Hiring a Debt Collector

[nomadicchick]

Hi all,

I'm sorry to interlope on your forum, but a friend of mine who taught in Korea suggested I post a message here.  I'm not a teacher myself, but I am a freelance photographer/journalist who did work for a firm in Seoul, but now this firm owes me and my team $18,000 USD. 

I'm a bit of a loss here, and could use a name or contact email for a debt collection agency that I can employe in Seoul to get my money to me.  I'd appreciate any suggestions and sorry again to post here.  I'm desperate, angry and all we want is to receive our payment. 

Thanks!

[nomadicchick]

Dear, I'm sorry, the amount they owe us is $18,000 USD, not $180.. my mistake.  Anyway, if any of you can help?

[ajosshi]

Nomad, Where was the work done?

[plchron]

for that amount of money you would have to sue them or technically you could take them to the labor board. What kind of visa did you have though. You might have been working illegally. Did you have a contract that clearly states payment? Did you work "in" korea or did you just do business with them but took the photos elsewhere?

[confusedsafferinkorea]

You have about as much chance of getting your money as a snowball has of surviving on the sun. Sorry to say this, but it is the truth, you will get no assistance from the courts here.

[Smaug]

u know I read a book I forgot the title. it was all about korea and it said in comparability to the West Korea business is not as good on fulfilling the contract lol  and of course everyone tells you - Koreans are more about talking and working things out despite of and apart from a contract.

u can try the big brother granddad thing. what you do is find out who is the boss. or find out who is the old guy who is over your guy who will not pay u. then u say to the old guy or boss "Please tell little brother 2 pay me." this can work. older brother or bigger boss must be obeyed by the small boss. it is part of the korea culture. but yeah it is hard to get things your way here. a lot of e-2 visa teachers are mad at korea. they say how they hate korean law. it is because the job they have can throw them out of korea. the visa is more for the korean guy than the teacher guy. in other countries u can stay and get a new job with ur work visa.

so it seems like the korea system more favors the korean in money matters alot. i know a seoul computer program guy who was mad he did all this overtime. ya the koreans were there at work on overtime 2. but no way they or he got pay for it. he was so mad because they broke the contract. so moral is business is tricky here.