18 COMMUNITY TUESDAY JANUARY 26, 2010

One year later, ATEK

struggles for recognition
By Rob York
When the Association for Teachers of
English in Korea launched late last win-
ter, it was aiming high with its objectives.
Perhaps a little too high.
In particular, the group’s first commu-
nications director, Tony Hellmann, spoke
of equal background checks for all teach-
ers — Korean or foreign — and visa
portability allowing expat teachers to
own their own visas rather than needing
to have them renewed whenever switch-
ing jobs.
There were problems with this ap-
proach: Greg Dolezal, who joined the or-
ganization in the spring, recalls a lot of
“internal debate” over it. Things were no
better externally, as support for ATEK
was far from unanimous among expats.
Then, Hellmann became the focal
point for criticism when his personal life
and career were scrutinized. He departed
the organization in April, only a couple of
months after announcing its foundation.
Dolezal, who took his place as commu-
nications director, said that the other
members of the founding board — acting
president Tom Rainey-Smith and vice
president Jason Thomas — also came un-
der personal attacks during the summer.
With ATEK’s first popular elections com-
ing up that September, Rainey-Smith
and Thomas chose to step down and al-
low the organization to start over.
Rainey-Smith is no longer teaching,
but remains an associate member of the
organization, while Thomas is no longer
in Korea.
The election results, Dolezal became
the group’s first president chosen by its
members, after which the organization
decided to change focus. No longer prior-
itizing a legal change, Dolezal’s hopes for
his one-year presidential term have been
concerned with matters such as combat-
ing the negative portrayals of expat
teachers, creating a more positive image
of them and strengthening the organiza-
tion from within.
Allegations of discrimination
“The same frame gets used over and
over to describe us,” Dolezal said of how
the Korean media depicts expat teachers.
“The reporter finds a way to sneak in
(that) we are drug-addicted, disease-rid-
den sex addicts who have no productive
aims in the community.”
In particular, there are reports that
Korea is currently in the midst of a for-
eign crime wave.
“If you look at the percentage of crimes
that are committed by foreigners, it’s ac-
tually dropping with the population rise,”
Dolezal said. “It’s very easy to show a sta-
tistic that there are more arrests than
there were 10 years ago.”
Dolezal began the process of filing a
complaint with the Korean Press Ethics
Commission in the summer, based on
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mon penalty is a fine, Lee said.
ATEK also filed a complaint with the
National Human Rights Commission of
Korea in December regarding the activi-
ties of the online cafe Anti-English
Spectrum and their host, the online por-
tal Naver. AES’s stated objective is to un-
cover foreign teachers involved in crimi-
nal activity, but many expats call AES a
racist organization that stalks expats.
On Jan. 20, however, the Rights
Commission declined to get involved,
stating that, as the Gimhae Police
Department was investigating the com-
plaint, they would take a “hands-off” ap-
proach to matters being handled by other
government agencies.
However, ATEK promptly refiled, stat-
ing that the Gimhae Police Department
prematurely ceased their investigation.
Aside from that filing, Dolezal stated
that he will not pursue any further action
against AES, whose efforts have been ap-
plauded by many in Korean society, and
even by the police themselves.
“I can’t focus my entire life on fighting
But perhaps the
biggest problems
A TEK faces come
from within.
T he organization’s
national council is
meant to seat 64
representatives —
four each from the 16
P M A s.
Currently,though,
the group fallsfar
shortof that : T here
w ere onlyfive PMAs
active as of last week
— one eachfor
G yeonggi Province,
Seoul, Busan, South
renting buildings for hagwon business,”
the representative said.
On KAFLA’s website
(http://www.kafla.or.kr/), the organiza-
tion’s listed goals include “dealing with
the payment of the foreign teachers.”
However, they feel that this can be ac-
complished without working with a
teacher’s group.
“For that matter, it isn’t necessary for
us to discuss with ATEK because we have
many personnel on our team who have
professional knowledge and experience
from abroad that can handle those kind
of issues,” the KAFLA representative
said.
Dolezal said that KAFLA’s opinion re-
garding negotiations with teachers orga-
nizations had left him “speechless.”
“I find that to be a very limited point of
view,” he said. “Happy, well-trained
teachers are going to be better teachers.”
In his responses, the KAFLA represen-
tative indicated that ATEK’s previous ob-
jectives may not have been helpful.
“We understand that the foreign teach-
Jan. 25 — weekly winner — Near Wonju, a farmer walks through his field. Kyle Burton
ers’ group is not mature yet. I assume
that their organization may be wanting
to deal with the laws.”
Internal growth
But perhaps the biggest problems
ATEK faces come from within. The orga-
nization’s national council is meant to
seat 64 representatives — four each from
the 16 PMAs (Provincial and
Metropolitan Associations) ATEK had
planned. Within each PMA the group
was to have one representative each for
the public school teachers, the hagwon
teachers, those in adult education and
resident visa holders.
Currently, though, the group falls far
short of that: There were only five PMAs
active as of last week — one each for
Gyeonggi Province, Seoul, Busan, South
Gyeongsang Province and Gangwon
Province. The national council had only
16 members.
In order for the local association to be-
come official, it must have three mem-
bers, one of whom must be a national
representative and another of whom
must be a local leader. A major problem is
organization; for example, Dolezal said
the organization recently discovered that
there are 15 general members on Jeju
Island who “don’t know each other, so no
PMA.”
Dolezal said he hopes that these orga-
nizational problems will be solved
through the presence of the group’s new Jan. 18 — weekly winner — Lee Smathers’ photo Jan. 11 - weekly winner — Gyeongbok Palace af-
membership director, Russell Bernstein. titled “Cold” ter a heavy snowfall Aaron Raisey
Previously serving as head of Seoul’s
PMA, Bernstein has instituted a new
procedure for identifying new members,
and he will be the member most knowl-
edgeable about the group’s actual rolls.

several news reports in the local media
containing allegedly biased reporting de-
picting foreign teachers harshly. The
group had believed it sufficient to mail a
hard copy of the complaint to the KPEC’s
headquarters in Seoul.
Months later, after receiving no re-
sponse from the commission, they
learned that the procedure is more com-
plicated. After a one-month process, dur-
ing which more alleged instances of bi-
ased reporting were added, ATEK com-
munications director Dann Gaymer filed
the complaint Jan. 20, as well as one with
the Korean Press Arbitration Committee.
Should neither press organization de-
liver the type of response ATEK is look-
ing for, there is the option of filing a legal
suit. However, the odds of that tactic suc-
ceeding appear long.
Under the Korean media-related law, a
Korean media outlet threatened with a
lawsuit is exempted from a lawsuit if it
proves a) that their reporting was done in
the public interest, and b) was not writ-
ten for the purpose of defaming the plain-
tiff’s reputation, said Seoul-based attor-
ney Lee Chang-hyun.
Even when legal action is threatened
against a media organization, Lee said
that the vast majority of such threats are
never taken to court.
To prevent legal action, the publication
or broadcaster may choose to modify
some facts, and this may also be what the
accuser is seeking.
Should they file a complaint with
Korean Press Ethics Commission and
not obtain the verdict they desire, they
have the option of pursuing a lawsuit.
The process of filing a lawsuit involves
going through the police or the prosecu-
tion, which is followed by an investiga-
tion.
In the course of the investigation
process, a little more than half of suits
are dropped, Lee said.
Even among those cases that do go to
court, most of them do not end with the
verdict the plaintiff wants. Still, Lee said
that the possibility of a legal suit does re-
quire very thorough legal preparation by
the media outlet itself, and they often set-
tle with the plaintiffs in the process.
When a court does find that the defen-
dant has libeled the target, the most com-
G yeongsang Province
and Gangwon
Province.T he
national council had
only 16 members.
anti-English Spectrum,” he said. “The
Anti-English Spectrum site says they
won (the dispute). In some sense they’re
right. If I’m the only one who is fighting
this battle they’ll win every time.”
Instead, Dolezal said he plans to pur-
sue more practical means of helping
English teachers.
No negotiations
An obstacle ATEK faces in helping its
1,000-member constituency is found in
the Korean institutions it seeks to work
with. In particular, ATEK lacks negotiat-
ing partners among employers of foreign
teachers, such as the Korean government
or those who own schools.
“(This) means that any change we hope
to accomplish regarding our contracts
and the quality of life for teachers is go-
ing to be slower,” Dolezal said. “I think
that the government not recognizing us
is really a sign of their unwillingness to
deal with foreigners.”
When asked why they would not meet
with ATEK for negotiations, a represen-
tative from the Korean Association for
Foreign Language Academies said that
the association has no stance regarding
the teacher’s association.
“We are an organization consisting of
the CEOs of language academies, like
hagwon,” said the representative, who
asked not to be identified. “We are not an
organization of ‘teachers,’ or ‘lecturers.’
They may organize themselves to do
their own business.”
The KAFLA rep said that issues such
as teaching quality were under the re-
sponsibility of the individual hagwon and
were not discussed at KAFLA meetings.
“Our main discussions are issues such
as managing and establishing hagwon
institutions in Korea, how to deal with
the laws related to hagwon business, and
Practical work
But the area where Dolezal feels ATEK
can make the most progress is in doing
some good works in the community. “If
we have just practical solutions we will
be successful as a teacher’s organization
whether the government recognizes us or
not,” Dolezal said.
On that front, the group recently
scored a major victory when its Seoul
chapter announced a partnership with
the hagwon chain ChungDahm Learning
to provide more opportunities for teach-
ers to volunteer.
In September, ChungDahm launched
its Nanum (“Sharing”) Campaign, a cor-
porate responsibility program that gives
its teachers the opportunity to volunteers
as teachers and mentors for the Ten
Children Centers, a home for underprivi-
leged children.
Through the Nanum Campaign, the
volunteers help at eight children’s cen-
ters, committing one hour per week to
providing English education and cultural
exchange. Teachers are expected to make
a three-month commitment to the volun-
teer activities
Bernstein, who was heading the Seoul
PMA when the deal was announced, said
the agreement allows members of the as-
sociation that are not ChungDahm
teachers to take part in the Nanum
Campaign and help at Ten Children
Centers.
“This is going to really open the doors
for a lot of teachers,” he said. “This is one
small step towards a lot of things that are
going to be really great for our members.”
“This hopefully will encourage other
large employers to partner with us in a
similar manner.”
Also, while it isn’t a service they offer
themselves, ATEK is encouraging its
members to sign on for legal insurance
from the KangNam Labor Law Firm for
20,000 won a month.
“If a teacher has a labor-related issue
it’s like having this law firm on retainer,”
Dolezal said.
While it may not be easy for a Seoul-
based law firm to help teachers in labor
disputes across Korea, the ATEK presi-
dent called the service a good start.
“ATEK’s hope is that other law firms
(nationwide) will get this idea,” he said.
(rjamesyork@heraldm.com)
Be at the right place,
at the right time
The Photo Challenge is sponsored by Hyosung
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www.flickr.com/groupsseoulphotoclub — Ed.
By Mario Taradan
JEJU — This is probably the most basic, but
also most fundamental advice one can give re-
garding landscape photography. When going about
taking photographs of Jeju’s landscapes I find this
mantra far more rele-
vant than whether my
lens aperture opens up to
f/1.4. There’s a rather
popular saying among
photographers: “f/8 and
be there,” meaning that
it’s more important to be at the scene you want to
capture than to worry about the minor technical
details. This is certainly a worthy rule to follow,
but as a landscape photographer do yourself a fa-
vor and stop down to f/11 or f/16 in order to in-
crease the depth of field of your scene.
People often think that landscape photography
is somehow difficult and that it requires expensive
equipment. It is not and it does not. It is actually
rather simple, if one is not there when the light
does its magic, it matters not what kind of gear is
involved, one simply will not get the shot. Of
course, a decent SLR with a filter or two certainly
helps, but it’s not a prerequisite. In fact, the lighter
your gear, the easier and faster it is to be at that
right place.
The other couple of requirements are time and
patience, because the conditions may not be ideal
the first time for that five star photo one wants to
capture. Many times I have hiked an “oreum” — a
volcanic crater — without any particularly mean-
ingful results, but whenever nature does put on
that special light show and I’m there, ready to cap-
ture the spectacle, it’s a mighty satisfying experi-
ence.
Of course the question does come to mind: where
is the right place and when is the right time?
Realistically, the right place depends on where
you are and what’s on offer. As a Jeju Island resi-
dent, I’m quite lucky, having access to hundreds of
oreums with many opportunities for all sorts of
landscape photography. If you reside in a city, a
trip to a nearby national park is always a good
place to start at for some instant landscapes. This
is not as difficult as it sounds, even in Seoul.
National and provincial parks are quite abundant
in Korea, as they should be in a country which is
geographically 70 percent mountains. However, do
scout around where you live. There is often some
local scenery one can usually take advantage of. A
landscape photo does not always have to be a
grand sweeping vista.
“The right time” does vary from photographer to
photographer, but ideally it is not the harshly lit
mid-day. For many, it is the golden hours of dawn
and dusk that are the most appealing. This is
when the light is the most magical in the way it
bathes the environment, creating all kinds of sat-
urated colours, textures and shadow play. The
weather also has a large impact on the sense of
drama within an image, so it’s wise to work with
it, instead of waiting for that perfectly sunny day.
Go out during those times when it’s dark and over-
cast with foreboding moods, or when the sun’s rays
pierce the storm clouds, making scenes of inspira-
tion. You’re bound to get wet at some point, but it’s
nothing a rain jacket can’t handle.
Some additional tips to consider: Use a tripod.
Your images will always be sharper than if you
rely on your hands. Also, keep the horizon straight
as you capture the photo. It’s easier than having to
deal with it in post production, where an extreme-
ly crooked horizon can cost you precious resolu-
tion. Take advantage of the rule of thirds and
break it when appropriate.
If you’re presented with an amazing sky, push
the horizon closer to the bottom of the frame. If the
foreground is more interesting, move the horizon
nearer to the top of the frame. In general, always
pay attention to the sky and what it’s doing and
how you can make it interact with the rest of the
scene. Lastly, do try to change your point of view.
Don’t get stuck on one particular angle that every-
one takes a shot from. Explore the surroundings a
little and you may walk away with something re-
ally unique.
(raisey@hanmail.net)