I-EUMLiving in Korea

If you experience discrimination — Human Rights Commission 1331. The commission makes the determination

This page is machine translated from Ieumi's guide written in Korean. If the meaning is confusing, please look at the Korean original text. View original text (Korean)

If you have been treated differently without reasonable cause because of your country of origin, ethnicity, race, or skin color, you can file a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission. This law applies to foreigners as well.

📌 Key points

The National Human Rights Commission Act applies not only to Korean nationals but also to "foreigners within the territory of the Republic of Korea" (Article 4). Being treated differently without reasonable cause on the basis of country of origin, ethnicity, race, skin color, religion, gender, or similar reasons is a "discriminatory act violating the right to equality" (Article 2(3)), and the person affected, or anyone or any organization aware of it, may file a complaint with the Commission (Article 30). Call 1331 (no area code) or file 24 hours a day on the Human Rights e website.

🔢 Do these in order

  1. Write down what happened, when, where, and who did it. If you have text messages, recordings, or witnesses, gather them together as well.
  2. Call 1331 (no area code) for consultation. Complaints can be filed 24 hours a day on the Human Rights e website, or by visiting in person, mail, or fax.
  3. For workplace discrimination or wage issues, the Ministry of Employment and Labor (1350) can also help; for marriage immigration or family issues, the Danuri Call Center (1577-1366) can also help.
  4. The Commission investigates and makes the determination. I-EUM does not judge whether something is discrimination — this item's job is to help you record it and connect you to the right counter.

📞 Contact

National Human Rights Commission: 1331 — no area code needed, anywhere nationwide

💻 Do it online

The complaint form should include the name and contact information of the complainant and victim, the name or institution of the other party, the date and circumstances, and the details (per Commission guidance).

⚠️ Things to watch out for

Article 10 of the Framework Act on Treatment of Foreigners Residing in the Republic of Korea provides that the state and local governments must strive to prevent unreasonable discrimination against foreigners residing in Korea and their children and to protect their human rights. For violence-related harm, see "If you've been a victim of violence" instead of this item.

❗ What happens if you don't

If you just endure it alone, no record is left. A complaint starts with writing down what happened. Whatever the Commission's determination turns out to be, you need a record to take the next step.

See also

Basis

  • 국가인권위원회법 제2조 제3호·제4조·제30조 — 법제처 API 원문(MST 266711, 시행 2025-06-04) 2026-09-13 수집·대조
  • 재한외국인 처우 기본법 제10조 — 법제처 원문(collected/law-foreigner-basic) 대조
  • 국가인권위원회 인권e 진정 접수 안내 https://case.humanrights.go.kr/cvpl/cvplGuide.do · 전화안내 1331 — 2026-09-13 확인
  • 국가인권위원회 인권e 「진정제도안내」 https://case.humanrights.go.kr/rprsnt/rprsntGuide.do (2026-10-12 확인) — 전화 1331 · 우편/방문 · 팩스 02-2125-9811 · 인권e · 이메일 hoso@humanrights.go.kr · 「진정서 다운받기(HWPX · DOCX · PDF)」 — 원본 PDF 를 서식 그림 · 내려받기로 실었다(D-707). 전에는 링크가 「민원안내」(cvplGuide.do)를 가리켰다

This content was checked on 2026-10-12.

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