Allison Hall, right, the leader of Korea's first union for foreign English teachers, speaks during a rally at Seoul Station Square in central Seoul, April 28, 2024. Courtesy of Allison Hall

When Allison Hall from Missouri arrived in Korea in 2020 to teach English to children, she never imagined that, four years later, she would be leading the country's first nationwide union for native English teachers.

Among the experiences that led her to represent Korea's 13,000 language instructors, one of the most significant was her difficulty obtaining a letter of release (LOR), which prevented her from changing jobs.

An LOR requires certain foreign workers to obtain their employer's permission when changing jobs. As of December, there were 470,597 holders of E-type visas, according to the Korea Immigration Service, placing them directly under the influence of this law. Those subject to the regulation include foreign language instructors who typically work under the E-2 visa.

Hall recalled her first experience with an LOR as infuriating, telling The Korea Times that it left her fuming with frustration.

While working at her first language school, she attended a mandatory training session on reporting child abuse. Before watching a video, her manager asked foreign teachers to sign a paper written entirely in Korean, saying it was an attendance sheet.

When the training started, she said the manager quickly fast-forwarded through the video, providing no information on how to report suspected abuse. For Hall, it "felt like a slap in the face," particularly because she had friends who had been victims of domestic abuse.

Allison Hall, the leader of Korea's first union for foreign English teachers, poses for a photo at her home in Seoul, July 22, 2021. Courtesy of Allison Hall

The manager informed her that the sign-in sheet was the official document employers must submit to the government to verify that teachers had received the training. When Hall asked to have her signature removed, her request was denied.

This marked the beginning of what Hall described as a "firestorm."

Despite the challenging circumstances, she could not leave the job independently because her employer had to "release" her first. If she changed jobs without an LOR or lost her job, she would be required to leave the country within 30 days.

In conclusion, Hall said it took her several months of tough negotiations to get an LOR.

"Make no mistake, this was extortion and coercion to get free," she said.

The employer initially refused to provide her with the letter, citing the recruitment, housing and flight costs he had incurred to hire Hall.

"I had to buy my freedom from the employer in 2021 in South Korea. I had to submit fully to his demands and pay him all of my final paycheck plus more ... in order to get free from him," she said.

She also had to present all the documents proving that she would not be working at other academies but would attend a Korean language class instead.

"If I'm not earning him money, then I can't earn anyone money," she recalled.

This experience highlighted the precarious position of foreign English teachers in Korea and fueled her growing involvement in advocating for their rights.

Last May, Hall was elected as the chair of the Native Teachers' Branch within the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the largest labor union in the country.

"My experiences showed me that there's a great need for a labor union to protect the teachers here. I simply could not sit back and see similar things happening to my fellow teachers and say and do nothing about how we are put in danger daily. It impassioned me to help start this union and to take up a leadership position in it," she said.

"That's why I'm not afraid to show my name and face when I speak up about these experiences."

The Korea Times tried to contact Hall's former employer to secure his stance, but the language school was confirmed to have closed down in March 2023 according to the National Tax Service website. Its phone number was no longer in service, and the academy's name was not listed on the Incheon Metropolitan City Office of Education website, which provides information on local language schools.

According to Hall and an employee at a nearby language institute, who noted that she often receives calls from people searching for the school, the manager of the language school passed away in 2023.