Last verified: September 22, 2026 · wage-arrears complaints, foreign-worker wage guarantee insurance and substitute-payment limits checked against current official sources.
If your regular payday has passed and all or part of your salary is missing, you do not have to wait 14 days before treating it as a wage problem.
The 14-day rule applies after retirement or death. A worker who is still employed starts with a simpler question: has the agreed payday already passed?
1. Save your contract, payslips, bank records and work-time evidence.
2. Write down the exact amount you believe is unpaid and the payday.
3. Ask the employer in writing when the missing amount will be paid.
4. If the problem remains unresolved, file a wage-arrears petition through the Labor Portal or the competent local labor office.
1. Are you still working there, or have you already left?
If the contractual payday has passed and the wage was not paid in full, the problem already exists. The post-retirement 14-day rule is not a waiting period for an overdue monthly wage.
The employer must generally settle wages and other money due within 14 days after retirement. The date can be extended by agreement when special circumstances exist.
2. Build the evidence file before the argument gets longer
If there is no written contract, unpaid work does not disappear. Bank deposits, messages, schedules and other evidence can help establish the employment and wage history.
3. Ask for the missing amount with a number and a date
“My August payslip shows net pay of ₩2,310,000, but ₩1,810,000 was deposited on September 10. Please confirm when the remaining ₩500,000 will be paid.”
Keep the employer's reply, especially if a new payment date is promised.
4. File through the Labor Portal or local labor office
A foreign worker who has not received wages can file a petition seeking payment of overdue wages or a criminal complaint seeking punishment for the violation.
5. If the employer says there is no money
| Recovery route | What it does | Important point |
|---|---|---|
| Employer payment | Employer pays after the labor-office investigation | Confirm the full amount was actually received |
| Foreign-worker wage guarantee insurance | Insurance claim where the employer was required to enroll | Current maximum can be up to ₩4 million under the applicable foreign-worker guarantee |
| Simplified substitute payment | KCOMWEL pays qualifying unpaid wages or retirement benefits | Eligibility and component ceilings apply |
| Civil recovery | Pursues remaining confirmed amounts | Check legal-aid eligibility separately |
6. E-9 and H-2 workers should check wage guarantee insurance
Employers falling within the statutory foreign-worker insurance rules must enroll in wage-payment guarantee insurance for qualifying E-9 and H-2 employment.
If the unpaid amount is larger than the insurance payout, the remaining claim does not disappear.
7. Simplified substitute payment is a separate recovery route
When the statutory requirements are met, Korea Workers' Compensation & Welfare Service can pay qualifying unpaid wages or retirement benefits through the Wage Claim Guarantee system.
Eligibility, covered periods and separate ceilings for wage and retirement-benefit components determine the actual payment.
8. Wage arrears can also matter to an E-9 workplace-change case
Serious working-condition violations that are not the worker's fault can be relevant to an E-9 workplace change. Keep the wage evidence, but do not wait for the wage case to finish before checking the workplace-change deadline.
9. If money still remains unpaid
If money remains after the labor-office, insurance and substitute-payment routes, civil recovery may be necessary.
The Korea Legal Aid Corporation can explain whether you qualify for assistance. Keep the official wage-arrears confirmation because it can remain useful during later recovery.
Related Video: Korean Labor Law for Foreign Workers
This video is presented by a Korean labor attorney and discusses legal protection for foreign workers, including unpaid wages and dismissal.
Sources
- Easy Law — Wage Arrears
- Ministry of Employment and Labor — Labor Portal
- Korea Law Information Center
- Easy Law — foreign-worker insurance and substitute payments
- Korea Legal Aid Corporation
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