Looks like Seoul Immigration Bureau has been busy lately:
The government has caught 118 illegal foreign workers, 12 job brokers and the 49 locals who employed them.
The Seoul Immigration Bureau said Monday that it apprehended the violators, while levying a total of 38.8 million won on the foreigners before deporting 38 of them.
The employers and brokers were fined a total of 62.5 million won, the bureau added.
Among the foreigners, Americans were the most numerous with 38, followed by 16 Canadians, five Germans, four British, four French and four Japanese. There were also people from Australia, Ireland, Italy and Spain.
By job categories, advertising business hire the most people illegally at 49, followed by the entertainment sector with 40. There were 23 English instructors hired illegally and 13 were hired in the broadcasting area.
I found the job breakdown particularly interesting — didn’t know there were that many working illegally in the advertising sector. Apparently, they also nabbed some German DJ in Hongik who, it was said, was making W5 million for only four hours of work.
Immigration is also considering raising fines on foreigners working illegally in Korea, considering the time of money they are apparently making.
35 Comments
Where are these jokers working that they are making that much money? I understand the way it pans out if one teaches English and has private lessons too but by and large the other foreigners I know don?€™t do that much better than the average Korean-in fact many don’t do that well.
Korean immigration is always funny that way, it seems like they do a big round up in the spring and then again in the fall, not unlike the exterminator coming around once or twice a year spraying for cockroaches. I am not convinced that there is THAT much effort that goes into catching them but I am sure that it is a major pain to have to track them down, apprehend them and take all their money before kicking them out of the country in the name of fines. The Europeans were probably also getting unemployment from their home country as well?€?
BTW Don Marmot, it is good to have you back to your old blogging self again.
Next time you need help posting bail, Marmot, let us know. We could all pitch in a few quid.
Four days without fresh meat from Marmot’s makes people go a little crazy.
The range of topics discussed in a response to a note that says I am busy and will be away for a couple of days is evidence of that!
A German DJ gets W5 million? In my next life I want to come back as Eurotrash (cockroach is more likely tho).
We could all pitch in a few quid.
Admiral, have you been spending time in England?
In my next life I want to come back as Eurotrash (cockroach is more likely tho).
toMAYto, to-MAHto.
Ouch! You said it, not me
What could “advertising” mean? Narrator models? What is going on, I never hear of any advertising jobs for foreigners.
I find it hard to believe some DJ is making 5 million for 4 hours work. Sounds like Immigration propaganda and media sensationalism to get Koreans jealous about foreigners making outrageous money in Korea.
smells bit fishy. i wonder why there is no Filipina, nor thai, nor pakistani….
That is simple-they had to work and didn’t have time to talk to immigration.
Let’s say some DJ flies into the country to do a gig on Satruday night. If it’s some big-name DJ on an Asian tour 5mil. for a night is not unheard of; some friends tried to book Oakenfold once and he wanted $35k for the night with a pretty nasty trailer. So this guy comes into Korea without a short-term work visa, thinking he’ll only be here one night, and they nail him for it. I guarantee you that’s what happened. I know some of the DJs at M2 which is damn near the biggest club in Hongik, and certainly the best paying for DJs. The regulars there get around 50,000 for a 2 hour set. They just do it for fun. Headliners are the ones who get the most money. This is just immigration being a bunch of assholes.
non-korean wrote:
I find it hard to believe some DJ is making 5 million for 4 hours work. Sounds like Immigration propaganda and media sensationalism to get Koreans jealous about foreigners making outrageous money in Korea.the clubs bringing in ‘big stars’ of the dance club world, and so they would have to pay big money for a famous name. 5 million won for one night might not be so unheard of. I’m guessing the guy probably came in on a tourist visa for a one-night or one-weekend gig.
but even if true, i think the sum of money is meant to get people outraged.
mae wrote:
smells bit fishy. i wonder why there is no Filipina, nor thai, nor pakistani?€?. they probably were focusing on businesses where people from these countries would not likely be. crackdowns usually have ‘themes’.
but there certainly have been recent crackdowns on filipinas, that’s for sure. in some cases according to a filipina-american i know here, filipinas have sometimes been stopped by cops just for ‘walking while filipina.’ this is a violation of their rights in korea, and I hope that the service organizations helping them are on this.
if you want to do something constructive, donate some cash to those groups that are helping the third-world workers. or go volunteer yourself.
they probably were focusing on businesses where people from these countries would not likely be. crackdowns usually have ?€?themes?€™
as you pointed out, i am sure there is some themes or agenda for this crackdown. but as far as the entartainment “businesses” are concerned, my imprssion is filipinos and russians as majority of “foreign” entartainers, as musicians and dancers. (oops, i forgot to put russians in mr previous post)
advertising…. sounds sound ?????°??¸ girl-type gig
Nora, Reference “a violation of their rights here in Korea”. Is there anything in Korean constitutional law that gives foreigners a right to work illegally? The law in the U.S. used to be (circa 1980) that presumed illegals were entitled to the protections of the constitution up until the time they were ascertained to be illegal. Thus simple stop and searches for “appearing to be illegal” were unconstitutional, but a stop of someone acting suspcisously, or ID checks at factories which the INS had received information, were permitted. Is Korean law similar? Or, since it is a generally homogenous ethnic mix, are searches of “non-hanguk” appearing persons permissible?
INS can audit the I-9 records of any company at any time. The company doesn?€™t have to turn over those records immediately but there is a set time limit within which they must be made available. No one has the right to work illegally-that is an oxymoron. In the US documentation is presented at the time of hire proving ones ability to reside and work in the US legally. Once this has been established the company is not required to check again barring cases where the documentation initially presented amount to legal work permits with a definite time limit, those have to be rechecked at the end of the time limit on the documentation. That law came into effect in the late 80s. In Korea, as a result of the homogeneousness of the population, it is relatively easy to pick out who the foreigners are (except Chinese, Mongolians and Japanese and even they can be distinguished from Koreans with a little observation) making it easier to at least focus on the right group. In the US and I suspect many western countries there is a bill of rights or something like it which spells out what a persons rights are. I am not aware that Korea has anything like it. Brandon or any of you that have studied Korean law can answer this more authoritatively than I can so I will not speculate any further on it. In practice I think the police can claim probable cause for some of these industries or maybe tips.
lierlous wrote:
Nora, Reference ?€œa violation of their rights here in Korea?€?. Is there anything in Korean constitutional law that gives foreigners a right to work illegally?
i don’t think so, but let me explain what was i was told.
i wrote that ‘in some cases according to a filipina-american i know here, filipinas have sometimes been stopped by cops just for ?€?walking while filipina.”
of course i’m referencing ‘driving while black,’ a well-known phenomenon in the states. according to the filipina-american who told me this, these people were walking through their neighborhoods (yongsan, i think) doing routine neighborhood things; they were not at work and they weren’t doing anything suspicious. they were stopped simply because they looked filipina. the person who told me this said she was also stopped once.
The law in the U.S. used to be (circa 1980) that presumed illegals were entitled to the protections of the constitution up until the time they were ascertained to be illegal. Thus simple stop and searches for ?€œappearing to be illegal?€? were unconstitutional, but a stop of someone acting suspcisously, or ID checks at factories which the INS had received information, were permitted. Is Korean law similar?
i thought korean law was similar, which is why i said this was a violation of their rights (as i understand them).
Or, since it is a generally homogenous ethnic mix, are searches of ?€œnon-hanguk?€? appearing persons permissible?
i don’t think they are illegal, but i think the police may try to get away with it when they are dealing with people who appear to be third-world nationals. i’m not sure. this could also be something that only a few police do but most don’t. it’s also possible that the person who told me this was exaggerating or embellishing.
Advertising - probably the comely Eurasian, Russian and other CIS ladies who model on shopping channels.
A reader’s comment from the Hankooki Times article:
Congratulations to immigration on catching the notorious criminal DJ that was victimizing thousands of Korean youth by playing music that they can dance to and enjoy themselves. If he would have applied for a visa, would immigration have even given him one or would they have just said that he is taking Korean jobs.
Indeed. I can only imagine the response from Korean Immigration if the fellow had applied: I’m sorry, your college degree is for another field other than that of Music DJ. We can not issue a working visa for your employment in a field that you have no qualifications for. Request denied.
Did I forget to mention the 22% income tax that goes with an entertainment visa if the person applying is not incorporated?
Revise the Korean code of law (and taxes) please . . .
For the record, the “German DJ working in Hongik” was most likely Paul Van Dyke. He’s quite possibly the world’s most famous DJ, right now. 5 million won for 4 hours would be, umm…, let’s just say, very reasonable. In fact, for PVD, it’s probably on the low end of standard. That’s just how much he charges. The capacity at that venue (M2) is 1200 hundred, and tickets were 35000/person that night. And then there are drink sales… You do the math.
I’ve heard that “entertainment” visas are notoriously hard to get. Maybe that was a factor in his not having one? I can’t imagine M2 cutting the corners if they didn’t have to (mostly because this sort of thing will have an impact on the names they’ll be able to draw in the future).
I fear Korea will now fall behind in the music sector.
Without the help of German DJs, Korea will forever be stuck with the Moonwalk and the Funky Chicken.
Actually, Maugrim is right. 5K for a famous DJ (especially one as famous as PVD) is really not uncommon. It’s not peak season or a holiday where he can bring in as much as 50K for doing the same job. Take Carl Cox for example…for the millenium it was rumored that he made 100K off of four shows (playing off time zones). Not bad for a night’s worth of work.
More than one person has said it is very possible for a top DJ to actually get 5 million won for 4 hours work. I can’t understand it- maybe I am just getting old. Then again I think 20 million a year for an NBA player is pretty outrageous too. But it is becoming more and more common.
Without the help of German DJs, Korea will forever be stuck with the Moonwalk and the Funky Chicken.
It’s not that bad. There was (is still?) a celebrity game show Cheonsaeng Yeonbun (?²œ?????°?¶?), hosted by the ex-wrestler Gang Ho-dong (?°???¸??™). For the first few episodes, there was this wild dancer called ?²??´??™??¸??¨??¼?¸° (”Cheongdam-dong whistler”), who wore a business suit and blew a whistle while he danced all these crazy, outrageous, tongue-in-cheek movies. I nearly burst my gut the first time I saw him. He’s the guy on the left in this link. (I believe the guy on the right is the K-pop singer Ssai (??¸??´).
Speaking of old, I’m getting old, too. But if the guy is a celeb in the world of DJing flown half-way across the globe to do a guest bit, I guess the amount isn’t out of line, esp. as it only translates to roughly USD 5000, give or take a few hundred.
“Apgujeong Guy” or something. He
What is it with these blockquotes? Let me try this again:
Without the help of German DJs, Korea will forever be stuck with the Moonwalk and the Funky Chicken.
It’s not that bad. There was (is still?) a celebrity game show Cheonsaeng Yeonbun (?²œ?????°?¶?), hosted by the ex-wrestler Gang Ho-dong (?°???¸??™). For the first few episodes, there was this wild dancer called ?²??´??™??¸??¨??¼?¸° (”Cheongdam-dong whistler”), who wore a business suit and blew a whistle while he danced all these crazy, outrageous, tongue-in-cheek movies. I nearly burst my gut the first time I saw him. He’s the guy on the left in this link. (I believe the guy on the right is the K-pop singer Ssai (??¸??´).
Speaking of old, I’m getting old, too. But if the guy is a celeb in the world of DJing flown half-way across the globe to do a guest bit, I guess the amount isn’t out of line, esp. as it only translates to roughly USD 5000, give or take a few hundred.
Well, forget the blockquote, but whoah, bang on the money! At today’s posted exchange rate on Yahoo!, KRW 5,000,000 works out to USD 5,005.005!
when was the last time that anyone heard of a crackdown on koreans working illeagally? i’m sure it does happen, but from what i’ve seen the emphasis is more on the upcomming crackdown than on actually catching anyone. In other words you hear a lot about it before hand, but then it goes away with nobody actually being caught.
I just looked at my baby’s and my F-2 visa and both are expired I am getting worried… the way they cause problems in this country soon my baby and I could be put in jail.. when we go to the immigration office tomorrow.
mike
Oh, dear. I am in absolutely no position whatsoever to offer any kind of advice, but I think (and hope) that someone voluntarily going to the immigration office to clear up an expired visa is in a completely different situation from someone deliberately working without the proper visa.
Is it possible that part of the “rehabilitation” of N. Korea refugees includes a job in the Immigration Dept. of the MOJ?
mike: I doubt they will put you in jail, but you will most likely be fined for overstaying your visa. I was once a day late in renewing my visa (although at the time it was a student visa) and I still had to pay a fine.
The interesting thing is that the guy who “interrogated” me was nice, and I was very apologetic about the whole thing, so he spoke to his supervisor and had the fine cut in half. The guy who was interrogated before me was in the same exact situation, but he threw a temper tantrum and was told that nothing could be done, he would have to pay the whole fine. So it appears there is a little leeway.
I don’t know how things are these days (this was quite a while ago that this happened). Maybe they’ve lightened up a bit. I doubt it, though. Whatever happens, though, keep a cool head and you will be treated better.
Charles wrote:
mike: I doubt they will put you in jail, but you will most likely be fined for overstaying your visa. I was once a day late in renewing my visa (although at the time it was a student visa) and I still had to pay a fine.
In addition to having contrite demeanor, be equipped with a good, plausible reason why you have “overstayed” your visa (but make sure that concise explanation of your case doesn’t give way to arguing your case). A good reason plus an apologetic attitude will work in your favor, but the good reason is only for getting the conversation started, the apologetic attitude should come right afterward and be the bulk of what you say.
The interesting thing is that the guy who ?€œinterrogated?€? me was nice, and I was very apologetic about the whole thing, so he spoke to his supervisor and had the fine cut in half. The guy who was interrogated before me was in the same exact situation, but he threw a temper tantrum and was told that nothing could be done, he would have to pay the whole fine. So it appears there is a little leeway.
Whether it’s Koreans or foreigners, contrition and apology go a long, long way toward resolving problems in Korea. Cop an attitude and you’re just hanging yourself. Of course, that’s not always fair, and (in criminal cases) when someone really is innocent their protests of innocent work against their best interest, but in this case cool, calm contrition is the way to go.
I don?€™t know how things are these days (this was quite a while ago that this happened). Maybe they?€™ve lightened up a bit. I doubt it, though. Whatever happens, though, keep a cool head and you will be treated better.
Absolutely.
Is “because I’m on the lamb from the Feds for running a massive multi-drug factory and they put a watch-notice on my passport after I tried to hack into the DEA forensic lab and erase my case data” a valid excuse to give immigration? Screw it, I’m going to go work for KJ up North. I’m sure he needs someone who can make both bioweapons and narcotics…
Oy, let’s just hope I don’t get into any trouble this summer with my student visa.