Do NOT work for JEL in Ulsan!!

[doorsnotwindows]

Seriously,

I worked at JEL in Ulsan for three years. They run two schools, one in Beum Sa and one in Mugeo Dong. Currently they are in financial ruin.

There is nothing but problems here, now, and the boss and his wife have not paid me the money they owe me. ($4000 Cnd) I know that many other teachers have had problems: from being screamed at in the face, to having money refused them, continual late pay, and aggressive behavior from the management. Don't think you are protected by Korean law, you aren't. I showed up early everyday, the first one there, and I worked there for three years faithfully and did a bunch of extra stuff, as I was raised to do.

In the end I was asked to take a payment plan, basically to sign away the little rights I might have. I refused. They are currently looking for teachers, knowing that they haven't paid the ones still under contractual agreement. Do not work for this school. Also, I believe there is another JEL in Ulsan under different management. This post refers to the one run by James and Julia Kim in Mugeo Dong and Beum Sa. The Korean teachers are continually quitting and saying they cannot stand the management. We receive eviction notices regularly and had our gas turned off. Some of the bills are paid through the hogwan, but the money we give never goes to actual bill. When we called about our gas being turned off we were told that it was summer and gas wasn't necessary. So I guess people don't cook or have warm showers in the summer? When our gas was hooked up, we never received an apology at all. There is one good thing about not getting paid, lately, there haven't been any complaints about our teaching (from the "parents") which you can expect regularly when the money is flowing. Oh yeah, and don't expect a hello, or any notice of your presence unless you are late. (Supposing that is that you aren't the one waiting around for an hour for the management, which is the most likely scenario, and don't expect an apology).

Anyway, good luck in Korea, you'll need it.

[doorsnotwindows]

Ladies and gentlemen,

Under no circumstances work for this school. There are currently four court battles against this school for money and I know of one person who is owed 4,000,000w who just didn't have the energy for the lengthy legal process. (I have been going nine months now from labour board to prosecutor's office, have interpreter working for me).

The school remains open and even has a foreign teacher employed there, which is beyond me, but to each their own. Last contact with the boss he pretended to be crying on the phone. This is one corrupt hogwan that the labour board doesn't seem to care about and is allowing to continue to run. Don't trust anything the management tells you about the foreign teachers/Korean teachers they haven't paid.

This is no joke people. I can provide you with seven other contacts about the pitfalls of this employer if you have any doubts about my facts. I would highly recommend contacting me or one of the other teachers I know before going on the information of anyone currently employed at the Hogwan in Beum Sa, as they may be under heavy pressure to lie to you. (which was what I was asked to do when I worked at JEL) My email is jmgravity@hotmail.com.