HiKorea - Korean Immigration issues rant: Korea = Windows only

[shigzeo]

Right, so everyone knows that Windows dominates the market; that isn't the issue here. The issue is that in Korea, if you don't use Windows AND Internet Explorer, you cannot do anything. Oh yes, and you have to register for everything with your SIN/Citizen's number.

So, in order to go to the government's immigration website (strange since people from all over the world should be able to log in), HiKorea, it doesn't rightly work even in Firefox on Mac. Safari shows an 'oops' page, and well, this is typical.

I didn't get a work visa before coming here: in order to do that, I have to sign my life over to a pirate private company and didn't trust any. So, I came, looked around and only now am finding suitable work. It's been almost a year. My mates have been hired/fired a gazillion times by these places and I have no interest in signing myself over to one.

My very lovely wife has been very patient as I twiddle my thumbs ad-hocing around, but honestly, I don't want to belong to one of these organisations which spits on the law, then shoves it in your face. My mate was fired for being half Indian, then fired for having glasses, then fired because he wasn't blonde, and finally, because he walks with a limp. Even if I only fit the bill for one of those (I just dyed my hair yellow, so I should be a GRAB), I hate the idea; the system is sleazy.

But, what should I expect? No country makes easy to get a work visa - there has to be a healthy amount of protection for citizens and being second class is expected. So too is red tape. But, I've never seen soooo much red tape. I cannot even get a point card at supermarket because I am not Korean. Same too with an iPhone, or any smartphone. My wife cannot get a credit card - in Canada, they practically threw one at her.

How bout this: you order a 20$ item from across the pond and somehow, shipping needed to be rushed, so you pay 155$ for it. Well, the waybill mentions that the item is worth only 20$... but... that doesn't matter; customs charges shipping into the price! so that your item costs more than the 150$ it is allowed! Crazy? Silly? yes.

Koreans have been under the thumb of one mob or another since the Korean War. Now it is the faceless mask of large corporations. Samsung is the largest in the world, comprises 20% of Korea's exports, owns everything here. In such an atmosphere, why would I expect even a government page to prop its infrastructure on anything but a monopole? Here, there is one option: get used to it.

Yet, I want to get involved; God only knows it ain't to 'teach' English.