Unfair Dismissal in Korea: Your Rights and Remedy

You were fired suddenly, verbally, or without a clear valid reason. Korean law strictly limits when and how an employer can dismiss a worker, and gives you a formal, low-cost way to challenge an unfair dismissal.

High riskLabor Standards Act (근로기준법), Art. 23, 26, 27, 28

Applies to

employee

Quick answer: At workplaces with 5 or more employees, an employer may only dismiss you for a justifiable reason, must give the reason and date in writing, and must give 30 days’ advance notice (or 30 days’ pay in lieu). If dismissed unfairly, you can apply to the Labor Relations Commission (노동위원회) for remedy within 3 months — for free, without a lawyer.

What Korean law says

  1. ·An employer may not dismiss a worker without a justifiable reason (Article 23). At workplaces regularly employing 5 or more workers, this "just cause" protection and the Labor Relations Commission remedy both apply.
  2. ·A dismissal must be made in writing, stating the reasons and the effective date (Article 27). A purely verbal dismissal is legally ineffective.
  3. ·The employer must give at least 30 days’ advance notice of dismissal, or pay 30 days of ordinary wages in lieu (Article 26). Narrow exceptions apply, e.g. workers with under 3 months of service.
  4. ·A worker who believes the dismissal was unfair may apply to the Labor Relations Commission (노동위원회) for remedy within 3 months of the dismissal (Article 28). Missing this window is one of the most common and costly mistakes.
  5. ·If the dismissal is found unfair, the usual remedy is reinstatement with back pay for the period out of work; alternatively, the commission can order monetary compensation.

Required conditions

  1. ·You were an employee (근로자), and the action was a dismissal (not a genuine mutual resignation or contract expiry).
  2. ·For the just-cause protection and commission remedy: the workplace regularly employs 5 or more people.
  3. ·You apply to the Labor Relations Commission within 3 months of the dismissal date.

What to do next

  1. 1Get the dismissal in writing, or preserve any message/recording showing you were dismissed, the date, and the reason.
  2. 2Note the exact dismissal date — your 3-month deadline runs from it.
  3. 3Gather your contract, payslips, performance records and any messages relevant to the stated reason.
  4. 4File an application for remedy against unfair dismissal with your regional Labor Relations Commission (노동위원회) — free and without a lawyer; interpreter help via 1350.
  5. 5Consider a labor attorney (노무사) for the hearing, especially if reinstatement or large back pay is at stake.

Documents to prepare

Written dismissal notice (or evidence of a verbal one)Employment contractPayslips and work recordsAny evidence contradicting the stated reasonA note of the exact dismissal dateARC / passport

Where to go / who to contact

Regional Labor Relations Commission (지방노동위원회) for the unfair-dismissal remedy. For unpaid notice pay, the Employment & Labor Office also applies. Helpline 1350 provides interpreter support.

Time limit / deadline

You must apply to the Labor Relations Commission within 3 months of the dismissal — this deadline is strict.

Estimated cost

Applying to the Labor Relations Commission is free. A labor attorney for the hearing is optional.

Common mistakes

  1. ·Missing the strict 3-month deadline to apply for remedy.
  2. ·Accepting a verbal "you’re fired" without demanding written notice — silence can look like agreed resignation.
  3. ·Signing a resignation letter under pressure; a "voluntary" resignation is much harder to challenge than a dismissal.
  4. ·Assuming the rules apply everywhere — the just-cause protection and commission remedy require 5+ employees.
Original Korean legal text

근로기준법 제23조 제1항 (해고 등의 제한) · Labor Standards Act Art. 23(1)

사용자는 근로자에게 정당한 이유 없이 해고, 휴직, 정직, 전직, 감봉, 그 밖의 징벌(懲罰)(이하 "부당해고등"이라 한다)을 하지 못한다.

근로기준법 제26조 (해고의 예고) · Labor Standards Act Art. 26

사용자는 근로자를 해고(경영상 이유에 의한 해고를 포함한다)하려면 적어도 30일 전에 예고를 하여야 하고, 30일 전에 예고를 하지 아니하였을 때에는 30일분 이상의 통상임금을 지급하여야 한다. 다만, 1. 근로자가 계속 근로한 기간이 3개월 미만인 경우 등에는 그러하지 아니하다.

근로기준법 제27조 (해고사유 등의 서면통지) · Labor Standards Act Art. 27

① 사용자는 근로자를 해고하려면 해고사유와 해고시기를 서면으로 통지하여야 한다. ② 근로자에 대한 해고는 제1항에 따라 서면으로 통지하여야 효력이 있다.

근로기준법 제28조 (부당해고등의 구제신청) · Labor Standards Act Art. 28

① 사용자가 근로자에게 부당해고등을 하면 근로자는 노동위원회에 구제를 신청할 수 있다. ② 제1항에 따른 구제신청은 부당해고등이 있었던 날부터 3개월 이내에 하여야 한다.

Sources

These are official Korean government sites — mostly in Korean. Need help in your language? Use the multilingual helplines below, or tap “Get professional help”.

Multilingual helplines: 1345 Immigration (Vietnamese) · 1350 Labor · 1588-0560 Tax (English) · 120 city services

Last checked: 2026-07-10

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Unfair Dismissal in Korea: Your Rights and Remedy — KVBiz Law