the F-4 phantom visa

Along with eating dog meat at some point in the very near future (cf. one of my very early posts, waaaaaaay down the blog or in the blog archive), I'm trying to apply for an F-4 visa, which is available to people of Korean heritage. Unbeknownst to me (but thanks to the power of mighty Google, which led me to this site), the South Korean government has apparently deemed this visa unconstitutional, and is preparing to do something about it. Applicants are, in the meantime, being urged to apply as soon as possible to receive this visa's benefits, which include (1) the ability to work and study at one's leisure, without specific sponsorship from a company, language institute (hagwon), or university; (2) the ability to start up one's own business; and (3) a two-year validity period before renewal is needed.

Item (3) is the kicker for me. Two years of near-total freedom on the peninsula, without fear of being nabbed for illegal activity (always a possiblity, since I'm currently on a tourist visa), is golden. Many visas are valid for only one year, and it's a real pain in the ass to go to the Seoul Immigration Office to fuss over paperwork.

Anyway, wish me luck. My folks have sent me some of the crucial docs I need to get the F-4; I need a few more docs, some of which I'll be obtaining from relatives here in Seoul, but perhaps, in a few weeks, I'll have my visa... and FREEDOM.
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