Jobs & Labor

Using Employment Centers

A government agency offering job placement, vocational training, and labor counseling; foreigners can use it depending on residence status.

• Job counseling, job-seeker registration, listings, and résumé help
• Vocational-training guidance and, for eligible people, employment-insurance and unemployment-benefit counseling
• Pohang Employment and Welfare+ Center — 221 Jungheung-ro, Buk-gu, Pohang, 054-280-3000

Job Sites

Job searching and applying are mostly done online.

• Employment24 (work24.go.kr) — government-run, with job counseling and training
• Saramin, JobKorea, Incruit — private job platforms
• Requests for a membership fee, placement fee, or deposit may be a scam

Part-Time Work

Students must get a part-time work permit before they start working.

• Sign a contract → get your school’s international-office confirmation → apply on HiKorea → work after approval
• At POSTECH — up to 30 hours on weekdays if Korean-proficiency requirements are met, 15 hours if not
• You cannot work in restricted fields such as delivery, designated-driving, or entertainment venues

On-Campus Work & Internships

On-campus work and internships are not automatically allowed for students either.

• Library, administrative, and lab work, teaching assistance, event interpreting/translation, and field practice
• First check whether it is a work-study grant or earned income, and whether a part-time work permit is needed
• Check that the work period does not exceed your current period of stay

Hiring Local Talent

Pohang City and Gyeongbuk Province subsidize labor costs for companies that hire young people.

• Pohang Youth Jobs program — up to KRW 1.6 million per person per month, for up to 10 months
• Youth Job Leap Incentive (Ministry of Employment and Labor) — up to 24 months and KRW 12 million
• Pohang City Hall, Jobs & Youth Division 054-270-2834

Employment Contract

The most important document protecting your rights. Always get and keep your own copy.

• Check — company name, workplace, duties, term, working hours, and break times
• Wages, pay date and method, overtime and weekly-holiday pay, annual leave, and the four major insurances
• Be cautious if asked to sign a contract with blank spaces

Minimum Wage

Employers must pay at least the minimum wage to all workers regardless of nationality.

• The minimum wage changes each year, so check the current amount
• A pay statement must be provided by law — check and keep it
• The pay statement shows your wages and any deductions

Working Hours & Leave

The standard is 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week in principle.

• Overtime needs your consent; overtime, night (22:00–06:00), and holiday work carry premium pay
• Breaks — at least 30 minutes for 4 hours of work, at least 1 hour for 8 hours
• If eligible, a weekly paid rest day and paid annual leave; severance pay after one year of work

Unpaid Wages

If you are not paid wages or severance, don’t try to solve it alone — get help from a labor agency.

1. Prepare documents such as your contract and pay statements.
2. First discuss it with the employer.
3. If unresolved, consult the Ministry of Employment and Labor Customer Center (1350).
4. File a complaint at a regional office or online.

Unfair Dismissal

You can get counseling if you are dismissed without cause or treated unfairly.

• Abusive language or assault, and being forced to do work other than in your contract, are also covered
• If needed, free legal counseling from the Korea Legal Aid Corporation (132)
• Counseling and reporting are free, and foreigners are protected by labor law

Industrial Accidents

For work accidents or work-related illness, industrial-accident insurance can cover treatment costs and leave benefits.

• Machine accidents, falls, burns/amputations, work-related back or joint conditions, and, if eligible, commuting accidents
• Benefits — medical care, leave, disability, nursing, and survivor benefits
• You can apply directly to the Workers’ Compensation Service even if the employer does not
• Dismissal or disadvantage for filing a claim is not allowed in principle

E-9 Workplace Change

You must have a legally defined reason and follow the employment-center procedure.

• Reasons — contract termination or non-renewal, suspension/closure, unpaid wages/assault/rights violations, permit cancellation, or illness/injury
• Apply within one month of leaving; job-search validity is three months
• Up to 3 times in the initial employment period and 2 in re-employment, in principle
• Reasons not caused by the worker may be excluded from the count

H-2 Workplace Change

You can change jobs within permitted industries by searching yourself or through an employment center.

1. End the employment relationship with your current workplace.
2. Check that the new workplace is in an H-2-permitted industry.
3. Sign a contract with the new employer.
4. The employer files a start-of-work notice and the worker files a start-of-employment/workplace-change notice.

A filing by one side does not automatically complete all procedures.

Resignation & Job-Search Process

The steps and documents from leaving a job to finding a new workplace.

• Register at an employment center → get placement → sign a standard contract → get an employment permit → change workplace → start work after final approval
• Documents — passport and alien registration card, workplace-change application, contract, and proof of leaving
• Pay statements and bank records, work schedules and attendance records, and text/messenger chats
• Obstructing a workplace change can be subject to penalties