What is the penalty for working without permission?

If you work without permission, you can face criminal punishment: up to 3 years in prison or a fine of up to 30,000,000 KRW. This applies both when you work under a stay status that does not allow work, and when you work without permission for activities outside your status (for example, a part-time work permit for international students). You may also receive a measure that requires you to leave Korea, such as deportation (강제퇴거) or a departure order (출국명령).

Immigration decides the actual measure after review. If it is your first violation and the violation period is short, within 10 days, you usually get a departure recommendation (출국권고). In minor cases, you may pay a fine (범칙금, notice disposition) and keep staying in Korea. Employers are punished too. If an employer hires one person for less than 3 months, the fine starts at 3,000,000 KRW. The Employment Permit System (고용허가제) guide says the employer fine is 20,000,000 KRW, but the current legal limit is 30,000,000 KRW.

How it is handled for international students (D-2, D-4)

• First offense and minor: you can keep staying after paying the fine.
• If you worked in construction: you get a departure order, even for a first offense, with no exceptions.
• Second offense: in principle, deportation.
• If you had permission but broke conditions such as working hours: 1st time, a warning. 2nd time, part-time work is not permitted. 3rd time, your student status is canceled.

What to do right now

1. Stop any work you are doing without permission right away.
2. If you want to keep working, first get permission through HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr) or your local immigration office. The part-time work permit fee is 20,000 KRW, and the permit for activities outside your status is 120,000 KRW.
3. If you have already been caught or received a summons, do not handle it alone. Get a K-VISA AI administrative agent consultation in the Visa Service in the app.

Check the exact penalty standards once more with the Foreigner Comprehensive Information Center (외국인종합안내센터) at 1345.