Severance pay — claimable within 3 years, even after leaving Korea
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 worked 15+ hours a week for a year or more, you are owed severance pay regardless of nationality or visa. The claim expires in 3 years — and you can claim even after returning home.
Deadline
The 3-year clock runs from your last day of work. If you are leaving Korea, settling before departure is safest.
📌 Key points
E-9 workers receive this through departure guarantee insurance instead — a different procedure; check with the Foreign Workers Counseling Center (1577-0071, 18 languages).
📞 Contact
Claim from your employer. If unpaid, the Ministry of Employment and Labor (wage claim line 1577-0071)
❗ What happens if you don't
This cannot be undone
After 3 years the right to claim is gone.
If it is already late
Even if 3 years have passed, please ask the Ministry of Employment and Labor customer service center at 1350 once before you give up. You may be mistaken about when the 3 years start counting (it is from the day you left the job), and it can also be different if there is a record of the employer promising to pay.
See also
Basis
- 근로자퇴직급여 보장법 제10조(퇴직금의 시효) (법제처 국가법령정보센터)
- 근로자퇴직급여 보장법 제4조(퇴직급여제도의 설정) 제1항 (법제처 국가법령정보센터, 시행 2026-07-01)
This content was checked on 2026-08-31.