An Interview About Issues Faced by Foreigners Working in Korea

I was recently contacted by a reporter from the Korea Herald with questions for a future article about the issues foreigners face working in Korea. Here’s our Q&A:

1. What you would be the most serious work
issue you have encountered personally, or has been highlighted by
someone else that has come to you, in connection with working in Korea?

The most common issue is probably
non-payment of wages by institutes to their teachers. It’s likely not a
frequent occurence, but it does happen and I get contacted from time-to-time by
folks needing interpreting or translation for such issues.

I’ve been lucky in that I’ve faced very few
serious work issues myself. The hardest time for me was when I first got
started in my position at LG International many years ago; it was a challenge to
figure out what the company was expecting of me. This is probably a common
problem in positions filled by foreigners since those positions are generally
ad hoc hirings done outside of an established system and processes, so
sometimes the Korean company doesn’t even know what they want from their
foreign staff.

We’ve interviewed some executives working
in Korean companies on Korea Business Central and it’s interesting to see that
even those in C-level positions faced similar confusion over
expectations, as well as cultural and language differences. Here are links to
the interviews:

  • Dr. Linda Myers[EXPIRED LINK REMOVED: https://stevenbammel.com/category/archives/kbcforum/topics/hankug-bijeuniseu-nginteobyu]
  • Dr. David Dolinger[EXPIRED LINK REMOVED: https://stevenbammel.com/category/archives/kbcforum/topics/korea-business-central-exclusive-interview-dr-david-dolinger-a-pa]
  • Didier Chenneveau[EXPIRED LINK REMOVED: https://stevenbammel.com/category/archives/kbcforum/topics/korea-business-central-45]

2. Have you found that Korean hierarchy
is a big challenge for foreigners working here? Is there room for
give and take, or is assimilation (as far as possible) the only
real option?

Foreigners exist outside the traditional Korean
hierarchy so I’m not sure the hierarchy is all that challenging for us per se.
Perhaps the most challenging part is just coming to terms with the fact that
one is not going to move up the hierarchy in whatever Korean company one is in. Even if it were possible, how many non-Koreans would want to put in the effort
and time (not to mention low salaries) to succeed long-term in a Korean
company?

3. Are there services you feel are lacking
for foreigners with work issues in Korea?

Not really. The Korean government seems to
be making big efforts to help foreign job holders. I’m sure plenty of things happen anyway, but those are probably related to language, cultural and personal challenges, rather than a lack of services.

4. What would be the biggest mistake
foreigners make when coming to work here and in their everyday work life?

Foreigners who want to work or are working
in a Korean workplace must understand Korean business culture and without that
background, they are sure to cause offense, look silly and get frustrated. On
Korea Business Central we offer a Korea Business Culture Fundamentals
Specialization in our KBC Professional Certification Program which is helping
many foreigners get the skills to avoid mistakes and be successful both in the
workplace and in their everyday work lives. Here’s a link to the overview page
for that – https://stevenbammel.com/2014/02/syllabus. Here is our
current list of graduates too –
https://stevenbammel.com/category/archives/kbcpage/kbc-professional-certification-program-graduates.
I’d be glad to put you in touch with any of these graduates (as well a couple
we’ve added in the last week that I haven’t updated to the site yet).

5. Are there aspects of the visa system
that need looking at so as not to put foreigners who are mistreated at
work in a position where they have no choice but to put up with it or
quit (and leave the country)?

I suppose it’s not an accident that the
government offers limited visa options. We get members on KBC asking about this
all the time (for example:
https://stevenbammel.com/category/archives/kbcforum/topics/running-an-online-business-from-korea-what-are-my-visa-options).

What is means is that those who make the
investment by passing the points system (or put down roots by marrying a local)
get many work advantages.

I’m sure if you look for them, you can find
plenty of foreigners who think they’ve been mistreated in their workplaces, and
some probably have. That’s unfortunate, but I’m sure it’s not on the
government’s agenda to change the visa situation just for them since doing so
would encourage other behaviors they don’t want (such as working on the side
without a formal job).

6. What meaningful steps would improve the
work environment for foreigners here and see Korean companies
gain?

It’s frustrating to see the failures of
foreigners working in Korea. Now that companies like LG have gotten rid of all
of their expat executives and with high-profile overseas investors leaving
Songdo under a cloud of suspicion, it’s certainly not portraying for Korea the
image they’d like others to see.

This discussion on just how hard it is for
Koreans to work and live in Korea got quite a bit of commentary from the Korea
Business Central membership a couple years ago:

  • Is Korea Really This Tough of a Place to Work? [EXPIRED LINK REMOVED: https://stevenbammel.com/category/archives/kbcforum/topics/is-korea-really-this-tough-of]

You may also like...