The issues of country loyalty may not be the only problem, AES may be facing.  Andrea Vandom, English teacher, is pending a case in Constitutional Court of Korea - against E-2 Visa regulations, for foreigners.  She wrote a letter, to the web host of AES, proposing they shutdown their website.

Vandom writes:

”Anti-English Spectrum’s Cafe Violates Korean Law and Naver Cafe’s Operating Principles

The Anti-English Spectrum group hosts “promotional posters” that promote racial hatred by calling foreigners “Black pig[s],” and telling the Korean public that foreigners have “AIDS,” engage in “sexual molestation” and are “targeting children.” This group’s highly defamatory statements violate Article Ga-4 (Defamatory Posts) of Naver cafe’s terms of service agreement and rise to the level of violations of the Korean Criminal Code."

Vandom also suggests, that hosting AES is the equivalent to the KKK website being directly hosted by Google.


To date, there have been no government assurances for foreigner's safety, from AES or affiliated vigilante groups. Nor is it known, who originally posted the "How to Molest your Students" - whether it may be a Korean citizen or a Non-Korean citizen.  Adding to these concerns - the affiliated companies, to AES's web host,  has yet to have taken any action.

According to Lee Eun-Eung, he claims appropriate action have been taken by the ESL community members:

"Recently, innocent/good foreigners, who are also being harmed because of some other troublesome foreigners, are submitting reports to our cafe immediately whenever they see a troublesome foreigner, as a part of their efforts for self-purification."

Despite these assurances from AES, foreigners may still wonder why the police haven't reacted to the stalking and harassment (which come from AES, itself).  Perhaps, as AES suggests, it's because foreigners are afraid of having their identity exposed, while subjected to investigation.

As far as the Korean Media's Concern, AES is often credited as a source of information; mainly for 'informative' news on the illegal activities of foreigners.  However, AES can not take direct credit for these news articles, but it seems Lee Eun-Eung can, and has.

The following are some networks that have shown affiliate with AES:

CBS, Olive TV, Mail Economic Daily, No Cut News, Kyunghyjang Daily, Yonhap News, Segye Ilbo, and Chosun Ilbo.

Foreigners are becoming discouraged.  The attitude of the government has also sided with AES.  In 2007, the Korean Government credits the E2 Visa criminal background check changes, to the Citizens' Movement to Expel Illegal Foreign Language Teachers - aka Anti English Spectrum.

English Teachers agree, that Teachers, who work with children should be required of criminal background checks.  However, this does not lessen the concern of the fact that the Korean Government has affiliates with a vigilante group, AES.

New University news also reported many of the current concerns - and appropriately ends their report with this:

AES is not a reflection of Korean culture. Koreans are kind and generous. It is upsetting that a group such as AES could potentially diminish these qualities. - Andrea Vandom.

By: Jyu Young Lee