Ah, gee, neuroman, what fun would that be? Okay, here’s the dirt on that bit. In Korea, an official document really isn’t all that official coming from a company unless it has a tojang (chop)/도장.
For my current employment, there are three levels of pay. I could either of come into the job at the lowest level or provide proof of having taught in Korea for the past year to get the middle level salary. I figured, “can’t hurt to ask.” So, I asked the bum of a manager if he’d like to provide me a letter stating that I had worked at their worthless hagweon for the past year. He initially declined, saying that i was obviously asking for a Letter of Release. Cool thing is that since I’d already completed that contract, I didn’t need a Letter of Release. I reminded him that since I would also be going to the Labor Board and that they would want to see proof of their assertions against me, they might as well cut to the chase and give me a letter saying I had worked there for the entire year; otherwise, they could not really claim any of their claims against me since they asserted they happened–sorry, had to stop for a minute, I was laughing so hard remembering this–immediately after I had completed my year with them. The moron actually gave me the letter, and part of it, to my surprise, was a letter of recommendation from the manager!
Now, I did not need another letter of recommendation as I already had two for the job; both letters from honest and decent people. But I was thrilled when the manager signed that verification letter in front of me. I knew right then that his boss did not know a thing about it. You see, no tojang.
Fast forward two months. The foolish old boss threatened me with court action for not flying back to San Francisco after she paid me. She also threatened to sue me for “unspecified damages for remaining in Korea and obtaining other employment thus bringing discredit upon” her worthless hagweon.
I reminded the manager that per the contract I had completed his hag of a boss owed me funds for a return trip to San Francisco whether I took it or not and I was keeping the money. I also reminded him that the contract had no requirement in it that I depart Korea after completing my term of service with those jerks.
Now, here’s the good part. I then reminded him that they could not claim that my obtaining other employment was bad for their business as the managerial staff had provided me a letter of recommendation for such employement. Then I kindly offered to provide a copy of said letter to his boss.
Evidently he decided to change his spiel to his boss from, “Boss, you’ll win against those guys, don’t pay” to “Oh, no, boss, you’d better pay or it’ll get very bad.”
Got that right, boyo. It’s getting very bad. Next week is their busiest time of the year and that’s when I dime them out to: (a) Immigration (for the illegal alien worker they have now), (b) Incheon Municipal Office of Education (for the crud they pulled), and © the Prosecutor’s Office (for the threatening of a witness). I don’t care if they come through that with flying colors (which they probably won’t); I just want them to be over-worked with governmental harassment when they’re trying to fleece…er, get new students.