S&S - Little-known rules govern working off base. Family in South Korea drops modeling due to SOFA.

From my archive of press clippings:

Stars and Stripes

Little-known rules govern working off base

Family in South Korea drops modeling due to SOFA

By Teri Weaver, Stars and Stripes


Pacific edition, Sunday, March 15, 2009

Teri Weaver / S&S
Andrea Stone with her two daughters, Faith, 4, left, and Abby, 9. Last year, Faith began modeling for a South Korean modeling agency; the family decided to stop when they couldn't figure out whether they were violating their visa or whether they needed to pay local taxes.

SEOUL — Last May, a South Korean woman approached Andrea Stone and her three kids on Yongsan Garrison and asked if she’d ever considered letting the children model.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"The offer intrigued the family, and soon the youngest Stone, 4-year-old Faith, was modeling children’s wear for print ads about once a month."

"But as the U.S. tax season drew nearer, Stone and her husband, Staff Sgt. Joe Stone, began to wonder what to do about that South Korean income, which over time amounted to about $1,000.

They had called the legal office on Yongsan to try to learn the rules about children earning money in South Korea. One person said it was fine; a second person said it wasn’t, Andrea Stone remembered. In the end, she thought the whole process must be all right"

&

"(T)he Stones’ experience wasn’t all right, according to an 8-year-old agreement between South Korea and the United States.

The Stones, like all families of servicemembers and Pentagon workers in South Korea, live under the Status of Forces Agreement."

S&S - Army officer’s clan expands twice in South Korea

Stars and Stripes

Army officer’s clan expands twice in South Korea

By Jimmy Norris, Stars and Stripes


Pacific edition, Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Jimmy Norris / S&S


The Berdine family — from left to right in front, Jessica, Elizabeth, D.J. and, left to right in back, Dan and Danny — get together at the Town House food court at Yongsan Garrison, South Korea. The family is still in the process of adopting Danny. When completed, he will be the second son they’ve adopted from the Hwa Sung Babies Home, an orphanage in Seoul.

SEOUL — Like many expectant mothers, Elizabeth Berdine is eager to welcome the newest official member of her family. But she isn’t waiting to go into labor; she’s waiting for a judge’s permission.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"South Korea changed its adoption laws in an effort to rid the country of a reputation as a market for foreign adoptions.

Since 1958, two-thirds of those adoptions have been to U.S. parents. The article said South Korea hopes to end foreign adoption altogether by 2012.

The government is trying to increase local adoptions by allowing single South Koreans to qualify, as well as older people up to age 60."