What employers must do

If any one of these is not met, you can consult 1350.

Contract and pay

• Draw up and hand over a written contract — you must receive a copy. See employment-contract.
• Pay at least the minimum wage — see minimum-wage.
• Pay wages in full, directly, on the set day — see wage-payment-rules.
• Issue a payslip — with itemised calculations. See payslip.
• Premium pay for overtime, night and holiday work — see overtime-pay.
• Pay severance where the criteria are met. See severance-pay.

Hours and rest

• Observe statutory working hours — see working-hours.
• Provide rest breaks — see lunch-break-rules.
• Weekly holidays and annual leave — see weekly-holiday-pay and annual-leave.

Insurance and safety

• Enrol you in the four insurances — see four-major-insurances.
• Safety and health training — in a form you can understand. See safety-training.
• Provide protective equipment — see protective-equipment.
• Report and act on industrial accidents — see industrial-accident-report.
• Special health examinations for hazardous work. See workplace-health.

Duties towards people

• Prevent and address workplace bullying and sexual harassment — see workplace-harassment and sexual-harassment-work.
• No discrimination — see discrimination-report.
• Not to take your passport or ID — see passport-confiscation.
• Meet the standards for any dormitory provided — see dormitory-standards.

Where to go

• 1350 Ministry of Employment and Labour (all working conditions, with interpretation)
• 1577-0071 Foreign Workforce Support Centre
• 1544-3088 KOSHA
• 1588-0075 Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service
• Local migrant workers' support centres

Questions people ask

They won't give me a contract. Handing over a written contract is a duty. Ask for it, and report to 1350 if refused.

They say "this is just how our company does it". Custom cannot override the law. If unsure, ask 1350.

I'm afraid of retaliation if I report. Disadvantage because you reported is prohibited. Gather evidence and take advice. See whistleblower-protection.

Does all this apply to a small company? Some rules apply differently by size. Check what applies to your workplace with 1350.

Take care

"The boss is a good person, so it's fine" is a dangerous judgement. It is records, not people, that protect you. Keep contracts, payslips and attendance records every month — in a dispute they are the only evidence.

Related

labor-standards-basics · employment-contract · payslip · four-major-insurances · unpaid-wages

Source

Ministry of Employment and Labour www.moel.go.kr / As of 2026-08