I-EUMLiving in Korea

Jeonse fraud — your right to ask before signing, and deposit return guarantee

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)

The deposit is often your entire savings. The law gives you the right to ask about the landlord's tax arrears and prior deposits before signing, and after moving in you can take out a guarantee that returns the deposit on your behalf. Foreigners can use this too.

📌 Key points

When signing the contract, the landlord must show the tenant ① the property's record of confirmed dates (prior tenants' deposits and rent) and ② certificates of national and local tax payment. Refusing to show these is itself a warning sign. Also, HUG's (Korea Housing & Urban Guarantee Corporation) Jeonse Deposit Return Guarantee is available to foreigners too — if the landlord doesn't return it, HUG returns it first.

🔢 Do these in order

  1. Before signing — ask the landlord to show you the record of confirmed dates granted and certificates of national and local tax payment. This is a legal obligation of the landlord (Housing Lease Protection Act Article 3-7). With the landlord's consent, you can also verify it directly at a community center or registry office.
  2. Before the contract — on the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's V-World "Real Estate Brokerage Search," check that the agency is registered and in business. When writing the transaction contract, the agent must write a "Confirmation and Explanation of the Brokered Property," sign and stamp it, and hand it to you, so be sure to receive it (Licensed Real Estate Agents Act Article 25).
  3. Before signing — get "safe contract consulting" from the HUG Jeonse Damage and Prevention Support Center. A licensed real estate agent reviews the copy of the register and building ledger and checks the owner, mortgage, and contract wording together with you. There are 8 locations nationwide (Seoul: 02-6917-8119), and phone consultation is also available.
  4. When signing — sign a contract stamped by a licensed real estate agent, and make the contract period 1 year or more. Both are required to take out the guarantee. If the deposit plus any prior mortgage exceeds 90% of the property's value (per HUG's 2026 standard), you cannot obtain the guarantee.
  5. After moving in — complete the report of change of residence (equivalent to a move-in report) and the confirmed date, then apply for the Jeonse deposit return guarantee. The deadline is before half of the contract period has passed, counted from whichever is later: the balance payment date or the report date. Renewal contracts also must apply before half the period has passed.
  6. Apply — at the counter of a designated bank (11 banks including Shinhan, KB Kookmin, Woori, Hana, IBK, NH Nonghyup), the Mobile HUG app, or through Naver Pay, Kakao Pay, or Toss. Foreigners submit their alien registration card and a certificate of alien registration facts (Government24). Marriage immigrants and naturalized citizens whose spouse is a Korean national receive a 40% discount on the guarantee fee (as of 2026).
  7. If not returned — if the contract has ended and the deposit hasn't come back, apply to the court for a registration order of the lease right. Once registered, your opposing power and priority repayment right remain even after you move out. Also apply for legal counseling at the Jeonse Damage Support Center (1533-8119). You can apply regardless of whether you meet the victim requirements.

📍 Where to go

HUG Jeonse Damage and Prevention Support Center: 1533-8119 (Seoul: 02-6917-8119). For auction support: 1588-1663. Guarantee enrollment: designated banks, the Mobile HUG app, or HUG branches.

💻 Do it online

The guarantee product's conditions and documents are on the HUG website under "Jeonse Deposit Return Guarantee." Conditions change every year, so check with a bank or HUG's main number 1566-9009 before applying.

⚠️ Things to watch out for

To be designated as a Jeonse fraud victim, apply to the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Requirements are: you have opposing power and a confirmed date; the deposit is 500,000,000 won or less; damage has occurred or is expected to occur where 2 or more tenants cannot get their deposit back; and there is reasonable cause to suspect the landlord had no intention of returning it. If designated, you can apply within 3 years from the decision date for support such as an auction deferral, priority purchase right, apportionment of remaining tax after the winning bid, and Housing and Urban Fund loans. However, this law does not apply to those who can receive their full deposit through a guarantee — for them, receiving it via the guarantee is correct. If the deposit is small, there is also "top-priority repayment." In Seoul, if the deposit is 165,000,000 won or less, up to 55,000,000 won is received ahead of other secured creditors; in other regions, if the deposit is 75,000,000 won or less, up to 25,000,000 won (this varies by region and changes — see "Values that may change" below). If it's emotionally difficult, there is also psychological counseling for Jeonse victims at 1670-5724 (9am–9pm, open year-round).

❗ What happens if you don't

If you're defrauded without a guarantee, the only paths to recovering your deposit are auction or litigation, which take several years. Since the special act's minimum guaranteed amount is not available to foreigners, if the winning bid is low, that shortfall simply disappears. If you have a guarantee, when the landlord doesn't return the deposit after the contract ends, you claim performance from HUG — the claim conditions and timing are in the guarantee terms.

See also

Basis

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  • 주택임대차보호법 시행령 제10조·제11조(소액보증금 범위) — 법제처 API 원문(MST 287183, 시행 2026-07-01) 2026-09-13 수집·대조
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  • HUG 전세보증금반환보증 상품개요·이용절차 및 제출서류 https://www.khug.or.kr/hug/web/ig/dr/igdr000001.jsp · igdr000002.jsp — 2026-09-13 원문 확인(외국인 가입 가능 · 신청기한 · 7억/5억 · 다문화가구 40% 할인 · 외국인 제출서류)
  • HUG 안심전세포털 전세사기 피해 예방 · 피해지원프로그램 https://www.khug.or.kr/jeonse/web/s04/s040005.jsp · s01/s010002.jsp — 2026-09-13 원문 확인(안전계약 컨설팅 8개 센터·연락처 · 심리상담 1670-5724)
  • 브이월드 「부동산 중개업 조회」 https://www.vworld.kr/dtld/broker/dtld_list_s001.do — 등록번호 · 상호 · 대표자 · 상태 (조사원 확인 2026-10-12) · 공인중개사법 제25조 제1 · 3 · 4항(법률 제21409호, 시행 2026-08-28 · 법제처 API 원문 대조 2026-10-12) · 🔴 보증보험(공제) 가입이 화면에 보이는지는 확인 못 함 — 넣지 않음 (D-713 B)

This content was checked on 2026-10-12.

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