Foreign English teachers in S. Korea call for equal treatment

SEOUL, March 11 (Yonhap) -- A newly launched organization representing foreign
English teachers here called on the South Korean government on Wednesday for more
equal treatment.

"The government mandates that Korean public school teachers undergo a criminal
background check and academic degree verification," said Tony Hellmann, spokesman
for the Association for Teachers of English in Korea (ATEK).
"We believe all teachers should have the same standard that Korean teachers have:
no drug tests and no HIV check," he emphasized.
Earlier this year, the government strengthened visa requirements for native
English-speakers who want to teach in South Korea. E-2 visa applicants must
submit a criminal background check and medical test results checking for drug use
and HIV.
The country's Justice Ministry, which handles immigration affairs, said that the
regulation is aimed at curbing crimes by foreign nationals.
"You can't transmit HIV by teaching, and no teachers have been arrested for the
tested drugs in the three years leading up to the new tests, so why treat us like
we're dangerous?" Hellmann said.
ATEK is running the "Equal Checks for All" campaign, which encourages foreign
teachers to ask the National Human Rights Commission to determine whether the E-2
visa regulation violates rights guaranteed by the Constitution of South Korea and
international treaties.
"But ATEK has no plan to file a complaint against the South Korean government,"
Hellmann added, when answering a question whether the organization will lodge a
petition before the national commission. The group simply offers information on
how to file a complaint with the rights watchdog through its Web site, he
explained.
E-2 visas are issued to foreign teachers from seven English-speaking countries,
including the United States and Canada, who have been hired by public schools or
private academies.
brk@yna.co.kr
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