If 330,000 원 for the dorm was taken out on your pay slip: Without written consent, you can get it back

When does this apply to you?

• Your pay slip shows a large amount taken out as "기숙사비" (dorm fee), "숙식비" (room and board fee) or "공제" (deduction).
• You only signed a paper in Korean and did not know what it said.
• More money was taken than you agreed to.
• The same amount is taken for electricity every month.
• Money is taken even though you do not use the housing.

First, divide the money that was taken into types

A large amount is not always all dorm fees. Divide up the deductions section of your pay slip.

Item	Explanation
4 major social insurances and taxes	Health insurance, employment insurance, income tax, etc.
Dorm fees and meal costs	Can be taken only with written consent
Electricity, gas and water	As a rule, settled based on what you actually used
Fines, work clothes costs, payment for defective products	May be illegal. Deductions from pay that are illegal

To see about how much insurance and tax should be, compare with the example in Living for a month on the minimum wage.

Steps

1. Collect 3 months of pay slips. If you do not have them, ask for them.
2. Find the consent form. Check if it is in your own language and what the amount is. Also look at the room and board section of your 근로계약서 (work contract).
3. Ask by text message. "What is the ○○ 원 deduction in month ○ for? Please give me a copy of the consent form."
4. Calculate the difference. Add up, month by month, the money taken without consent or the money taken above what you agreed to.
5. Ask for the money back by text message.
6. If they do not pay, file a complaint. See How to report unpaid wages. You can also ask 1350 first.

What to prepare

• 급여명세서 (pay slips), bank deposit records
• 근로계약서 (work contract), deduction consent form (if you have one)
• Photos of the housing and electricity and gas bills (if you have them)
• Text messages between you and your boss

Things to be careful about

• If you agreed, the amount you agreed to can be taken. But if the amount changed or new items were added without new consent, you can ask about it.
• A consent form only in Korean needs to be checked. Do not give up just because you signed it. Ask 1350.
• Do not believe people who say "everyone pays this" or "there is nothing you can do." Those words do not take away your rights.
• You can claim unpaid money for up to 3 years.
• If the housing itself is the problem, see Dorm standards and room and board deduction rules and If your housing is cold or inside a plastic greenhouse.

Frequently asked questions

Q. What percentage of my pay can they take? A. Right now, the law does not set a percentage. The old guideline was abolished on November 27, 2023. What you agreed to in writing is the standard.

Q. I agreed at the start, but now I want to stop paying. A. This depends on your contract, so each case is different. Take your consent form and ask 1350 or 1577-0071.

Q. If I move out of the housing, do I no longer have to pay? A. If they keep taking money for housing you do not live in, you can raise it as a problem. Before you move out, leave a record of the date by text message.

Where to get help

• 고용노동부 (Ministry of Employment and Labor) customer counseling 1350
• 외국인력상담센터 (Foreign Workforce Counseling Center) 1577-0071 (Nepali available, 365 days a year, 09:00~18:00)