Arguably, a moth is drawn to a flame thanks to an intense point of light. To say I was drawn to the AFEK business conference like a moth to a flame is not only appropriate, but apt. Although not a F-visa holder, my presence was courtesy of Mike Yates, who heard my interest and sent on the information needed to gain entry.

It’s a different world, to say the least. At the risk of stereotyping, an E-2 might busy themselves with meeting friends, finding a place to drink, or creating and participating in the expat community. That is all accomplished while working a full-time teaching job, dealing with an ever-changing schedule, and otherwise having the deck stacked against them. Few E-2 visa holders reach a point where they’re able to break out of teaching; the picture in my mind resembles a dying city where many want to leave but few actually can.

By virtue of having an F-visa, an ‘F-er’ has the right to start a business legitimately, work virtually anywhere they can find a job, leave a job without worrying about one’s visa status, then start another the next day. It’s a visa based on residency, on blood, on time. To the Korean government, they’ve earned that right by marrying a Korean, receiving enough points to attain the F-2-7 (the point-system visa), or having been in the country for five years. To the vast majority of ‘E-ers’, this sounds like a dream come true – except that the barrier to change a letter is far too high for most to succeed. That precious little information is made public and the rules change with no notice makes this process as difficult as surfing while blindfolded. Stories were traded about how people earned the points necessary, or how they won over their spouses’ parents.

In any case, the Association of F-class Expatriates in Korea claims over 600 members, about 60 of which participated in this business conference. The nature of the conference – to bring together this online community in the real world – was understandable, as were the presenters selected. The first two, Simon Hong of the Seoul Global Business Support Center and CPA Christie Lee started off with professional presentations in their respective fields. While certainly helpful to some, it was here that I discovered Angry Birds on my iPad flippin’ rocks.

Christie did speak about one element I hadn’t heard of before, which was called a 권리금 (gwan-ni-geum) – a premium that’s paid to the former tenant when you start leasing a place. This might be for the equipment that’s left behind, goodwill, or for how the former tenant helped to raise the intrinsic value of the property. When you move away from the same property, you would be in a position to ask for the same.

After a very good boxed lunch and chatting around the room, Reyes I. Galvan took the floor to present the basics of the Korean labor law. Mr. Galvan’s presence seemed amplified as he walked around the room, projecting loud enough to be heard without a microphone. While his passion for the law is unquestioned, his presentation seemed to highlight the disconnect between what law books say and how the real world works without them. I found myself wishing he would address that disconnect, or at least speak on what one should do to raise the issue further should a local insist on something illegal.

Next up was a tag-team trio of F-ers running hagwons – the foreign-language schools that employ a number of E-2 teachers like myself. Their experiences and hiring preferences served as a reminder – there’s more than one way to skin a cat, and there’s more than one way to make money teaching English in Korea. One presenter described the advantages and disadvantages of hiring F-ers (you’ll have to pay them more, but you won’t have to do as much hand-holding), while another described the detail behind hiring a teacher from abroad and obtaining the E-2 visa. For most of the audience this was old hat, but the procedure changes enough that a refresher was appreciated. It was also an interesting take from the other side – all the work that goes into making an English teacher legal in Korea.

A third presenter talked about the different school structures (everything from 과외, or private tutoring, to the 어학원 level, or a foreign language academy where almost all foreign teachers end up working). He also presented the requirements for moving from one structure to another, and stressed the importance of knowing your local rules. What’s necessary in one area isn’t in another, and you might get away with something in one place, but definitely not in others.

The final presenter talked at length about Information Marketing – the business of selling information in various online ways. His presentation talked about the why, the how, and the what, although I would’ve liked to hear more about his success (this is a subject that definitely lends credibility if you have some success) This breath of fresh air saved the conference from being completely about English teaching, even if the subject was not completely relevant to most.

Not being a full member of AFEK, I’m neither privy to the conversations on the members-only section of the website, nor am I familiar with the personalities not present on the open board. A few talked as though they were the oldest and best of friends; many others held pleasant conversations as one does at a networking event. Plenty of business cards were offered and received, and no one person seemed to have the room attracted to them. A number of people seemed isolated, however, apart from the group. It’s pure speculation to say some people are drawn to online groups because they find it hard to meet real people, of course.

By definition, AFEK has geared itself towards the members who will call Korea home for many years to come. The needs are very different, to be sure, even between a long-time E-2 visa holder and a F-2 of similar length. Where the former is more interested in finding a good job  (knowing that teaching is their only legitimate job), the latter might concern themselves with following local regulations or earnestly learning Korean. To ‘come correct’ is partially a societal pressure (not to mention the pressure from their wives), but partially from a mindset that Korea has become home for them. Sure, I call Korea home because I’ve built a life for myself here; if you’ve lived here for 10 years and married into a Korean family, this country is far more ‘home’ to you than it is to me. I didn’t hear anyone talking about renouncing their home country’s citizenship or losing contact with their home country; instead, the focus was on how to balance their home country with the country they’ve called home for many years.

AFEK has gone from nothing to a strong online community in the past year and a half. That much is straightforward enough, and the sharing of information has certainly benefited its members. More recently, AFEK opened up a separate forum for people of any visa type. That forum doesn’t yet get the same traffic, partially because of its newness, but also possibly because of the organization’s focus. Expats with questions may feel more comfortable asking Google than asking an expert a simple question. It remains, however, one of the few sources of information with genuine Korean experience behind it. While bloggers often have the best of intentions, too many fail to focus on their readers and their needs. Other informational or commercial websites often fail to develop a unique selling proposition, which remains a requirement even if you’re not asking for money.

It seems safe to say AFEK is here to stay, for tomorrow, next year, and so long as foreigners make Korea home. While there isn’t a lot of crossover between the average waygook English teacher and an F-er, the AFEK open forum remains a place for both worlds to interact.

© Chris Backe – 2011
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