GOOD LEGAL HELP

[bigtimecatanddoglover]

Hi,

For the person who was having trouble with his hogwan and for anyone else who may need legal help, you can contact the following lawyer here in Seoul:

Kay Sok
Her email address is apexksok@justice.com
Office phone number: 02-3477-0112
Cell phone number:010-2265-3986

She did not ask me to advertise her services, in case you're wondering.
I asked her if it would be okay to mention her after reading about one person's problem with his hogwan. Since there may be other people in need of legal help, I thought it might be a good idea to just let you know about Kay.

She is an excellent lawyer - professional and honest! Kay and her firm are registered on the Canadian Embassy's website here in Korea.

With some lawyers here, the first consultation is free. You may want to ask her if this is also true of her law firm.

[Ryan]

thanks. that is good to know. :)

[luvadog]

Hi Ryan,

That might be me as I have been having major problems at my hokwon in Mannyeong dong where I've been under contract for 5 mos. They have not kept several things in my contract...some smaller issues I have passed on but I wanted my health insurance and the receipts for salary so I could send money home to pay bills.

When I was asked to join a university, I asked for a release. He refused, so I turned down the uni job. (I have since learned that if you change to a uni, you don't need a release.) Anyway, the next friday I got the labor officer to come to the hokwon and he made them get my paperwork...but they still refused my insurance (it's in the contract as usual and he got it for the new teacher who's been here only one month and who signed a contract for more hours and less pay.) The following friday, Feb 29, I was asked to leave the apt but the Labor officer tells me to stay and keep going to work. But they took away my classes and I stayed at my desk all of monday. We had a meeting with the labor board Tues. and then he told me again to leave but if I stayed he'd charge me daily on the 400,000 won/mo.

So today after many days of the jitters with me and TongTong on the chopping block, I finally got to speak with the labor director who speaks English. She said if he cancels my visa, he has to let me go. Then I would file a complaint with Labor and pay the investigating officer about $2000 to take my case and change my visa status at the Daejeon office to G-1...until my money runs out, and that's what usually happens.

So the initial pressure (selling my trail bike, moving and storing my stuff I've collected over 4 years, getting a job, buying my air ticket and going home to get another visa and background check) is off. <<Is that a run-on sentence? not sure.>> (and Toby's vaccinations are due in April.)

I was so ready to adopt another pet, dog or cat but now I'm scared to look. But today I discovered a little girl whose master doesn't really want her at home much and she stays in a cage 24/7 except for 3-4 days a month. We looked at each other and I just cocked my head, and she cocked her head. I blinked and she blinked. I smiled and we connected. I turned my head upside down and she turned her head upside down. I thought, what's going on here?...she acts like she's been mine all her life. So I asked about her and was told the owner might give her up. I said "I'll take her!" "She likes Toby!" (Toby's Korean name when I got him 3 yrs ago was Tong-Tong.) We bonded. If she gets a release (which I DIDN'T GET!) then she's mine, at any cost, and we'll be staying here or she's America bound.

Anyway, thanks, I'll surely give her a call when that time comes. They can usually tell you if it's winnable with the evidence collected. Then I can proceed. Stay or go home for a few months...with TWO babies.

[Ryan]

yes, please let me know, as I may also need legal help soon. I didn't know that I didnt' need a letter of release to go to a university. kicking myself in the *** now. grrr. Where did you hear that? I hope things work out for you.

[luvadog]

I heard it monday from the labor officer who came here to have a meeting. His English is good but not great so he said I could change to a uni and something else (maybe public school) because they are not hokwons. I went to immigration today and she told me about getting the G-1 visa if he reports me. Her English is excellent but there's still a lot of legal crap to sort thru and try to understand...and remember. I need to take notes and write down everything she says. But I'm pretty sure she said if he reports me (and maybe that means he theoretically releases me without a letter) then I can get a G-1 visa without leaving the country and look for another job---and I can work ANY job. (I always understood if you quit the job you can't work anywhere during the period of the contract.) But like I said, there are so many details to work thru that it's difficult. The main thing is that I'm out of "panic mode." But I still feel like I'm walking my last mile...with the governor on the line. Very stressful.

[neil4374]

Hey, I ve emailed this lawyer four times and finally i get two lines of text which were off little help.Does anybody know of any other lawyers?

Thanks

Neil