By GI Korea on July 18th, 2010 at 3:31 am

ROK Drop Open Thread, July 18, 2010

• hoju_saram
  10:26 pm on July 17th, 2010 1

  Just finished a documentary abouyt an Australian pilot shot down in North Korea during the Korean War – thought your readers might like to have a watch. I'm hoping to produce an hour long version with a story about a US serviceman and a British serviceman as well. I'm looking for feedback – and possible interview subjects – cheers!

  Video here.

• Jeffrey Miller
  11:57 pm on July 17th, 2010 2

  That is a pretty funny graphic.

  I went to Mt. Bomun in Daejeon to visit the two Korean War monuments there:

  http://jeffreyalanmiller.wordpress.com/2010/07/18…

  Took a lot of photos of the other one, a little further up the mountain of Maj. Gen. William Dean firing a bazooka. Will post them tomorrow.

• Lee
  12:13 am on July 18th, 2010 3

  Saw the Ron Guthrie documentary and enjoyed it. After all that he's been married for 54 years, incredible.

• Tbonetylr
  2:57 am on July 18th, 2010 4

  What is the purpose of the S. Korean Immigration to require FBI checks of all American English teachers? If I was a felon I wouldn't be allowed to leave America. The owners of one of my first jobs here both had drunk driving charges, is it okay for Hagwon owners to have been popped with drunk driving charges but not English teachers? How about tax evasion? I'm sure there are plenty of Hagwon owners guilty of that. What about wife beaters?

  Is Immigration wanting to get rid of teachers with misdemeanors on their record? Is one class A, B, or C acceptable but not another? Why can't the S. Korean Immigration answer those questions? When FBI checks become mandatory January 2011, I think the Korean Immigration office ought to answer those questions. I never had to do this in America, it was the employers responsibility if they deemed it necessary. Yes, felons live in America but America doesn't deport felons.

  What grips me is that as far as I know Immigration isn't posting this information on their website so I guess we are suppose to believe what recruiters are posting on daveseslcafe.

  For those English teachers in Korea already, you can get a notarized copy of your diploma from the KCUE (Korean Council of University Education): http://cs.kcue.or.kr/

  The KCUE only accepts requests from businesses, educational institutions, or government agencies, NOT from individuals. So, it sounds like teachers have to give their diplomas to the so-called educational institute, business,(I'm sure Recruiters will enjoy this), etc…For Americans it costs about 60 – 70 thousand Won, at least that's what it says on the KCUE website posted in 2008. I'm sure they will raise the price.

  Oh yes, pot smokers stay away. The marijuana test will(supposedly) soon be part of it too.

  Now this is just stupid…

  Both background checks and notarized/apostilled copies of diplomas are good for six months (after date of issuance on document). What does Immigration think, that our diploma expires or what?

  FYI, an apostiled diploma doesn't prove it's for real.

  This of course is all hearsay because Immigration hasn't yet posted anything that I know of on its website and I doubt they have anybody on staff with good enough English writing skills to write such nonsense. LAZY!!!

• archieb
  8:24 am on July 18th, 2010 5

  #4, If you look around Korea you will wonder if Korean Immigration is stopping anyone from any third-world nation from coming to Korea. They are constantly catching suspicious "characters" from nations with ties to terrorist organizations, but, instead of cracking down on those people, Korean Immigration wants to bust the balls of Americans teaching legally in Korea. Many have said it before on this site and others- the USA is an ally of South Korea. South Korea is not an ally of the USA. Korean Immigration policies prove it.

• archieb
  8:28 am on July 18th, 2010 6

  #4, BTW, if Korean Immigration actually does crackdown on marijuania, it'll "force" many Canadians to teach illegally. We all know it's the Canadians who are the ones who consider soking dope to be one of their "rights." Canadians are going to laugh at any new regulations for legal teachers because they can easily get 6 month tourist visas and teach illegally. It's all a big joke for them in Korea.

• Teadrinker
  8:34 am on July 18th, 2010 7

  Just watched some video of when the Japanese whaling boat collided with the Sea Shepherd's Ady Gil. The crew of the Ady Gil were on the deck relaxing, joking around when a Japanese harpoon ship nearly a mile away changed course towards them. The crew thought the ship was trying to intimidate them, but it rammed their boat while aiming their water canons at them as if to sweep them off the small deck. They could have been killed.

• Jeffrey Miller
  11:29 am on July 18th, 2010 8

  Posting photos of the other Korean War Monument in Daejeonn on Mt. Bomun–this one of Maj. Gen. William F. Dean.

  http://jeffreyalanmiller.wordpress.com/2010/07/19…

• Greg
  1:48 pm on July 18th, 2010 9

  Ethnic tensions between Korean and Chinese immigrants in Flushing, New York

  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/15/nyregion/15flus…

• Tbonetylr
  5:35 pm on July 18th, 2010 10

  I will never give my diploma to a recruiter. For those new teachers I'd advise the same. Supposedly, S. Korean Immigration will no longer require transcripts with the diploma which is stupid. Maybe easier for me, but stupid nonetheless. Come one, come all, get your fake diploma here no transcripts required.

  I'm not sure about the HIV tests but when they were/are required Immigration/Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education must've had a good you kiss my butt I'll kiss your butt system with the clinic/hospital near Seoul subway station. Now, it sounds like they will have the same with the (Korean Council of University Education): http://cs.kcue.or.kr/
  With the 6 month supposed rule(like our diplomas actually expire ), the KCUE will rake in the bucks while NOT proving a single F****** thing.

• Tbonetylr
  5:54 pm on July 18th, 2010 11

  Oops! It's not near Seoul subway station, rather the Samsung subway station(green line).

  I guess Immigration has posted something, if anyone can make heads or tails out of this mumbo jumbo then go ahead…They do say that HIV tests are required but nothing will happen(deportation/discrimination) if somene tests positive(yeah right )
  http://www.hikorea.go.kr/pt/NtcCotnDetailR_en.pt?…

• Tbonetylr
  6:13 pm on July 18th, 2010 12

  As I've said before Immigration has NEVER stated what qualifies, and now they claim I "haven't handed in sufficient document."

  Check out the link already provided, especially the last part of…

  1. Aim of improvement…

  "Those who came in before 2010.7.15 and still in Korea and also those who did not hand in sufficient document should hand in the nationwide version criminal background check when you make a sojourn related application after 2011.1.1."

  If what I provided wasn't "sufficient," why am I working legally and why did the S. Korean Immigration give me an E-2 visa?

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