blog entry 1

Juyeon Kang
Eng 10B
11 June 2007

While there are a lot of problems related to foreign laborers especially those from Southeast Asia, another kind of trouble has been arising on the other side of the nation. The focus now moved from the laborers to the white-collars: those foreigners who speak English, and who teach English in private institutions, or so-called Hagwons.

In the Gyeonggi Province foreign workers who are engaged in teaching jobs in Hagwons turned out to be unpaid so often. They insist on exercising proper rights of themselves. The foreign workers say their rights should be protected while there is no way for expatriates to guard the safety of receiving payment mentioned in the contract. Due to these lack of legal protection and unawareness of the laws for foreigners, the contract frequently doesn't do any good for the workers. On top of that, he owner of the educational institution is charging the tutor even more, for disrespecting the institution for spreading bad impression of the Hagwon.

In spite of difficulties which foreigners encounter in various situations, the labor office covering Gyeonggi Province and Incheon decided that the institution pay for one of the workers 6.3 million won. Letting this be the starting point, foreigners would start to get easier in resolving such problems. It is the best for expatriates be aware of the laws that may protect themselves over their bosses, and be aware of the validity of the contract before anything happens. These small changes would then make people in the nation regain morality towards all the people around the world.