Expats suffer workplace discrimination amid Itaewon outbreak

Officials from Yongsan District Office in Seoul disinfect an Itaewon street thick with bars and clubs, Monday. Yonhap

By Kim Se-jeong

Foreigners working in Korea are grappling with the fallout from the recent massive coronavirus outbreak linked to five clubs in Itaewon, and along with certain sexual minorities, are facing discrimination and harassment, especially in their workplaces, according to three interviews Wednesday.

Some members of the foreign community here have expressed concerns that this will further escalate over time, saying it is unfair for them to be treated as possible spreaders of the coronavirus under the preconceptions that all non-Koreans here often visit the multicultural entertainment district in Seoul.

PJ, who is an English hagwon teacher in Suwon, south of Seoul, said she may be about to lose her job because of the Itaewon outbreak. She had been to Itaewon, May 2, and has since tested negative but is currently under self-quarantine.

"My boss asked all my coworkers if we had been there. I told her truthfully I was in Itaewon around May 2 and 3… She said she'd fire me or have me tender my resignation," she wrote in an email sent to The Korea Times. She refused to disclose her full name because of the sensitive nature of the issue.

"She told me to add to my resignation letter about how she asked us to social distance and if we violated or infringed that 'behavior guidance,' then we're liable and responsible for any negative and commercial impacts to our school."

Also, the boss attempted to impose a sense of guilt on her. One early morning, she was woken by a call from her boss to hear the words, "How can you sleep without feeling guilty?"

More expats have their voices heard in Korea

2020-07-07 17:18 | Multicultural Community

Growing tired of all the stress, PJ offered to quit but then the boss changed her mind and wouldn't let her go. "Then she said 'if you don't stay, then you have 15 days to leave (the country)." For hagwon teachers, they have to have a document proving termination of contract from employers to get another job. Otherwise, they are obliged to leave the country within the grace period following the termination of their visa.

"After this incident, I want to leave. It was never clear to me what they wanted. Sometimes it sounded like they were going to fire me, then other times they tried to butter me up to stay. Yet, it's very clear to me they care more about the business rather than the foreign employees and maybe the kids as well."

She still doesn't know where she stands even if she leaves her current employment. "I am worried about the boss leaking out the fact that I was in Itaewon despite not having been in the area since; other schools may not look at that favorably. I really want to continue to live and work in Korea."

Those who have actually been to Itaewon, a multicultural district in Seoul popular among foreign tourists and residents, are among those who say they are suffering the most, but those who've not been to Itaewon said they were also feeling the pressure at work.

Another foreign resident who wishes to be identified as Edward said he hasn't visited Itaewon for weeks but has received questions about his whereabouts from his colleagues at an education company he works at.

"I told them that I hadn't been there and the only place I had gone to was Haebangchon (HBC) for an hour in the afternoon around the start of May," he said.

Later that day, he noticed a Korean language work chat group was quite active with people talking about him, seemingly assuming he didn't understand comments such as, "Isn't his house in Itaewon?" and "He actually has a gay-vibe… can we trust him?" The next day, he was forced to get himself tested and told by a superior to stay home until the situation subsides.

Often referred to as a "homogeneous society," Koreans have been notorious for their hostility to non-Koreans, and the COVID-19 case linked to the Itaewon clubs is further testing the nation's attitudes toward minorities.

"To be honest, I am beginning to feel a bit scared now because I feel like everyone is focusing on me even though I haven't even been there, not even close," Jennifer who teaches English in Seoul said.

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