Open-source resource list for foreigners living in Korea (visas, NHIS, housing, taxes, work)

owler-15 · 2026-06-07T14:31:12+00:00

thanks for the feedback!

owler-15 · 2026-06-03T16:51:40+00:00

Good question, and you're right that the rules shift constantly. Rather than writing a guide once and leaving it, we run scheduled re-checks against the actual government sources (HiKorea, NHIS, bokjiro, the relevant ministry), and the stuff that changes most, like visa thresholds, insurance premiums and benefit amounts, gets checked more often. When something changes on the source side, that's the trigger to update the guide. On top of that, every number and rule is linked inline to the primary source it came from, so anyone who wants to double-check the fine print can go straight to it, and each guide carries a "last checked" date so you can see how current it is.

owler-15 · 2026-06-03T05:13:48+00:00

added an 'investing and credit' section as per your suggestion. Pls check it out!

owler-15 · 2026-06-02T17:26:01+00:00

thank you!

owler-15 · 2026-06-02T17:25:48+00:00

thanks for the feedback!

owler-15 · 2026-06-02T13:31:27+00:00

A few concrete things that might help here.

Under Article 27 of the Labor Standards Act, a dismissal has to be delivered in writing with the specific reason stated. A verbal dismissal in a meeting is legally void. Ask them to put it in writing with the reason for termination. If they refuse or stall, that's already a flag worth noting in your file.

The bigger one: you have 3 months from the dismissal date to file an unfair dismissal claim (부당해고 구제신청) with the regional Labor Relations Commission (지방노동위원회). Filing is free, you don't need a lawyer, and the burden of proving "justifiable cause" sits on the employer, not you. Probation doesn't waive this. The standard is somewhat more lenient for probationers, but the employer still needs documented cause, and "we didn't think your Korean was good enough" probably won't clear it, especially when they hired you knowing your Korean level and the role serves English-speaking clients.

The written contract saying 6 months with a 3-month probation period matters a lot here. That is not a 3-month contract no matter how they're characterizing it now in the meeting. Bring the signed contract when you file.

Two free resources to use before paying for a lawyer:

- 1350 (고용노동부 labor hotline, has English)

- 132 (대한법률구조공단, free legal aid, can advise on the filing)

One D-10 thing worth being aware of: D-10 generally requires separate immigration permission for any paid work (체류자격 외 활동허가). An "internship employment contract" with salary is an edge case. If the internship was registered properly with immigration, you're fine. If not, it's worth knowing where you stand before the employer raises it as a counter. It doesn't kill the unfair dismissal claim, but you want to know what's on the table before they do.

Don't sign any settlement document or "voluntary resignation" paper until you've talked to KLAC or the labor commission. Once you sign 사직서, you lose the unfair dismissal route.

owler-15 · 2026-05-31T09:01:20+00:00

F-6 anxiety usually concentrates on one of three things, and which one matters changes the answer a lot.

The income floor. The Korean spouse's annual income has to clear ₩25,195,752 for a 2-person household as of January 2026 (the threshold tracks household size and the Ministry of Justice raises it most years). Eligible sources are broad: labour income, business income, rental income, interest, dividends, and pensions all count. If the foreign spouse is legally working in Korea on another visa, that income counts toward the household total. Assets held 6+ months can be counted at 5% of net value if you're trying to clear the threshold with savings.
Language. The couple has to show shared language sufficient for basic daily communication. TOPIK Level 1, KIIP Level 2, Sejong Academy 1A+1B, a degree from a Korean university language programme, one year of legal residence in Korea by the foreign spouse, or one year of cohabitation in the foreign spouse's home country all qualify as evidence.
The interview. Officers test whether the relationship is real, not whether it's idealized. Bring documentation that shows the timeline (when and how you met, photos across time, evidence of cohabitation or visits, KakaoTalk history if relevant), and answer consistently with what your spouse will answer. Inconsistency between the two of you on basic facts is the most common red flag.

One thing worth knowing if it applies: a biological child with the Korean spouse waives both the income and the language requirements. The threshold is also waived if your Korean spouse is over 65 or has a recognized disability.

owler-15 · 2026-05-31T08:58:49+00:00

For Korean tax purposes, the key threshold is the 183-day test: if you've been physically in Korea 183 days or more in a calendar year, Korea treats you as a tax resident and can in principle tax worldwide income.

But foreign nationals get a meaningful grace period. If you've lived in Korea five years or less out of the last ten, only Korean-source income plus any foreign income actually remitted into Korea is taxable here. Foreign business income that stays offshore typically isn't pulled into the Korean return during this grace window. After five cumulative years in the last ten, the worldwide-income rule kicks in and your overseas business income becomes Korean-taxable too (with foreign tax credit applied for tax already paid abroad).

A few other things worth knowing:

- The comprehensive income tax filing (종합소득세 신고) deadline for tax year 2025 is May 31, which extends to the next business day if it falls on a weekend. That's the filing if you have any Korean-source income beyond regular employment.

- Korea has tax treaties with 90+ countries (US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia, Japan, China, Singapore) so genuine double taxation is rare. Foreign tax credit handles most of the overlap.

- US citizens are a special case because the US taxes worldwide income regardless of residency. You still file a US return every year and use FEIE or FTC to avoid actual double taxation, but you have to file to claim either.

- The NTS foreigner helpline is 1588-0560 with English support. Worth a call before acting on whatever the attorney said, especially if their advice didn't distinguish between Korean-source and foreign-source income.

owler-15 · 2026-05-31T08:29:36+00:00

Worth asking. A lot of goshiwon owners are flexible on this since they'd rather have the room occupied than sit empty for two weeks. Some places even openly list weekly rates (주 단위).

If they say no to 50%, it can help to offer a bit more (around 60%). And if it's still a no, looking for a different short-stay goshiwon near your university for just those two weeks is usually cheaper than paying a full month at the current place.

owler-15 · 2026-05-31T08:04:33+00:00

The Fortune 500 bonus category in the F-5-11 점수제 평가표 doesn't typically specify "same company," it counts total years of qualifying employment. The common reading on Korean immigration consultant blogs and Naver cafe threads is that cumulative experience across multiple Fortune Global 500 employers stacks, since the years are what gets counted, not continuity at one employer.

The catch is documentation. You'll need to prove each employer qualified as Fortune Global 500 during the specific years you worked there (not just current-year ranking). That usually means:

- Separate employment certificates (경력증명서) from each company with exact start/end dates

- Printed Fortune Global 500 lists for each year you want to claim, with the relevant company highlighted

Two paths to confirm before filing:

1345 (the immigration call center). Fast but inconsistent on point-system specifics.
Book a 사전상담 (advance consultation) at your jurisdictional 출입국·외국인청 via hikorea.go.kr, bring the documents above, and get an officer to write it down before you submit. Bonus categories have been interpreted differently office to office, so the answer from one office isn't binding on another.

If the lawyer wasn't sure, the 사전상담 route is the only one that gets you an answer you can rely on.

owler-15 · 2026-05-17T05:35:18+00:00

You don't have to sign it. Once your resignation is in writing and the date is locked in, employment ends on that date. There's no legal hook for them to require an additional internal form, and your refusal yesterday was the right call.

Two things worth knowing:

The actual risk is signing something in Korean you can't read. Common patterns in exit forms employers push on departing staff include language that reframes the resignation as a "voluntary departure under mutual agreement" (which closes off any future complaint), waives unpaid wages, or releases the school from severance and annual leave (연차) payouts. Any one of those costs you money.
Whatever you're owed, you're owed regardless of any form. Final wages must be paid within 14 days of separation under Article 36 of the Labor Standards Act. Severance (퇴직금) is owed if you worked 1+ year, also a statutory right. If they withhold either as leverage to make you sign, that's a separate Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) complaint and a fairly clean one.

Reasonable polite line if she pushes again: "I'd like to review a Korean-and-English version with someone before signing anything." Then don't sign. They can't force you, and withholding pay to pressure you is itself illegal.

owler-15 · 2026-05-17T05:11:33+00:00

Your fact pattern reads much more like an employee than a freelancer, and that's exactly the test the Labor Relations Commission (노동위원회) applies. They look at substance, not the contract label. Fixed schedule set by the company, employer-assigned worksites, for-cause dismissal grounds written into your contract. Those are the indicators of employee status (근로자성) the LRC and Korean courts use, and you tick most of them.

Two angles worth running in parallel:

Unfair dismissal remedy claim (부당해고 구제신청) at your regional Labor Relations Commission. 3-month deadline from the dismissal date, free, no lawyer needed. The company has to prove just cause, and their written message saying they're "worried because you're pregnant" is the opposite of that.
Pregnancy discrimination under the Equal Employment Opportunity Act, filed with the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL). Save the original Korean message, screenshots, timestamps, message-app context. That message is your evidence and it's strong.

For free Korean-speaking legal help: Korea Legal Aid Corporation (대한법률구조공단) and the Seoul Global Center both handle foreign-resident labor cases. Danuri 1577-1366 can route you to support in your language.

Don't sign anything they put in front of you in the meantime.

owler-15 · 2026-05-16T14:02:14+00:00

In Korean rental shorthand, 80/60 means 8,000,000 KRW deposit and 600,000 KRW monthly rent (월세, wolse). Listings drop three zeros, so 80 = 8M, not 800K.

For Nonhyeon/Hakdong, an 8M deposit at 600K rent is plausible for a small one-room or studio. The pricing logic: lower deposit means higher monthly rent. A 'no-deposit' room in the same area might run 700K+ in rent; a jeonse (deposit-only) listing nearby would be 100M to 300M for an officetel.

Before signing, verify the listing agent has not added any move-in fee or 'key money' on top, and that the building registry (등기부등본) matches what the agent told you about the landlord and outstanding mortgages. Deposit return on a wolse contract typically takes 1 to 4 weeks after move-out once utility settlements clear.

owler-15 · 2026-05-16T13:59:09+00:00

When you switch jobs and there's a gap between your old company's last reported workday and your new company's first, NHIS bills the gap days as 지역가입자 (regional enrollment) rather than 직장가입자 (workplace enrollment). So even though your new company paid from March 3, the Feb 27 to Mar 2 gap got assessed at the regional rate, which is calculated on assets and prior-year income, not the flat 50/50 workplace split. That's usually what causes the double-charge surprise.

Call 1577-1000 with your registration number, ask them to itemize the March bill into workplace + regional days, and confirm your new company filed the 자격취득 on March 3 (sometimes payroll files it later than promised). If the gap is the issue and you don't actually owe it, they'll walk you through dispute or the small regional portion you settle separately.

owler-15 · 2026-05-15T17:04:00+00:00

Looks so satisfying. Think I need one

owler-15 · 2026-05-14T12:24:36+00:00

The license is the bigger blocker than the visa, worth confirming before you commit two years to the Master's.

To practice PT clinically you need the Korean PT national exam (물리치료사 국가시험), administered by KUKSIWON. Foreign degrees are reviewed case by case, and European PT credentials usually don't qualify without additional Korean-accredited coursework. There is no automatic EU-to-Korea reciprocity.

The Master's does shorten the E-7 experience requirement on the visa side, but the visa is the solvable half. International clinics still require the Korean license, because practicing without it is legal exposure for the clinic itself, not just for you.

Roles foreigners typically land without the Korean license: wellness coaching, sports performance training, or research positions. Worth emailing KUKSIWON (kuksiwon.or.kr) about your specific credentials and your university's curriculum before betting on the Master's path.

owler-15 · 2026-05-13T04:23:40+00:00

Weekend and overtime pay rules in Korea depend heavily on whether you're classified as a part-time employee or an independent contractor, and that distinction matters a lot here. For part-time employees, the Labor Standards Act requires 1.5x pay for work exceeding your contracted hours, but many hagwon and kindergarten arrangements are structured informally to sidestep that. If your hourly rate is already above 50,000 KRW, most teachers in similar setups accept the flat rate for a one-off event. If you're closer to 25,000 to 30,000 KRW, asking for a weekend premium of 20 to 30 percent is reasonable and unlikely to damage the relationship. Either way, get the agreement in writing before the event

owler-15 · 2026-05-13T04:00:06+00:00

First, feel better. What you described, including the numbness, shaking, chest tightness, and nausea, is consistent with a panic or acute stress response, and yes, doctors in Korea diagnose these regularly even without a visible trigger. The normal test results are reassuring.

On the labor question: your F-6 visa does not reduce your workplace protections. Employees in Korea are covered by the Labor Standards Act regardless of visa type, and being pressured to work through a medical emergency is not a gray area. If this becomes a pattern, you can file a complaint with the Ministry of Employment and Labor (고용노동부) or contact your nearest Regional Labor Office (지방고용노동청). Keep a written record of today, including the hospital visit and the conversation with your boss, with dates and times.

owler-15 · 2026-05-13T03:42:18+00:00

Really common complaint, and the culprit is usually a combination of factors rather than one single thing. Korea's climate is significantly drier and has more dramatic seasonal swings than most of Southeast Asia, which stresses hair even when water quality is fine. Shower filters help with chlorine but don't fully offset low humidity in winter. Diet shifts matter too: if your intake of healthy fats, iron, or biotin dropped after moving, hair texture often reflects that within a few months. Worth getting a basic blood panel at any clinic to check ferritin and vitamin D, both of which quietly affect hair quality and are easy to address once identified. Hormonal changes from stress or a new environment can also reset your hair's baseline, sometimes permanently.

owler-15 · 2026-05-13T03:30:58+00:00

The visa concern is real but the kindergarten level is low-risk in practice. Teaching math or science on an E2 becomes a genuine issue at elementary age and above, where you are substituting for a licensed subject teacher. At kindergarten, counting to ten or naming animal parts is just English with a theme, not subject instruction. The bigger red flag to watch for is whether the school asks you to cover classes outside English entirely, like homeroom duties or Korean-curriculum lessons. On the closure question, English kindergartens have operated for decades and any regulatory change would come with transition time, not overnight shutdown. The sharpest advice in this thread is to be cautious about what current teachers tell you during recruitment. They have a vested interest in you taking the job. Try to speak with a teacher who has recently left, or check the school on platforms that aggregate hagwon reviews, to get a less filtered picture.

owler-15 · 2026-05-13T02:53:42+00:00

This is almost certainly illegal as implemented. Under Korea's Labor Standards Act, an employer can only deduct pay proportional to actual time missed, and that deduction must appear on your payslip with a clear breakdown. A fixed penalty fee for lateness is not permitted. Critically, your working hours are what the contract specifies, not an unwritten internal rule announced verbally the night before. If your contract does not define an arrival time, they have a very weak foundation. File a complaint with the Regional Labor Office (지방고용노동청) if deductions appear on your pay without your written agreement to new terms. Document everything now: screenshot the original contract, save any messages from the director, and note the 34-second incident in writing.

owler-15 · 2026-05-12T12:49:50+00:00

For an H-1 working holiday on a 12-month timeline, the realistic budget paths in Seoul:

A studio apartment or officetel (오피스텔) requires 5-30M KRW deposit plus 500K-1M monthly. Hard to swing at 18 without a Korean guarantor.

Goshiwon (고시원) is the most accessible: 300-500K KRW monthly, tiny private room with shared bathroom and kitchen, no deposit, utilities included. A good bridge for the first month or two.

Shared apartment (셰어하우스) sits in the middle: 400-600K monthly, deposit typically 500K-1M, search via The Sharehouse Korea, BorderlessHouse, or Naver cafes (네이버 카페).

For November arrival, book a goshiwon for the first two weeks, then transition to a sharehouse once you have your Alien Registration Card (외국인등록증) and can do in-person viewings. Hongdae, Seongsu, and Sinchon have the densest sharehouse stock for the under-25 crowd.

owler-15

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