Under the system, foreigners will be asked to place their application token on a color or number depending on the type of application. This will determine the success of their application and then their length of stay. “It’s a much fairer system,” said 58-year-old Kim, the Chief Immigration Officer, “because it’s equal for everyone and carries no individual bias.” Because the same manufacturer will supply all the immigration offices, it should also eliminate what foreigners have classed as ‘different judgments’, especially at the Mokdong Immigration Office in Seoul which has long been cited as being much harsher than the office in the next district.
There may still be some teething problems to resolve however. In a trial last month some foreigners who were processed under the new system claim they saw their immigration officer press a button under the table to tilt the wheel against them.
