How do I report unpaid wages to the labor office?

You can file an online "unpaid wage complaint" on the Labor Portal (labor.moel.go.kr), or visit the Customer Support Office at the regional employment and labor office (Roidongcheong, 노동청) that covers your workplace. If you visit, you first get a consultation. Then you file a complaint (jinjeong) or a criminal complaint (gosso). You can report no matter what your residence status is, if you were not paid wages at the workplace where you worked.

Prepare these documents and information

• Employment contract (근로계약서) — shows the promised wages and working conditions
• Pay deposit records (copy of your bankbook) — show since when and how much you did not receive
• Work attendance records (notes, photos, messages) — prove the days and hours you worked
• Workplace name, address, and employer's contact — needed to decide which labor office handles your case
• Passport or Alien Registration Card — to confirm your identity

Steps to report

1. Choose between a complaint and a criminal complaint. A complaint (jinjeong) asks that you be paid the overdue wages. A criminal complaint (gosso) asks that the employer be punished.
2. If you file online, go to Labor Portal > Civil Complaint Application/Inquiry > Labor Standards Civil Complaint Application, then select and fill in "Complaint Form (unpaid wages, other labor standards matters)."
3. If you visit, go to the Customer Support Office of the employment and labor office that covers the workplace location. After the consultation, file a complaint or criminal complaint.
4. A labor inspector investigates. The inspector calls the complainant and the employer to check the facts. The processing period is 25 days, not counting Saturdays and public holidays. It can be extended in 2 stages.
5. The result comes out. If unpaid wages are confirmed, the employer is ordered to correct it and pay. If the employer pays, the case ends. If the employer does not pay, the case is opened as a criminal case, investigated, and sent to the prosecutors' office.

⚠️ Things to watch out for

• If you do not attend the investigation 2 or more times, the office treats it as no intention to report and closes the case. You can file a complaint again later.
• Your employer must not fire you or treat you unfavorably because you reported.
• Punishment of the employer is now up to 5 years in prison or a fine of up to 50,000,000 KRW because the law changed. The 3 years and 30,000,000 KRW shown in the Labor Portal guide is the standard before the amendment.

💡 Good to know as well

• Substitute payment (대지급금): If the employer does not pay wages, you can apply to the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service (근로복지공단, 1588-0075) to receive payment on the employer's behalf. For those who have left the job, it applies if you filed a complaint within 1 year from the day after you left, or filed a lawsuit within 2 years. It supports up to the last 3 months of wages and other amounts. The upper limit for wages and other amounts is 7,000,000 KRW.
• E-9 workers: If your employment permit was cancelled or you changed workplaces because of unpaid wages, you can get a Certificate of Unpaid Wages and Money (금품체불확인서) from the labor office and claim insurance money from Seoul Guarantee Insurance (서울보증보험). This is not insurance that workers must join. It is guarantee insurance that the employer buys.
• E-9 workplace change: Unpaid wages are a reason that is not your fault. Apply for the change at the Employment Center (고용센터) within 1 month from the day your employment contract ended.

If you are worried about your period of stay, be sure to check with Immigration how to extend or change it, separately from the labor office investigation. Check the exact procedure once more with the Labor Portal, the Ministry of Employment and Labor Consultation Center (1350), or the Immigration Contact Center (1345).