The basic rights the Labor Standards Act protects
The Labor Standards Act applies to everyone working in Korea. Nationality and visa status make no difference.
Who this covers
- Everyone working for wages in Korea
- E-9, H-2, F-6, part-time student workers — the status does not matter
- Even people without valid status have the right to be paid for work done
Your basic rights
- To be paid in full, in cash, on the agreed date. Goods or credit cannot replace wages.
- To receive a written labour contract. The employer must write it and give it to you.
- To work only the agreed hours and to have rest breaks.
- To have holidays and annual leave.
- To be treated under industrial accident insurance if injured at work. Status does not matter.
- To be free from violence and forced labour.
- Not to be dismissed unfairly.
- Not to be punished for making a report.
What you need
- A copy of your labour contract
- Attendance records (photos, an app, notes — anything)
- Records of wage transfers
Where to go
- 1350 Ministry of Employment and Labor (interpretation available)
- Your regional labour office · labour portal labor.moel.go.kr
- 1345 Immigration Contact Center
- Your local support centre for foreign workers
Questions people ask
My boss says "your country's law doesn't work here". Correct — Korean law applies, and Korean law protects you.
If I signed the paper, is that the end of it? Terms below the legal minimum are void even if you signed them.
Does it apply to small companies? Some provisions apply differently depending on workplace size. The core ones — wages, industrial accidents — apply regardless. Check your case with 1350.
Take care
Do not sign documents you do not understand. If someone says "just sign it", photograph it and ask 1350.
Related
employment-contract · minimum-wage · wage-payment-rules · unpaid-wages-report
Source
Ministry of Employment and Labor www.moel.go.kr / As of 2026-08