Quick links: HiKorea visa portal · KOWORK job platform · Ministry of Employment & Labor · Labor Rights Hotline: 1350 (multilingual) · Immigration: 1345
Table of Contents
- Can You Work in Korea? The Visa-First Rule
- Work Visa Types โ Full Overview
- How to Get a Work Visa: The Step-by-Step Process
- Teaching English in Korea: EPIK, GEPIK & Hagwons
- Finding a Job: Platforms & Job Fairs
- Korean Resumes (์ด๋ ฅ์) & Self-Introduction (์๊ธฐ์๊ฐ์)
- Korean Labor Law: Your Rights as a Foreign Worker
- Minimum Wage, Overtime & Pay
- Severance Pay (ํด์ง๊ธ)
- Social Insurance: The Four Mandatory Programmes
- Changing Jobs on an E-Series Visa
- Freelancing & Self-Employment in Korea
- Workplace Culture in Korea
- If Things Go Wrong: Filing a Labor Complaint
- Glossary of Korean Employment Terms
1. Can You Work in Korea? The Visa-First Rule
Korea strictly ties the right to work to your visa status. You may only perform employment activities explicitly permitted by your current visa category. There is no "grace period" for starting work while waiting for paperwork, and working outside the scope of your visa โ even briefly โ is an immigration violation that can result in deportation and re-entry bans.
Key principle: Your visa comes first. Every other step โ job offer, contract, salary โ follows from having the correct visa category.
Who Can Work Without a Separate Work Visa?
Some visa holders already have broad employment rights:
| Visa | Employment Rights |
|---|---|
| F-2 (Long-term resident) | Any legal job, any employer |
| F-4 (Overseas Korean) | Any legal job except certain restricted occupations |
| F-5 (Permanent resident) | Any legal job |
| F-6 (Marriage migrant) | Any legal job |
| H-1 (Working holiday) | Part-time work up to 25 hours/week in permitted industries |
If you hold an E-series work visa, you may only work for the employer and in the job category listed on your visa. Changing employers requires immigration approval.
2. Work Visa Types โ Full Overview
E-Series: Professional Work Visas
These are the primary work visas for professionals. All require employer sponsorship.
| Visa | Name | Who It's For | Key Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-1 | Professor | University-level teaching and research | Contract with an accredited higher education institution |
| E-2 | Foreign Language Instructor | Native English (and other language) teachers at schools, hagwons, universities | Bachelor's degree; clean criminal record; health check; contract with licensed institution |
| E-3 | Researcher | Scientists and researchers at government or private research institutes | Employment contract with a qualifying research institution |
| E-4 | Technical Instructor | Foreign technicians transferring skills to Korean workers | Technical expertise; employer sponsorship |
| E-5 | Professional | Licensed professionals (lawyers, engineers, accountants, doctors with Korean recognition) | Relevant professional licence or degree |
| E-6 | Arts & Entertainment | Performers, athletes, artists engaged commercially (concerts, sports, etc.) | Contract with a Korean organiser or sponsor |
| E-7 | Special Ability (Designated Activities) | Skilled professionals in roles designated by the Ministry of Justice โ 67 professional, 10 semi-professional, 10 skilled labour, and 3 tradesperson occupations | Relevant degree or experience; employer sponsorship; role must be on the approved occupation list |
| E-9 | Non-professional Employment | Manufacturing, agriculture, fisheries, construction under the Employment Permit System (EPS) | Only available through the EPS programme from designated countries |
E-7 Visa โ The Most Important for Skilled Professionals
The E-7 is the broadest professional work visa and the most commonly used by foreigners working in Korean companies outside of teaching. It covers four sub-categories:
- E-7-1: Managers and professionals (67 occupations โ IT, finance, engineering, design, marketing, etc.)
- E-7-2: Office and service workers (10 occupations)
- E-7-3: Craft and related skilled workers (10 occupations)
- E-7-4: Skilled tradespersons (points-based system for former E-9/H-2 workers)
General requirements for E-7-1:
- Master's degree or higher in a related field, or
- Bachelor's degree plus 1+ year of relevant experience, or
- 5+ years of relevant professional experience (no degree required)
- Employer in Korea must demonstrate the role cannot be easily filled by a Korean national for some categories
Tip: If your annual remuneration exceeds 3x Korea's GNI per capita (approximately โฉ135M+), most education and experience requirements can be waived.
D-10: Job Seeker Visa
For graduates of Korean universities (or eligible overseas universities) searching for employment in Korea. Valid for 6 months; can be used to stay legally while job hunting. D-10 holders cannot work freely but may do approved internships during the search period. Once you secure an offer, you convert to the appropriate E-series visa.
3. How to Get a Work Visa: The Step-by-Step Process
Most E-series work visas follow this process. It is largely employer-driven โ your Korean employer initiates the process.
Step 1: Secure a Job Offer
Your Korean employer (or an authorized immigration agent) must be willing to sponsor your visa. Confirm your offer letter before beginning any immigration steps.
Step 2: Employer Applies for a CCVI
The employer applies for a Certificate of Confirmation of Visa Issuance (CCVI) at the local Korea Immigration Service office. They submit:
- Business registration certificate
- Tax payment certificates
- Financial statements
- Job description and salary confirmation
- Your qualifications (degree certificates, experience letters)
- Your passport copy and photo
This takes approximately 2โ4 weeks.
Step 3: You Apply for the Visa Abroad
Once the CCVI is approved, the employer sends you the confirmation number. You then apply for the actual visa at the Korean embassy or consulate in your home country with:
- Completed visa application form
- Passport (6+ months validity)
- Passport photo
- CCVI confirmation number
- Degree and qualification certificates (apostilled if required)
- Criminal background check
- Health examination (required for E-2 and some other categories)
- Employment contract
Processing time: 5โ10 business days at the embassy, after CCVI approval.
Step 4: Arrive and Register
After arriving in Korea, you must:
- Apply for your ARC (Residence Card) within 90 days at the immigration office
- E-2 holders must complete a medical exam (HIV, tuberculosis) at a designated hospital within 90 days
- Register your address with immigration within 14 days of moving in
Total Timeline
From job offer to legal work authorization: typically 5โ10 weeks, depending on the visa type, documentation completeness, and immigration office caseload.
4. Teaching English in Korea: EPIK, GEPIK & Hagwons
Teaching English is the most common path for native English speakers to work in Korea. There are two main sectors: government programmes and private academies.
Government Programmes
EPIK (English Programme in Korea)
Run by the Ministry of Education. Places approximately 3,000 teachers in public schools across Korea annually.
- Salary: โฉ1,800,000โโฉ2,650,000/month depending on qualifications and experience
- Benefits: round-trip airfare, housing allowance (or provided housing), national health insurance, national pension, severance pay
- Contract: 1 year, renewable
- Requirements: Citizen of Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, United Kingdom, or United States; bachelor's degree from the same country; clean criminal record; no TEFL required but recommended
- Apply at: epik.go.kr
GEPIK (Gyeonggi English Programme in Korea)
Covers public schools in Gyeonggi Province (surrounding Seoul). Similar benefits to EPIK; approximately 1,000 teachers placed annually.
SMOE (Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education)
The Seoul-specific equivalent of EPIK, for public schools within Seoul. Often more competitive due to location.
TaLK (Teach and Learn in Korea)
For recent graduates (not yet completed a 4-year degree or within 2 years of graduation) to teach in rural elementary schools. 15 hours/week teaching; lighter workload; includes housing and stipend.
Private Academies (Hagwons, ํ์)
Hagwons are private education institutes (language, math, art, etc.). They employ the largest number of foreign English teachers in Korea.
Pros of hagwons:
- More positions available, faster hiring
- Often pay more than government programmes (experienced teachers can earn โฉ2,500,000โโฉ3,500,000/month)
- More variety in location and hours
Cons of hagwons:
- Evening and weekend hours are common
- Quality varies enormously โ research the school before signing
- Some unscrupulous hagwons have a history of contract disputes
Before signing a hagwon contract:
- Research the school on Dave's ESL Cafe Korea Job Board and expat forums
- Verify the school is a properly registered hagwon (ํ์ ๋ฑ๋ก์ฆ) โ only officially registered academies can legally sponsor an E-2 visa
- Confirm housing assistance, round-trip airfare, and severance are included in writing
- Check that the school's visa sponsorship record is clean โ ask specifically about previous teachers
E-2 Visa Requirements
For all English teaching positions:
- Bachelor's degree (any field) from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, UK, or USA โ degree must be from the same country as citizenship
- Clean national-level criminal background check (FBI for US citizens; must be apostilled)
- Medical examination including HIV and tuberculosis tests (done at a designated Korean hospital within 90 days of arrival)
- Valid employment contract with a licensed institution
5. Finding a Job: Platforms & Job Fairs
Foreigner-Focused Job Platforms
| Platform | URL | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| KOWORK | kowork.kr/en | E-7 professional roles; visa-sponsored positions |
| KLiK | App (multilingual, 28 languages) | AI-matched jobs by visa type; marks E-7-friendly employers |
| XpatJobs | xpatjobs.com | English-language listings; teaching, remote, contract |
| linkedin.com | Global companies in Korea; English-heavy roles | |
| Craigslist Seoul | seoul.craigslist.org | Private tutoring, freelance, community roles |
| Dave's ESL Cafe | eslcafe.com/jobs/korea | Teaching positions; employer reviews |
| Gone2Korea | gone2korea.com | Teaching recruitment agency |
Korean Job Platforms (Korean-Language)
| Platform | Notes |
|---|---|
| Saramin (์ฌ๋์ธ) | saramin.co.kr โ Korea's largest job portal; mostly Korean |
| JobKorea (์ก์ฝ๋ฆฌ์) | jobkorea.co.kr โ another major Korean platform |
| Incruit | incruit.com |
| Worknet | work.go.kr โ run by MOEL; includes public sector roles |
| Wanted | wanted.co.kr โ startup and tech-heavy listings |
| Albamon / Alba Heaven | Part-time and hourly work; Korean-only |
Tip: Even if a platform is primarily Korean, many international companies post English-language listings on Korean platforms. Use Google Translate or Papago to navigate if needed.
Government Job Fairs
The Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) regularly holds foreign worker job fairs in Seoul and other cities. These bring together Korean companies actively seeking foreign employees โ particularly for E-7 roles. Check work.go.kr or the Seoul Global Center for upcoming fair schedules.
Networking
Korean hiring culture places significant weight on personal introductions (์ธ๋งฅ). Being introduced to a company through a mutual contact carries more weight than a cold application. Join expat professional networks, industry meetups (Meetup.com, Internations), and LinkedIn groups for your sector in Korea.
6. Korean Resumes (์ด๋ ฅ์) & Self-Introduction (์๊ธฐ์๊ฐ์)
The Korean Resume (์ด๋ ฅ์)
The Korean resume format differs from Western CVs in several key ways.
Standard sections:
- Personal information (์ธ์ ์ฌํญ): Full name, date of birth, nationality, contact number, email, current address. Including a professional photo is standard practice for Korean companies (not required for international companies in Korea).
- Education (ํ๋ ฅ): Listed chronologically from earliest to most recent. Include elementary, middle, and high school as well as university. State degree, institution name, graduation year, and GPA if strong.
- Work experience (๊ฒฝ๋ ฅ): Job title and employer only (brief). Reverse chronological order for most formats; chronological for the traditional Korean style.
- Language skills (์ดํ): List any language certifications (TOPIK score, TOEIC score, IELTS, etc.) along with self-assessed level (native / advanced / intermediate / beginner).
- Certificates & licences (์๊ฒฉ์ฆ): Any professional certifications, including the issuing body.
- Military service (๋ณ์ญ): Required for Korean men; foreigners write N/A or leave blank.
For Korean companies (๋๊ธฐ์ , ์ค๊ฒฌ๊ธฐ์ ): Submit in Korean where possible. Have a native Korean speaker proofread โ machine translation reads as unprofessional. Many large Korean companies use a standardized online application system rather than a PDF resume.
For international companies and startups in Korea: English is generally accepted. A bilingual version (English section headings with some Korean content) can demonstrate cultural awareness.
The Self-Introduction Letter (์๊ธฐ์๊ฐ์)
Most Korean companies โ particularly large conglomerates and public institutions โ require a ์๊ธฐ์๊ฐ์ alongside the resume. This is not a Western-style cover letter. It is a structured personal essay, typically divided into 4 sections:
- Growth background (์ฑ์ฅ ๊ณผ์ ): Your upbringing and formative experiences
- Personality strengths and weaknesses (์ฑ๊ฒฉ์ ์ฅ๋จ์ ): Self-aware, specific examples
- Reason for applying (์ง์ ๋๊ธฐ): Why this company and this role specifically
- Future goals (์ ์ฌ ํ ํฌ๋ถ): What you plan to contribute
Format: Use formal Korean (๊ฒฉ์์ฒด, ending in -์ต๋๋ค, never -์). Quantify achievements ("increased sales by 15%," not "worked on sales"). Length: 400โ800 characters per section, depending on company guidelines.
For international companies, a standard English cover letter is usually appropriate.
What Korean Recruiters Look For
According to a 2025 KOWORK survey, 7 out of 10 Korean companies are currently hiring or planning to hire foreign employees. When evaluating foreign candidates, Korean companies commonly prioritize:
- Korean language ability (TOPIK Level 3+ is a practical threshold for most roles)
- Relevant degree and verifiable experience
- Demonstrated commitment to staying in Korea long-term
- Cultural understanding and adaptability
7. Korean Labor Law: Your Rights as a Foreign Worker
Korea's Labor Standards Act (๊ทผ๋ก๊ธฐ์ค๋ฒ) applies to all workers in Korea regardless of nationality, visa type, or immigration status. Foreign workers have the same statutory protections as Korean employees. Even undocumented workers are entitled to certain basic labour rights including severance pay.
Written Employment Contract โ Mandatory
All employers must provide a written employment contract before work begins. The contract must clearly state:
- Job duties and description
- Work location
- Salary and payment schedule
- Working hours and break times
- Paid leave entitlements
- Notice period for termination
- Severance pay terms
If your employer refuses to provide a written contract, this is a violation of the Labor Standards Act. You can file a complaint with the Ministry of Employment and Labor (see Section 14).
Working Hours
| Category | Legal Standard |
|---|---|
| Standard workweek | 40 hours (8 hours/day, 5 days/week) |
| Maximum overtime per week | 12 additional hours |
| Maximum workweek | 52 hours total |
| Rest between shifts | Minimum 11 consecutive hours |
| Break (4-hour shift) | Minimum 30 minutes |
| Break (8-hour shift) | Minimum 1 hour |
Night work (10 PMโ6 AM) and holiday work require additional compensation.
Annual Leave (์ฐ์ฐจ)
| Service Duration | Annual Leave Entitlement |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 1 day per month worked (maximum 11 days) |
| 1 year | 15 days |
| 3 years+ | 16 days (increases by 1 day every 2 additional years) |
| Maximum | 25 days |
Unused annual leave can generally be carried over or must be compensated in cash upon termination.
Other Leave
- Maternity leave: 90 days (120 days for multiple births); the first 60 days are paid by the employer, the remainder through Employment Insurance
- Paternity leave: 20 working days (expanded from 10 days as of February 2025), paid
- Parental childcare leave: Up to 1 year per parent (extendable to 1.5 years in certain cases); paid through Employment Insurance
- Sick leave: No statutory paid sick leave requirement in Korea (this is negotiated in individual contracts)
8. Minimum Wage, Overtime & Pay
Minimum Wage 2026
โฉ10,320 per hour โ applicable to all workers regardless of nationality, employment type, or industry.
This translates to approximately:
- โฉ2,156,880 per month (based on 209 hours: 40-hour week + 8 hours paid weekly holiday hours)
- โฉ25,882,560 per year (based on 40-hour workweek)
The minimum wage is reviewed annually by the Minimum Wage Commission and typically takes effect from January 1st. Check the current rate before any contract negotiation.
Overtime Pay
Overtime is any work beyond 40 hours per week (with employee consent, up to 12 additional hours).
| Type of Work | Rate |
|---|---|
| Overtime (beyond 40 hrs/week) | 150% of regular hourly wage |
| Night work (10 PM โ 6 AM) | 150% of regular hourly wage |
| Holiday/rest day work | 150% of regular hourly wage (+ additional if over 8 hours) |
Night work and overtime rates can stack. An employee working overtime at night is entitled to 200% of their regular wage.
Reading Your Payslip
Korean payslips (๊ธ์ฌ๋ช ์ธ์) are legally required to be issued to all employees. They are typically in Korean. Key line items:
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| ๊ธฐ๋ณธ๊ธ | Base salary |
| ์๊ฐ์ธ์๋น | Overtime pay |
| ์๋ | Meal allowance |
| ๊ตํต๋น | Transportation allowance |
| ๊ตญ๋ฏผ์ฐ๊ธ | National Pension deduction |
| ๊ฑด๊ฐ๋ณดํ | Health Insurance deduction |
| ๊ณ ์ฉ๋ณดํ | Employment Insurance deduction |
| ์๋์ธ | Income tax |
| ์ง๋ฐฉ์๋์ธ | Local income tax |
| ์ค์๋ น์ก | Net take-home pay |
Request a bilingual payslip from your employer if you cannot read Korean โ some larger and international companies provide these.
9. Severance Pay (ํด์ง๊ธ)
Korea's severance pay system is one of the most employee-friendly in Asia and often surprises new arrivals.
All employees who have worked for 1 year or more are entitled to severance pay, regardless of whether they resigned, were laid off, or were dismissed for cause. This applies to foreign workers on all visa types.
How Severance is Calculated
Severance = (Average daily wage) x 30 days x (years of service)
Where average daily wage = total wages earned in the last 3 months / 90 days.
Critically, "total wages" includes not just base salary but also all regular overtime pay, fixed allowances, and regular bonuses paid during those 3 months. Employers cannot calculate severance using base salary alone.
Example: An employee worked for 2 years with an average monthly income (base + overtime + fixed allowances) of โฉ3,000,000.
- Average daily wage: (โฉ3,000,000 x 3) / 90 = โฉ100,000
- Severance: โฉ100,000 x 30 x 2 = โฉ6,000,000
Payment Timeline
Severance must be paid within 14 days of termination. Late payment without a legitimate reason is a violation; from October 2025, employees can claim up to triple damages for deliberate wage delays.
DC Pension System
Some employers use the Defined Contribution (DC) pension system instead of accruing severance internally. Under this system, the employer deposits 1/12 of annual income (8.33%) into an individual pension account each year. At termination, the employee withdraws the total balance. Check your contract to understand which system your employer uses.
10. Social Insurance: The Four Mandatory Programmes
All employees working in Korea โ including foreigners โ must be enrolled in Korea's four major social insurance programmes. Both you and your employer pay contributions.
| Insurance | Korean | Purpose | Employee Rate (2025) | Employer Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Pension (NP) | ๊ตญ๋ฏผ์ฐ๊ธ | Retirement benefits | 4.5% of gross salary | 4.5% |
| National Health Insurance (NHI) | ๊ฑด๊ฐ๋ณดํ | Medical coverage | ~3.595% of gross salary | ~3.595% |
| Employment Insurance (EI) | ๊ณ ์ฉ๋ณดํ | Unemployment benefits, parental leave | 0.9% | 0.9โ1.85% |
| Workers' Compensation | ์ฐ์ฌ๋ณดํ | Work injury coverage | 0% (employee-free) | Varies by industry |
Notes for foreigners:
- National Pension: Korea has totalization agreements with 41 countries as of 2025 โ if your home country is on the list, you may be able to avoid dual contributions. Check with your Korean pension office (NPS, 1355).
- Health Insurance: From July 2021, foreigners who have been resident for 6 months or more are automatically enrolled in National Health Insurance. You cannot opt out (with limited exceptions for F-visa holders).
- Employment Insurance: Mandatory for most foreigners. F-visa holders (F-1, F-2, F-5, F-6) can choose to opt out.
11. Changing Jobs on an E-Series Visa
E-series visas (E-1 through E-7) are employer-specific. Your visa lists your employer and job category. You cannot simply start working for a different employer without immigration approval.
Process for Changing Employers
- Secure a new job offer with a new employer
- Your new employer applies for a new CCVI at the immigration office
- Once approved, you apply for a change of visa status (์ฒด๋ฅ ์๊ฒฉ ๋ณ๊ฒฝ) at the immigration office
- Your new employer registers as your visa sponsor
- You receive an updated ARC with the new employer's details
Important: You must continue working for your original employer during this process, or legally cease work until the new status is approved. Working for the new employer before immigration approval is an immigration violation.
Report Address and Employer Changes Within 14 Days
Any change in your employment (new employer, new workplace address) must be reported to immigration within 14 days via HiKorea or in person. Failure to report results in fines and deductions on the F-2 points system.
From E-Series to F-2 (Freedom from Employer Sponsorship)
After 3 years of continuous legal residence on qualifying E-series visas, you may be eligible for the F-2-7 points-based resident visa, which frees you from employer sponsorship entirely. See the Visa & Immigration guide for full details on the F-2-7 scoring system.
12. Freelancing & Self-Employment in Korea
Korea's standard work visa system is employer-centric โ most work visas require an employer sponsor. Freelancing and self-employment are more complex but not impossible.
Options for Freelancers
F-2, F-4, F-5, F-6 visa holders can freelance and self-employ freely without any additional approval.
E-7 Business Investor (D-8) visa: For foreigners who want to register and operate their own business in Korea. Requires establishing a Korean legal entity, minimum capital investment (commonly โฉ100M+ for certain categories), and demonstrated business viability.
Digital Nomad / Workation Visa (F-1-D): Allows remote freelancers employed by overseas clients to live and work in Korea legally โ but only with foreign-source income. You cannot take Korean clients or local employment. See the Visa & Immigration guide for F-1-D details.
H-1 (Working Holiday): Limited freelance-style work is permitted within the allowed hour limits and job categories.
Business Registration as a Foreigner
Foreign nationals on eligible visas can register a business in Korea (์ฌ์ ์๋ฑ๋ก). The process involves:
- Applying at the local tax office (์ธ๋ฌด์) with your ARC, passport, and business plan
- Paying applicable taxes on Korean-sourced income
- Potentially enrolling in National Health Insurance as a self-employed individual
Consult a Korean accountant (๊ณต์ธํ๊ณ์ฌ) or tax agent (์ธ๋ฌด์ฌ) familiar with foreign business registration before proceeding.
13. Workplace Culture in Korea
Understanding Korean workplace culture significantly improves your experience as a foreign employee. Korea's work environment reflects deeply Confucian values around hierarchy, group harmony, and long-term relationships.
Hierarchy and Titles
Korean workplaces are strongly hierarchical. Titles matter:
| Korean | English Equivalent |
|---|---|
| ๋ํ / ์ฌ์ฅ | CEO / President |
| ์ด์ฌ | Director |
| ๋ถ์ฅ | General Manager / Department Head |
| ์ฐจ์ฅ | Deputy Manager |
| ๊ณผ์ฅ | Manager |
| ๋๋ฆฌ | Assistant Manager |
| ์ฃผ์ | Senior Staff |
| ์ฌ์ | Staff / Junior |
Address colleagues by their title + ๋ (e.g., ๊น๋ถ์ฅ๋ = Manager Kim), not by first name, unless explicitly invited to do otherwise. Using someone's first name without permission can be seen as disrespectful.
Work Hours Reality
Despite the 52-hour legal cap, workplace culture in some companies (particularly chaebols and traditional Korean companies) still involves long hours and an expectation of visible presence. Leaving before your boss can be uncomfortable in some environments. International companies and startups in Korea tend to have more flexible cultures.
Decision-Making and Approval Chains
Korea uses a ํ์์ (pum-i-seo) system โ a formal approval document that must travel up the chain before decisions are made. Be patient with decision timelines. Trying to bypass the approval chain, even with good intentions, can cause friction.
Communication Style
- Koreans often use indirect communication โ especially when delivering bad news or disagreeing with a superior. Read context carefully.
- Nunchi (๋์น) is the ability to read the room and understand unspoken expectations. Developing this skill helps enormously.
- Never publicly criticise a colleague or manager. Feedback is given privately, and even then, very diplomatically.
Drinking Culture
Work dinners (ํ์, hoesik) are common and often include drinking. While you are never legally obligated to drink, declining entirely can sometimes be socially awkward. It is generally acceptable to say you are driving, have health reasons, or simply nurse one drink. Foreign colleagues are usually given more latitude on this than Korean employees.
Gift-Giving
Small gifts for colleagues during major holidays (Chuseok, Lunar New Year) are common and appreciated. Practical gifts (gift sets of food, household items) are standard. Avoid giving four of anything โ the number 4 (์ฌ) sounds like "death" in Korean.
14. If Things Go Wrong: Filing a Labor Complaint
Korea has robust enforcement mechanisms for labour violations. You have the right to file complaints even if you are a foreigner, and even if your visa status is complicated.
Common Violations
- Failure to pay wages on time (wage theft)
- Failure to provide or pay severance
- Failure to provide annual leave
- Working hours exceeding legal maximum
- No written employment contract
- Illegal deductions from wages
- Discrimination based on nationality
How to File a Complaint
Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL):
- Online: minwon.moel.go.kr
- In person: At any regional Employment and Labor Office (๊ณ ์ฉ๋ ธ๋์ง์ฒญ)
- Phone: 1350 (multilingual support โ Korean, English, Chinese, Vietnamese, and more)
- AI labour law chatbot: ai.moel.go.kr โ supports 32 languages, 24/7
Korea Legal Aid Corporation (๋ฒ๋ฅ ๊ตฌ์กฐ๊ณต๋จ):
- Phone: 132
- Free legal advice and representation for workers unable to afford private counsel
- Has English-speaking staff at major offices
Labor Relations Commission (๋ ธ๋์์ํ):
- For unfair dismissal cases
- Can order reinstatement and back pay if dismissal is ruled unlawful
Employer Cannot Retaliate
Retaliation against an employee for filing a labour complaint is illegal. If your employer threatens you with visa cancellation or termination for filing a complaint, document everything and contact the Labour Rights Hotline (1350) and your country's embassy.
15. Glossary of Korean Employment Terms
| Korean | Pronunciation | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ์ด๋ ฅ์ | ireokseo | Resume / CV |
| ์๊ธฐ์๊ฐ์ | jagi sogaeseo | Personal statement / cover letter |
| ์ทจ์ ๋น์ | chwieop bija | Work visa |
| ๊ณ ์ฉํ๊ฐ์ | goyong heogas-eo | Employment permit |
| ๊ทผ๋ก๊ณ์ฝ์ | geullo gyeyakseo | Employment contract |
| ๊ธ์ฌ | geubyeo | Salary / wages |
| ์ต์ ์๊ธ | choejeok imgeum | Minimum wage |
| ์๊ฐ์ธ์๋น | sigangoe sudang | Overtime pay |
| ํด์ง๊ธ | toejik-geum | Severance pay |
| ์ฐ์ฐจ | yeoncha | Annual leave |
| ๊ตญ๋ฏผ์ฐ๊ธ | gukmin yeon-geum | National Pension |
| ๊ฑด๊ฐ๋ณดํ | geongang boheom | National Health Insurance |
| ๊ณ ์ฉ๋ณดํ | goyong boheom | Employment Insurance |
| ์ฐ์ฌ๋ณดํ | sanjae boheom | Workers' Compensation Insurance |
| 4๋๋ณดํ | 4-dae boheom | The four mandatory social insurance programmes |
| ํ์ | hoesik | Work dinner / team meal (often social obligation) |
| ํ์์ | pumiseo | Internal approval document / workflow |
| ๋ถ์ฅ | bujang | Department head / general manager |
| ๊ณผ์ฅ | gwajang | Section manager |
| ๋๋ฆฌ | daeri | Assistant manager / junior officer |
| ์ธ์ฌํ | insa-tim | HR department |
| ๋ ธ๋๋ถ | nodong-bu | Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) |
| ๋ ธ๋์์ํ | nodong wi-wonhoe | Labor Relations Commission |
| ๋ฒ๋ฅ ๊ตฌ์กฐ๊ณต๋จ | beopnyul gujogongdan | Korea Legal Aid Corporation |
| ์ฌ์ ์๋ฑ๋ก | sa-eobja deungnok | Business registration |
| ์ฐ๋ง์ ์ฐ | yeonmal jeongsan | Year-end tax settlement |
| ์์ฒ์ง์ | woncheon jingsu | Tax withholding at source |
Disclaimer: Korean labour law and immigration regulations are updated regularly. Information on this page reflects the best available data as of mid-2025. Always verify current minimum wage rates, insurance contribution rates, and visa requirements with official sources: Ministry of Employment and Labor (moel.go.kr/english), Korea Immigration Service (1345), or a qualified labour attorney or immigration consultant.
Last updated: 2025 | livinginkorea.org โ Employment