Labor & Employment

For foreign residents in Korea · Pyeongtaek

Losing a job in Korea is not only about the job when your permission to stay is connected to it. That single fact changes how people behave — many put up with things they would never accept at home, because raising them feels like risking everything at once.

It is worth separating the two questions. What you are legally owed, and what the practical consequences of pursuing it are. They are not the same question, and answering them together is what makes the situation feel impossible.

Korean labour law sets specific standards for dismissal and for what must be paid. Whether your situation meets them is checkable — and the routes to a remedy are not all lawsuits.

Is this you?

If any of these apply, this page is for you.

You were dismissed and were given little or no explanation
Wages, overtime, or severance have not been paid
You were pressured to resign rather than dismissed outright
Your contract terms and your actual working conditions do not match
Your employer is threatening consequences for your visa if you complain
You are an employer facing a claim from a former employee

How the process works

Find where your case is now.

Working out what you are owed
Contract, payslips, working hours, and how the employment ended. This determines both the claim and the route.
What you can do at this stage — Collect the contract, wage records, messages, and anything documenting hours worked or the circumstances of dismissal.
Choosing the route
Wage claims and dismissal claims do not necessarily go the same way. Administrative routes exist alongside the courts, and they differ in speed, cost, and what they can deliver.
What you can do at this stage — Decide between an administrative complaint and litigation on the basis of what you want out of it — payment, reinstatement, or a record.
Making the claim
The claim proceeds through the route chosen. Deadlines apply, and some of them are short.
What you can do at this stage — File within time, and put forward the evidence that goes to the specific legal standard being applied.
Outcome and recovery
An award or judgment still has to be complied with.
What you can do at this stage — Enforce where payment is not made voluntarily.

The routes have different clocks. Working out which one fits, early, is usually worth more than arguing the merits harder later.

What We Will Tell You Honestly

Whether your dismissal qualifies as "unfair" under Korean labor law — the standard is specific, and not every unfair-feeling dismissal meets it.
What you are owed in unpaid wages or severance, and the fastest route to collecting it (labor office vs. lawsuit).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I file a claim if my visa is tied to my employer?

This is the question that stops most people, and it deserves a straight answer rather than encouragement. Your entitlement to wages you have earned does not disappear because of how you are sponsored. What varies is the practical consequence for your stay, and that depends on your status and your circumstances. We work through both sides of it with you before you do anything.

I was told to resign instead of being dismissed. Does that change things?

It can change a great deal, because what the paperwork says and what actually happened are not always the same. Whether a resignation was genuinely voluntary is something that gets examined. Keep whatever was said in writing.

My employer has not paid my final wages or severance. What is the fastest route?

For unpaid wages, the administrative route is often faster and cheaper than suing, though it is not right for every case. Which one suits you depends on the amount, the evidence, and what you want to happen.

How long do I have to challenge a dismissal?

A remedy application to the Labor Relations Commission has to be made within three months of the dismissal. That period is strict — it does not pause or extend, and once it runs out that route is closed regardless of how strong the case was. If you have been dismissed, the date is the first thing to tell us.

Is what I was paid actually legal?

Minimum standards apply to wages, working hours, and overtime regardless of what a contract says. If your pay and your hours do not line up, that is checkable against the records.

Can I just get a consultation and decide later?

Yes. You are not committing to anything by booking one. Plenty of people book an assessment, find out where they stand, and decide to do nothing — sometimes with our agreement. Knowing your position first is the point.

Fees for this area

We tell you the cost from the start.

Retainer from ₩3,000,000

Figures shown are exclusive of VAT.

It depends on the route chosen and the complexity of the dispute. The exact figure is quoted after we review your case, and it does not grow while the case is running.

Some wage claims are resolved through administrative routes at considerably lower cost, and we will tell you when that is the better option.

See full fee information

Guides in this area

Discuss Your Case

Consultation with the Attorney

60 minutes · ₩150,000 (approx. US$110), VAT included

If the consultation ends within 30 minutes, you pay only ₩100,000 (approx. US$70).

We review the facts and your documents, then tell you the legal issues and how we would approach them. The same fee whichever language you speak, Korean or English — conducted by the attorney who would actually handle your case, not by staff, and not through an interpreter.

The same fees are published on our Korean-language site.

Request a Consultation 031-658-6100

This page provides general information only and is not legal advice. Outcomes depend on the specific facts of each case. No attorney–client relationship is created by viewing this page or submitting an inquiry.

Labor & Employment

Is this you?

How the process works

Working out what you are owed

Choosing the route

Making the claim

Outcome and recovery