How to Check Your 근로계약서 (Employment Contract)

What is in the standard employment contract

The list below is for the general standard employment contract (Form No. 6, 별지 제6호서식). Agriculture, livestock and fishing have a different form. See the explanation below the list. The form can change, so compare the list with the contract you actually get.

In the '사용자' (employer) box at the top of the contract, the employer writes the company name, company address, employer's name and phone number. In the '근로자' (worker) box, the worker's name, date of birth and home country address are written.

1. 근로계약기간 (contract period) — How long the contract is (for people coming to Korea for the first time or coming back, it is a number of months; for people who changed workplaces, it is a start date and an end date), and whether there is a probation period (수습기간, a trial period at the start). The months are counted from the day you entered Korea. For people who came back through "성실재입국" (re-entry for faithful workers), the months are counted from the day you started work.
2. 근로장소 (place of work) — The place where you will actually work. There is also a sentence saying: "The employer must not make the worker work outside the place written in this contract."
3. 업무내용 (job details) — Type of industry, what the business does, and the work you will do
4. 근로시간 (working hours) — Start time and end time, whether there are shifts, and the average overtime hours per day
5. 휴게시간 (break time) — How many minutes per day
6. 휴일 (days off) — Sunday, public holidays, Saturday, etc.
7. 임금 (wages) — Monthly ordinary wage (통상임금, your regular fixed pay), basic pay, allowances, bonuses, and pay during the probation period. The general form also says you get an extra 50% of the ordinary wage for overtime, night work and holiday work (except at workplaces with 4 or fewer regular workers).
8. 임금 지급일 (payday) — Which day of each month
9. 지급 방법 (payment method) — Paid directly to you, or into a bank account. There is a sentence saying the employer must not keep the worker's bankbook or personal seal (도장).
10. 숙식 제공 (room and food) — Whether housing is given, what kind of housing, how much the worker pays, whether meals are given, and how much the worker pays for food
11. 약속 지키기 (following the agreement) — A sentence saying the employer and the worker must follow the employment contract, the company rules (취업규칙) and the collective agreement (단체협약, an agreement between a union and the company)
12. 그 밖의 사항 (other matters) — A sentence saying anything not in the contract follows the 「근로기준법」 (Labor Standards Act)

Agriculture, livestock and fishing use Form No. 6-2 (별지 제6호의2서식). The item numbers are the same, but some content is a little different.

• Working hours — The start time and end time, and how many hours per month, are written. There are no boxes for shifts or average overtime per day.
• There is a sentence saying that, under Article 63 of the 「근로기준법」, the rules on working hours, breaks and days off do not apply.
• It says daily working hours can change, within the hours written in the contract, depending on the busy farming season and quiet farming season (in fishing: the busy fishing season and the off-season) or the weather.
• Break time — How many breaks per day, and the total hours and minutes, are written.
• Days off — The number of days off is written, for example once a week or twice a month. There is no box to choose days like Sunday or Saturday. The number of days off in the busy farming season (in fishing: the busy fishing season) is written separately.
• Wages — Instead of a box for monthly ordinary wage, the contract says whether pay is monthly, hourly, daily or weekly, and the amount, and whether bonuses and allowances are paid. Overtime is paid at the hourly amount written in the contract. The sentence about an extra 50% is only for night work from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next morning (except at workplaces with 4 or fewer regular workers).

What to check before you sign

1. Do not sign if there are empty boxes. Someone could fill them in later with different numbers.
2. Calculate your wage. The 2026 minimum wage is 10,320원 per hour, and 2,156,880원 per month for 40 hours a week. As a rule, your pay must not be lower than this. If the probation-period wage written is lower than this, check with 1577-0071 or 1350 before signing.
3. Look at working hours and break time. Check how many hours you work each day and when your breaks are.
4. Check how overtime, night work and holiday work pay is calculated.
5. Check how much you pay for room and food. To take housing costs out of your pay, the employer needs your written agreement. As a rule, costs that change, like electricity and gas, are settled later based on how much you actually used.
6. Check that the company name and address in the '사용자' (employer) box at the top, and the place of work box, match the place where you will actually work. If they are different, ask right there.
7. Check that the job details are the same as what you were told at the interview.
8. If there is any part you do not understand, do not sign. Ask for an interpreter first.

Keeping a copy

• After you sign, ask for a copy. The employer must give you your working conditions in writing.
• Take a photo of the contract and save it on your phone and in your email.
• It is safer to also send the photo to your family in your home country.
• Also keep your 급여명세서 (pay slips), records of your start and finish times, and your bank deposit records together.

When the contract and the real job are different

What is different	What to do
Your pay is lower than in the contract	This is unpaid wages (임금체불). File a complaint (진정) on the 노동포털 (Labor Portal, labor.moel.go.kr) or go to the 지방고용노동관서 (regional labor office). For advice, call 1350.
Your working hours are much longer	Keep records of your start and finish times, and file a complaint with the 고용노동부 (Ministry of Employment and Labor).
Your work is different from the contract	Get advice at the 고용센터 (Job Center). If the employer breaks the working conditions, this can be a reason to change workplaces because of the employer's fault (사업주 귀책).
You are sent to another company or another place	The contract says you must not be made to work outside the place written in it. Check with the 고용센터 and 1345.
Housing costs are taken from your pay without your agreement	Taking money from your pay without your written agreement is a problem. Collect your pay slips and file a complaint with the 고용노동부.

If you change workplaces because of the employer's fault, it does not count toward your number of workplace changes. Apply within 1 month from the day your employment contract ended. Apply at the 고용센터 in charge of the address of the workplace where you worked.

When you renew your contract

• When your work period is extended or you are re-employed, you sign a new contract. Read it as carefully as the first time.
• Compare your pay, working hours and room and food costs to make sure they are not worse than before. You need a copy of your old contract for this.
• Check the start date and end date of the contract period. Also check that they match your visa period.
• Get a copy of the renewed contract too.
• If someone pushes you to sign quickly, you can say "하루만 생각해 보겠습니다" ("Let me think about it for one day").

How to ask for an interpreter

• The standard employment contract is a form written in Korean and your home language. Read the part in your home language first.
• 1577-0071 (외국인력상담센터, Migrant Worker Counseling Center) gives advice in many languages, including Nepali. It is open 365 days a year, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Saturdays and public holidays, staff on duty answer calls. If you and your employer cannot understand each other, you can get interpreting through a 3-way call.
• 1345 (외국인종합안내센터, Immigration Contact Center) gives advice on stay and daily life. Advice in Nepali is on weekdays, 09:00–18:00. Ask 1345 first whether they will also interpret a call with your employer or explain a contract.
• When you go to the 고용센터, say "통역이 필요합니다" ("I need an interpreter") in advance, and you can get help.
• If it is hard to call in front of your employer, you can go outside and call.

Be careful

• If you are asked to sign two contracts, be suspicious. Sometimes employers make a document that is different from the real conditions.
• Do not believe "Just sign now, we will fix it later."
• Do not sign blank papers or a resignation letter (사직서) in advance.
• If your pay goes into a bank account, it must be an account in your own name. It is a problem if the employer keeps your bankbook and seal.
• Even without a contract, if you actually worked, you have the right to be paid. Collect your work time records and text messages.

Frequently asked questions

Q. I did not get a contract. A. Ask your employer for it by text message so there is a record. If they still do not give it to you, get advice from 1350 or the 고용센터.

Q. I lost my contract. A. Ask the 고용센터 or 한국산업인력공단 (HRD Korea, Human Resources Development Service of Korea). They can tell you whether you can check your contract details.

Q. My employer makes me do work that is not in the contract. A. Keep records and get advice at the 고용센터. If the work is very different, this can be a reason to change workplaces.

Q. I do not know Korean, so I do not understand what it means. A. Before signing, call 1577-0071 (외국인력상담센터) and ask about the parts you do not understand. You can get advice in Nepali.

Where to get help

• 고용노동부 Customer Center 1350, Labor Portal labor.moel.go.kr
• 외국인종합안내센터 1345 (20 languages including Nepali; Nepali on weekdays 09:00–18:00; call charges apply)
• 외국인력상담센터 1577-0071 (many languages including Nepali; 365 days, 09:00–18:00)
• 다누리콜센터 (Danuri Call Center) 1577-1366 (24 hours; many languages including Nepali). It is mainly for marriage migrants and multicultural families. You can also call when you need urgent protection, for example from violence. For work and contract problems, contact 1577-0071 or 1350 first.
• 고용센터 (for contract advice; apply for a workplace change at the 고용센터 in charge of the address of the workplace where you worked)