'Don't come to work from tomorrow' — If you are not told 30 days before, you get 30 days of ordinary wages

When does this apply?

• Your boss suddenly said "Stop coming" or "There is no work for you from tomorrow"
• Your contract period is not finished, but the company wants to end it first
• The company told you to leave, saying "The company is in trouble" or "Your job is gone"
• The company told you to leave the dormitory and also to stop working

There are only three cases where you cannot get dismissal notice pay (Article 26, each item).

1. You worked continuously for less than 3 months
2. The business cannot continue because of a natural disaster or other unavoidable reason
3. The worker on purpose caused serious harm to the business or damage to its property, and this is one of the reasons set by 고용노동부 (Ministry of Employment and Labor) rules

If you do not know which case applies to you, you can ask at 1350 or 1577-0071.

How much do you get?

Dismissal notice pay is calculated as 1 day of ordinary wage × 30 days. The ordinary wage (통상임금) is pay that is fixed every month, like your basic pay. Overtime pay and night work pay are not included.

Here is an example for a person who works 8 hours a day at the 2026 minimum wage (10,320원 per hour).

• 1 day of ordinary wage: 10,320원 × 8 hours = 82,560원
• Dismissal notice pay: 82,560원 × 30 days = 2,476,800원

If your monthly pay is higher than the minimum wage, the notice pay is also higher. If the amount the company calculated is lower than this, you can ask them to show how they calculated it.

Separate from dismissal notice pay, as a rule you must receive all remaining wages and your 퇴직금 (severance pay) within 14 days from the day you left the job (Article 36).

Steps

1. Ask, "Is this a dismissal?" Ask your boss: "Are you firing me? From when? What is the reason?" Record this conversation, or ask again by text message or KakaoTalk and keep the answer. In Korea, it is allowed to record a conversation that you are part of.
2. Do not sign a resignation letter or agreement (합의서). Even if they say "It is just a formality" or "You must write this to get your salary," do not sign. As a rule, you get your wages whether or not you write a resignation letter.
3. Ask for a written notice. If the workplace has 5 or more workers, ask for a document that shows the reason and the date of dismissal. Even if they do not give it, the record that you asked for it is evidence.
4. Ask for dismissal notice pay. Send a text or KakaoTalk message: "I was dismissed without notice 30 days before, so please pay dismissal notice pay of ○○○원 by ○ (month) ○ (day)."
5. If they do not pay, file a complaint (진정). File a complaint about unpaid wages (임금체불 진정) online at the Labor Portal (labor.moel.go.kr) or at the regional labor office (지방고용노동관서) in charge of your workplace. Unpaid dismissal notice pay can also be reported this way. For how to do this, see the article "How to report when you did not receive your wages."
6. If the dismissal itself is unfair, apply for remedy (구제신청, a request to fix the unfair dismissal) at the Labor Relations Commission (노동위원회). If the workplace has 5 or more regular workers and you were fired without a fair reason, you can apply to the Regional Labor Relations Commission (지방노동위원회) within 3 months from the dismissal date (Article 28). You can apply online at nlrc.go.kr. After 3 months, you cannot apply.
7. Apply for a workplace change at the 고용센터 (Employment Center). As a rule, E-9 workers must apply at the 고용센터 within 1 month from the day the employment contract ended. Do not wait until the dispute about the pay is finished. Apply first. For the detailed steps, see the article "Workplace change – reasons, steps, number of times."

What to prepare

• Evidence of the dismissal: recording files, screenshots of text or KakaoTalk messages, dismissal notice (if you have one)
• Name and contact of coworkers who heard it with you (witnesses)
• 근로계약서 (employment contract) (표준근로계약서, standard employment contract), 외국인등록증 (Alien Registration Card)
• 급여명세서 (pay slips) for the last 3 months, bank deposit records
• Work attendance records: work schedule, entry card records, your own notes

Be careful

• If they say "Just leave," do not simply pack your things and go. Go to work the next day as usual, or ask by text message if you should come to work. If you stop going without saying anything, the company may claim you were "absent without permission or left your job (무단결근·이탈)."
• If you write a resignation letter, it counts as quitting by your own choice. It becomes hard to get dismissal notice pay. It also becomes hard to have the workplace change accepted as "the employer's fault."
• At workplaces with fewer than 5 workers, you can get dismissal notice pay. But the duty of written notice (Article 27) and the remedy application to the Labor Relations Commission (Article 28) do not apply. In this case, focus on getting the notice pay and your remaining wages through a complaint.
• Even if the employer told you 30 days before, that does not make the dismissal fair. Notice and a fair reason are two separate things.
• Number of workplace changes: If your boss ended the contract, you can apply for a change within 1 month. If you were fired because of the employer's fault, such as unpaid wages, breaking working conditions, or closing or stopping the business, it may be accepted as a "reason that is not the worker's fault." Then it may not count toward your number of changes. The 고용센터 decides this, so bring your evidence.
• Like wages, it becomes hard to claim dismissal notice pay after 3 years.

Frequently asked questions

Q. My boss says, "Your contract period is over, so leave." Is this a dismissal? A. If the job ends on the end date written in your contract, it is not a dismissal. It is the end of the contract (계약 만료). In this case, there is no dismissal notice pay. But ending the job before the end date is a dismissal. Check the date in your contract. Even when the contract ends, you can still apply for a workplace change within 1 month.

Q. I have only worked for 2 months. A. If you worked continuously for less than 3 months, you cannot get dismissal notice pay. But you must still receive all wages for the days you worked within 14 days. If the workplace has 5 or more workers, you can still apply for remedy for unfair dismissal.

Q. Can the employer fire me at any time if they pay 30 days of notice pay? A. No. The notice pay is money for not giving notice. At workplaces with 5 or more workers, there must also be a fair reason for the dismissal. If there is no reason, you can apply for remedy at the Labor Relations Commission.

Q. My boss says, "You were not fired. You left by yourself." A. This is why evidence is important. If you have a recording of the dismissal, messages, or witnesses, it is easier to have it accepted as a dismissal. If you did not sign a resignation letter, it is even better for you.

Q. Can I go back to my home country the day after I am fired? A. If you leave Korea, it becomes hard both to claim the notice pay and to change workplace. First, apply for a workplace change at the 고용센터 within 1 month. You can file the complaint online at the Labor Portal.

Where to get help

Organization	Phone / Website	Services
외국인력상담센터 (Foreign Workforce Counseling Center)	1577-0071	Counseling on dismissal and workplace change, 18 languages
고용노동부 고객상담센터 (Ministry of Employment and Labor Customer Center)	1350	Counseling on dismissal notice pay and complaints
외국인종합안내센터 (Immigration Contact Center)	1345	Questions about visa status and leaving Korea, 20 languages
고용노동부 노동포털 (Labor Portal)	labor.moel.go.kr	Online complaint filing
노동위원회 (Labor Relations Commission)	nlrc.go.kr	Remedy application for unfair dismissal (5 or more workers, within 3 months)
고용센터	Nearest 고용센터	Workplace change application (within 1 month)