Korean Immigration in Cheongju

As you can no doubt tell by now I am damn quick to complain when something irks me. Well, I also try to be quick to give praise when it is due. Korean Immigration in Cheongju deserves a healthy heaping.

I had to go there today to switch my VISA over to another school. It was quick and fairly painless, at least for me but not so my boss. But I digress. I was in and done in about 10-15 minutes. The guy who was processing me was quick, efficient, and ... friendly.

This actually isn't a new experience. Last year they made a lot of changes in the local Immigration office. Out went a lot of the stodgy old guys that tried to make you think they were doing you a favour by actually doing their job. The ones who dragged their asses and made what should have taken 10 minutes become 30+ minutes.

When I went to renew my VISA last year I was expecting the same old same old. A long boring process that shouldn't actually take that long. What a surprise when I went in and there were two women there whose sole function was to translate for people and assist with filling out forms if needed. The woman at the desk had me processed and ready to go in about 5-10 minutes. What a change from the 40 minutes the year before doing the EXACT same thing.

I really appreciate the improvement in service they are providing. Kudos to the 1st floor.

My boss .... well he was informed that the last teacher who left never turned in their Alien Card. He had to go to a different department to be processed ... and fined. I waited outside after I finished. From what he told me he got to deal with the stodgy old guys who take their sweet time. It took over 30 minutes for the guy to do the paperwork. He had told my boss it would only take 10 minutes. A mantra he kept repeating every 5 minutes. All that to process a fine ... which of course my boss had to go somewhere else to pay.

Good start to the day for me ... not so good for the boss. :)