Last verified: September 22, 2026 · resignation, dismissal notice, final settlement, employment certificates, National Pension refunds and post-employment procedures checked against current official sources.
Your final workday is not the day to close every Korean account and throw away the paperwork.
First identify how the employment is ending. A resignation, an employer dismissal and an E-9 workplace change use different rules. Then close the shared items: final wage, severance if eligible, employment records, housing, insurance, immigration status and access to the bank account or phone number where later payments may arrive.
1. If you resign, put the date in writing
Korean labor law does not give employees a simple mirror image of the employer's 30-day dismissal-notice rule. Article 26 of the Labor Standards Act controls dismissal by the employer.
For employment with no fixed period, Civil Act rules can affect when a termination notice becomes effective. Your contract or workplace rules may also contain a resignation procedure.
State your proposed final working date in writing and keep the employer's response.
“I am giving notice of resignation. My proposed final working day is October 31, 2026. Please confirm my final work schedule, return-of-property procedure and final-pay documents.”
Do not sign a document saying that you resigned voluntarily if that is not what actually happened.
2. If the employer dismisses you, check the 30-day rule
The Labor Standards Act generally requires an employer to give at least 30 days' advance notice of dismissal or pay at least 30 days of ordinary wage instead.
Statutory exceptions exist, including a worker who has been continuously employed for less than three months and other specified circumstances.
Keep the notice, payroll record and final payment documents.
3. Check the written reason and dismissal date
At a workplace where Labor Standards Act Article 27 applies, the employer must give the worker a written notice stating the reason for dismissal and the dismissal date.
| Question | What to check |
|---|---|
| When does the job end? | The stated dismissal date |
| Why? | The employer's stated reason for dismissal |
| Was advance notice given? | 30 days, substitute ordinary wage, or a claimed statutory exception |
| Was it given in writing? | The actual written or electronic dismissal notice |
4. E-9 workers should settle the workplace-change route first
If you are on E-9 and intend to continue working in Korea, leaving one employer is tied to the Employment Permit System.
The current law generally gives an E-9 worker one month from the end of the employment contract to apply for a workplace change, followed by a separate period for obtaining permission for the new workplace, unless a statutory exception changes the calculation.
Save the termination record → confirm the workplace-change reason → apply within the legal deadline → keep EPS or employment-center proof → complete the new employment and immigration permission route.
5. Final wages and other money are generally settled within 14 days
When a worker retires, the Labor Standards Act generally requires the employer to pay wages, compensation and other money or valuables due within 14 days.
If special circumstances exist, the parties can agree to extend the payment date.
Severance has its own legal basis, but the ordinary severance system also uses a 14-day payment period.
| Keep before leaving | Why |
|---|---|
| Final employment contract | Dates, wage, hours, workplace and deductions |
| Recent payslips | Final wage and severance calculation |
| Bank deposit history | Proof of what was actually paid |
| Work-time records | Outstanding overtime, night or holiday pay |
| Termination or resignation document | Why and when employment ended |
| Insurance / EPS records | Departure insurance, workplace history and related claims where applicable |
6. Ask for your employment certificate
Labor Standards Act Article 39 gives a worker, including a former worker, the right to request a certificate covering matters such as employment period, type of work, position and wages.
The employer should include only the matters the worker requests.
Employment period · job type · position · wage information where relevant.
7. Employer housing needs its own exit record
If you live in company-provided accommodation, confirm the move-out date before the employment relationship ends.
Photograph the room and supplied items when you leave, return keys with a record where possible, and keep any document showing the final housing or utility deduction.
8. Do not close your bank account or Korean phone too early
A final wage, severance payment, E-9 Departure Guarantee Insurance amount, tax refund or National Pension payment may arrive after the last working day.
Keep a usable payment and authentication route until those items are settled.
9. Check National Pension before permanent departure
A foreign worker who paid into Korea's National Pension does not automatically receive a lump-sum refund simply because the job ended.
Current National Pension Service rules provide lump-sum refunds to qualifying foreigners when statutory conditions are met—for example, according to nationality reciprocity, a social-security agreement or specified residence-status rules.
Current NPS guidance specifically lists insured periods under E-8, E-9 and H-2 among the visa-based refund categories under the applicable conditions.
Check nationality, visa category, insured period and departure situation on the current NPS foreigner-refund page before applying.
10. Health insurance and immigration status can change after the job ends
If you were insured through the workplace, the end of employment changes the basis on which National Health Insurance treats you.
If the job ending may affect your status of stay, workplace permission or permitted stay period, use HiKorea or the Immigration Contact Center at 1345.
11. Leave with one complete exit file
Related Video: Migrant Workers, Employment Conditions & Workplace Changes
This Arirang News discussion is conducted in English. It covers Korea's Employment Permit System, employment contracts, wages, working conditions and the limits migrant workers can face when changing workplaces.
Sources
- Korea Law Information Center — Labor Standards Act
- Employment Permit System
- National Pension Service — Lump-sum Refund for Foreigners
- National Health Insurance Service
- HiKorea
A Korean Dessert: K-pop & One More Side of Korea
TWICE — TT
A bright K-pop break after final-pay, pension and immigration paperwork.
Lotte World Tower & Seoul Sky
A view from one of Seoul's most recognizable landmarks after the final paperwork is done.
Visit Korea Trends Explained →