Legal Information
Points of law that are worth knowing before a dispute starts.
Bullied at work in Korea as a foreign worker: what can I do?
Korean law bans workplace harassment (직장 내 괴롭힘), and it protects foreign workers in the same way as Korean ones. You can report it to your employer, who must then investigate witho…
Fired in Korea without 30 days' notice: what am I owed?
2026.10.15 · 4 viewsHow is overtime, night and holiday pay calculated in Korea?
2026.10.15 · 4 viewsExchanging a US or UK driver's license in Korea: what do I need?
If you hold an alien registration card and a valid, full license from the United States, the United …
Can my Korean employer fire me while I am being treated for a work injury?
No. While you are off work for treatment of a work injury or illness, and for 30 days after that per…
Average or ordinary wage: which decides my severance and overtime pay?
Korean labor law uses two different "wages" for calculations, and they give different numbers. Your …
Hurt on the way to work in Korea? Is a commuting accident covered?
Yes, in most cases. An accident while commuting (출퇴근 재해) counts as a work accident under Korean indu…
Can my employer keep my passport or alien registration card in Korea?
No. Korean immigration law prohibits anyone from taking a foreigner's passport or alien registration…
What should I check in a Korean standard employment contract before I sign?
Seven things: the employer's identity, the contract period, the job and worksite, how the wage is bu…
Can my employer take dormitory and food costs out of my wages in Korea?
Only within limits, and only if you agreed to it in a way the law accepts. The basic rule is that wa…
How many annual leave days (연차) do I get, and are unused days paid?
After one full year with at least 80 percent attendance you get 15 paid days off, and during your fi…
Why is my departure insurance (출국만기보험) less than my severance?
Because the insurance is filled up month by month from a fixed share of your wage, while severance p…
How is severance pay (퇴직금) calculated in Korea, and can I check it myself?
Severance pay is 30 days of your average wage for every full year you worked, with partial years cou…
A foreign worker died at work in Korea. What can the family claim?
Two claims are open to the family under industrial accident insurance (산재보험), both handled by the in…
My work injury is permanent. What disability benefit can I get?
If a work injury or illness leaves you with a lasting loss of physical or mental function after trea…
Injured at work in Korea: what to do on the very first day
Go to a hospital first, and go today. A work injury (산업재해, usually shortened to 산재) is covered by a …
I was hurt at work in Korea. Who pays the hospital and my wages?
Two separate benefits cover this, and you can claim both. Medical care benefit (요양급여) pays the hospi…
My employer wants a private deal, no insurance claim. Should I agree?
Usually not. What the employer is offering is called gongsang (공상 처리): the company pays the hospital…
How do I file a Comwel work injury claim? Must my employer sign it?
You file it yourself, with the Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service (근로복지공단, Comwel), and no, y…
I have no visa and worked over a year. Am I owed severance pay?
Yes, if two conditions are met: you stayed with one employer for a full year without a break, and yo…
No visa, hurt at work: does industrial accident insurance cover me?
Yes. Industrial accident insurance (산재보험) covers any business with employees, and "worker" there mea…
I worked without a visa. Can I still claim the wages I was not paid?
Yes. Korean labor law looks at one thing: did you do work for an employer in return for pay. It does…
I work on a farm or fishing boat in Korea. Why is there no overtime pay?
Because Korean labor law excludes farming, livestock and fishing from its rules on working hours, re…
What is weekly holiday pay (주휴수당) in Korea, and am I owed it?
If you are scheduled to work at least 15 hours a week and you work every scheduled day, you are owed…
Can I change my workplace on an E-9 visa?
Yes, but only for specific reasons and only a limited number of times. On an E-9 visa you cannot sim…
I'm leaving Korea. Can I still get my unpaid wages?
Yes. Leaving Korea does not cancel what your employer owes you. Wage claims last three years, and a …
My employer can't pay. Can the Korean government pay my wages instead?
Often, yes. Korea has a substitute payment system (대지급금): when an employer does not pay wages or sev…
I filed a wage complaint in Korea. What happens next?
After you file a wage complaint (진정), a labor inspector (근로감독관) at the regional labor office investi…
Can I claim three times my unpaid wages?
In some cases, yes. Under a rule in force since October 2025, a worker can claim up to three times t…
My visa has expired. If I claim my wages, will I be deported?
Short answer: you will not be reported to immigration for filing a complaint about unpaid wages. Thi…