalism is the culprit - supply and demand. Were it not for the rampant notions of Korean mothers hell-bent on out doing each other by living vicariously through their children then there would be no issue.
As a foreigner I know and have known other foreigners who, at one time or another have accepted extracurricular work in order to supplement their income. Most instances involve a couple of kids and a dining room table in some apartment complex, but then I know of two hakwon openly flauting the law and paying teachers they know full well are employed elsewhere.
In fact, for once, Kang Shin-Who of the Korea Times actually has most of his facts straight regarding market rates, times and types of lesson, anecdotally speaking anyway. Why he should write a series of sensationalist columns is beyond me.
Did you know that it is illegal for elementary, middle, High and University teachers (of all ethnicity) to teach outside of their job. And yet many do. In fact I would wager that just simply because of the population figures involved there are probably MORE Korean teachers involved in extracurricular tutoring than foreigners. A more accurate headline might read "Korea a Heaven for Teachers", especially if you are one of those teachers receiving envelopes stuffed with money to make sure you pay more attention to little Kim so-and-so or park such-and-such, or if you are a teacher able to charge upward of 25 Million won per month for SAT prep - That, dear reader, that is a fucking scandal.
Regardless of the law and the restrictive visa regulations tutoring, or "privates" will always happen as long as someone is willing to pay and someone is willing to spend the labour in return.
I for one am far too lazy and value my free time too much to go traipsing around the city teaching when I spend all say doing that anyway.
Kang Shin Who and Koreans are failing to see the big picture me thinks. Constantly focusing on negative aspects (although frankly illegal tutoring has to be the lamest excuse so far) what about the positives?
And before you start no I don't mean those stupid pictures of non-Koreans up to their elbows in Gochujang making Kimchi. I mean cold hard cash.
Indulge me here: my figures are a bit idealistic and wholly without evidence - if someone could actually run the numbers I would be indebted to them.
Lets say there are 20000 E2 visa holders. On average each earns 2.1million won per month. That is W42000000000 won a month floating around the economy. Immediately the government will take it's share, thankfully for us it's 3%, but still works out at W1260000000 and then there is the National pension which although some will claim it back on their departure from Korea others will leave, forget or have to forgo depending on where they from. In the mean time the pension fund is still investing and garnering interest off of those contributions that equal roughly W3000000000 a month.
If everyone of our 20000 E2 visa holders saved half of their income (which they could) that is W18870000000 that might eventually be removed from Korea but will sit in it's banks accruing interest and keeping banks afloat in the meantime.
Leaving W18870000000 that our E2 visa holders pump directly into the economy every month. I put to you on a monthly basis that foreign English tutors are responsible for quite a bit of the Korean economy and that, allowing them to earn more and thus contribute more is a win-win for all sides.
Imagine one day, as if by divine intervention, 20000 tax paying, shopping, cash spending individuals just got up and left your economy. It's impossible to know what would happen as that sort of mass migration has never happened over night or on such a scale (the closest I can think of being Zimbabwe but that saw most if not all the money leaving). It wouldn't necessarily bring the Korean Economy to it's knees, but there would definitely be some clenching of fists and wringing of hands.
So while I don't advocate breaking the law, Kang Shin Who should shut the f%#k up already.
Reader Comments (3)
The schizophrenic feelings of Koreans about after-school education is one of the more interesting aspects of Korean culture. The existence of this love-hate relationship is something that most Koreans will readily acknowledge, but most still haven't managed to find a healthy way to deal with it. The Korean government's visa rules are just one manifestation of this problem.
Confucian ideologies in that rabbit hole?
Perhaps foreigners are just fodder for other pressing issues.
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