If you still have not been paid

Even if the employer never pays, options remain. The same is true if the company has closed.

1. Get the confirmation

If the labour office finds wages are owed, you can obtain an employer confirmation of unpaid wages. That document is the key to everything that follows.

2. Apply for the substitute payment

Where the employer cannot or will not pay, there is a scheme in which the state pays you and then recovers from the employer.

• Apply to COMWEL, 1588-0075.
• Requirements differ depending on whether the company has closed or you hold a final court judgment.
• Coverage and ceilings are set. Ask COMWEL what applies to you.

3. Free legal support

• Korea Legal Aid Corporation, 132 — free advice and litigation support.
• For smaller amounts, a small claims hearing is relatively quick.
• Migrant workers' support centres can connect you to labour attorneys and lawyers.

4. Criminal route

Withholding wages is also a punishable offence. You can pursue a criminal complaint alongside the labour complaint. Ask the inspector or 132 how.

Source

COMWEL www.comwel.or.kr · Korea Legal Aid Corporation www.klac.or.kr / As of 2026-08