Im an American working in South Korea. Ive got some problems with my employer, and Im thinking about going elsewhere. I just want to understand my options. In South Korea you get a work visa that lasts 1 year. One of the things that really irks me about South Korea is that if you want to quit your job and get another in SK, then you have to get a letter of release from your 1st employer in order to work legally or you have to leave the country and wait until your 1-year work visa expires before you can reenter. Well, as Im sure you can imagine, there are a lot of employers that dont provide these letters of releases like they should, so the teacher either has to put up with his employers b.s., try to fight the system legally, which is often futile, or pack his bags and leave the country. Is a letter of release required to change jobs in the following countries? Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Turkey, Indonesia, UAE, Oman, other countries in the Middle East, and Germany? Can a teacher just quit a bad employer and start working for a better one? Do you have to leave the country? Basically what I'm asking is what happens if you find out that your employer is a scumbag and you want out? What are your options then?

Also, how common is it to work in these places illegally? How much do you get fined if you get caught working illegally? How long do they prohibit you from reentering the country if you get caught working illegally? Thanks in advance for the help.

P.S. I realize no one will have info on all of these countries. Just post about where you know about. Thanks again.