Topic: LangZon Language School Yongin-City

[Frank Castle]

I came to Korea in the beginning of December 2003 with a job working for LangZon Language School at:

LangZon Language School
5th floor Mega Town Plaza 352 Kugal-ri
Kiheung-Eup, Yongin-City, Kyunggi-Do 449-903
(031) 287-7979 / fax (031) 287-7333

Before taking the job the employer said I would share a two bedroom apartment with the other teacher. I said this was no problem as long as he DID NOT smoke. She said he did not smoke. When I arrived in Korea she said she was sorry and had just discovered HE DID smoke.

My employer requested that I assist the employer in falsifying my contract's monthly pay so the employer could cheat the government heath care agency, and save herself money. Therefore, I waived all my health coverage. I did not think I'd need it anyway. The employer told me that falsifying documents to the government health care officials was just a "white lie" and commonly done. I replied that although I might break the traffic laws with impunity on my bicycle,  I would not knowingly sign a written document falsifying information in order to cheat the government out of their lawfully due health care payments. The employer said was doing this with her other employee and I should too.

The employerhired a third American teacher in the beginning part of March 2004. This seemed to be a strange thing to do as she had earlier mentioned student enrollment had been going poorly. (I had many classes with only 1-4 students or no shows) Due to the hiring of this other American employee, (who happened to already have been in Korea) I was only teaching three classes a day for around fifteen hours a work week. The other teachers and I all were pleased but curious at our exceedingly slack schedule. I spoke with the new employee, and he said he was getting paid 2 million won a month- the same salary of the other foreign Canadian teacher. I was making a little more around 2,070,000.00 won the equivalent of 1,800.00 US dollars a month.

Coincidentally my employer told me April 12, 2004 that she did not have enough adults for me to teach, my teaching style did not fit with her younger students, and that she needed to fire me to protect her school. She said she would not be reimbursing me for my flight back, nor would she be giving me my bonus salary sum, or any sort of severance pay. I agreed that April 30, 2004 would be my last day because it was clear to me that arguing would just make the whole situation ugly- and she obviously had one too many foreign teachers.

(This was a surprise and disappointment because the employer had NEVER before threatened to fire me nor had she hinted that I was a bad teacher and soon to be fired. I was NEVER taken aside by the employer and counseled that I must drastically change or improve or I would be fired.)

I agreed to finish out my days at the school in a conscientious and normal manner; I agreed to not inform any of the students of my soon departure. I did tell my fellow teachers the situation as I felt they deserved to know, and seeing as how they were employed at the school as well. But, I did not ever mention my firing to the students.

At first I planned on leaving Korea; however, when I realized I could still teach here for a while, and have the advantage of previewing the school- I decided to stay. My employer agreed verbally to pay me all my last days of work: 20 days were due me as I was paid on the 8th of each month- and my last day would be Friday April the 30th. The only thing I agreed for the employer to withhold was around 100 thousand for utility bills that would come in after I had left. Doubting the honesty of the words of my employer I again spoke with her Tuesday the 27 of April asking her if she would like to inspect my room as I could easily clean it up early. I wanted to make sure I got paid on the 30th of April.

The employer assured me that the employer was not like other dishonest employers and would pay me on Friday April 30. Towards the end she became discordant and uncooperative. At first she claimed I did not need a letter of release until my last day, then later when I informed her that prospective employers earnestly requested she grudgingly wrote me one. But the employer became very sullen and angry, and told me not to ask her for another one because it was the only one she would write. The employer refused to let me have even one vacation day off in my final few days to look for another teaching job.

Needless to say, the employer refused to pay me anything on Friday the 30th of April, which caused me to become angry- which she in turn reciprocated with much more fervor, I calmed down and she agreed to pay me 100 thousand in advance. However, she informed me that I must be moved out of my apartment by Monday May 3. She said she would pay me after she had inspected it Sunday. The employer claimed  the employer had a wedding to go to on Saturday; thus she could not spare me her time. She said if I stayed past Sunday May 2nd she would take money out of my last pay as rent fees.

The employer also said that she was only going to pay me 500,000.00 won because she thought I had paid too much for my ticket here, and therefore she was taking money out of my final paycheck to get money back for this. Further, she said she was withholding money for a cleaning fee. She told me she would pay me whatever was left over after all these charges were taken care of, unless it was a small sum of less than 50 thousand or so - in which case I should "just write it off", if I was no longer in Korea to collect it.

I was in Korea two years after and my bank account is even now still open- but I seriously doubt she will be paying me any more money out of her own free will.

I had flown to Jeju Sunday the second of May, and surprisingly, she actually did pay me 500,000.00 won on Monday May 3, when I checked my bank account. But, I feel she should pay me the other sums that she unfairly withheld from me. I also want her to pay for my four vacation days - I was never sick and took no vacation days- but I was not reimbursed for these.

I later discovered the employer had also fired the other original white guy worker there and hired someone from New Zealand.

As to my teaching quality itself- I admit I was knew to ESL (not teaching) on coming to Korea but I did two consecutive years with EPIK after that- and they wanted / want me to do a third.

I should also mention that early on a Korean teacher was also let go for no apparent reason that I could tell- and for reasons she could / would not explain to me ether.

It is sad it had to work out negatively like that, but I think others should know that the employer has set a pattern of "me-first" business in mind. I do hope it all goes well for  the employer and the employer feels enough regret to pay me some day- my bank account is still open. However, I doubt she ever will. It is all to easy to justify smart business sense by claiming the teacher caused her losses.

In fact months later the employer became angry when I again contacted and asked to be paid still. The employer said I had damaged her school and therefore I owed money. So I guess in the employer's mind twas kind for not withholding more of my pay. At any rate, I DO NOT hate the employer, but I do feel regret that it seems the employer put money before me. But, as I said it seems some can justify anything if they put their business mind to it... The love of money