The Labor Standards Act provides pseudo protection to teachers who are employed in South Korea. The reason we say 'pseudo' protection is because if the employer does not follow the law, there is is almost nowhere the teacher can go to seek a remedy.

Those teachers who try to seek remedies via the Labor Office find that dismissal can be swift, and the rather archaic and unfair Immigration laws mean that a dismissed teacher has no time in which to lodge a complaint before he/she must leave Korea.

It is common to find teachers signing contracts that clearly breach the provisions of the Labor Law, for example, less annual leave than required by law, but who are then denied any form of relief. The greatest majority of Labor Offenses are found in the private education industry (hogwan industry) though complaints about Universities and government contracts are also received.

The Korean government is doing nothing to help teachers in Korea, many who suffer from internationally unacceptable standards of contractual treatment. This is not an area of priority for Korea.

Unions:

Until recently teachers were forbidden from joining a union. These days some teachers can join a Union, but the language difference results in the Union from being able to help. From time to time, teachers talk of implementing a Union - evidence from various Discussion Forums shows this to be a volatile topic. A further problem is that the greater majority of teachers come to Korea for a one year contract inly and then leave to work in Japan or Hong Kong, where conditions are on the whole, better than Korea.

Remedies in Korea for breach of Labor Law.

(1) Generally, where the employer breaks the Labor Law in relation to non payment of wages, the Labor Office is of some limited help.

(2) Legal help. Always an option but usually cost dictates the teacher is denied relief.

(3) Legal Aid. Unless the complainant earns less than a threshold amount this is not an option. Teachers are all above this threshold.