Dear editor,

Ever since the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) took away my SOFA status ― causing me to lose my job ― I have been looking for work here in Korea.

I see many job offerings on the Internet which I am qualified for, but most of these employers offer no visa support. They offer jobs to F2 and F4 visa holders only, or to people with Korean citizenship.

In other words, they do not want to complete the necessary paperwork required for foreigners to work legally here in Korea. I cannot help but wonder why.

Has the Korean government made the visa process so difficult that employers don't want to be bothered and instead continue to try to entice foreigners to work here illegally and pay them under the table? Perhaps this is an issue the government needs to look at.

I have lived here continuously and legally since 1998. Unfortunately, I was never required to obtain a foreigner registration card, so I am told that getting Korean citizenship might be difficult, if not impossible.

I love Korea, and I plan to stay here, but nobody is making it easy!

Charles Lacy
Songtan, Gyeonggi Province
aetcnvis@hotmail.com