stairway and hedges

One of the first things I had to do when I got to Korea all smelly and disheveled on the morning of June 29th after the overnight flight from Kuala Lumpur was to go to Eastern Social Welfare Society, the social agency that handled my adoption (as well as tens of thousands of others'), to get copies of my adoption documents for my visa application. As a former citizen of Korea, I was eligible for a class of visa created about 10 years ago designated the F-4, which essentially accords me all of the employment rights and benefits (in terms of national health care coverage, tax rates, and pension plans) of a Korean citizen. It's a step up from the standard E-2 work visa for foreigners, whose validity is also tied to you remaining employed by the company who sponsors your application; if you change companies, you have to make a visa run to a Korean consulate in another country to reapply (in person) for another E-2 with your new employer. My F-4 is good for two years, no questions asked, regardless of employment status. Nifty!

Oh yeah, this picture is of Eastern's building. (I knew there was a reason I went off on that tangent!)