Foreigners can get Korea’s unemployment benefit, officially the job-seeking benefit (구직급여, often called 실업급여), but only if they were covered by employment insurance (고용보험) at work. Whether you’re covered depends on your visa: some visas are covered automatically, others only if you applied to join.
Key facts
| Who | Insured workers who lost their job involuntarily and are actively looking for work |
| Work history | At least 180 insured days in the 18 months before leaving |
| Amount | 60% of your average daily wage, ₩66,048 to ₩68,100 a day (2026) |
| Length | 120 to 270 days, by age and insured period |
| Deadline | Benefits must be paid within 12 months of your last day; apply early |
| Where | Your local Employment Center (고용센터), online at Work24 (고용24, work24.go.kr), call 1350 |
Is your visa covered?
| Your visa | Employment insurance |
|---|---|
| F-2 (residence, most types), F-5 (permanent), F-6 (marriage) | Automatic, like a Korean worker |
| D-7, D-8, D-9 (intra-company, investor, trader) | Automatic, unless your country doesn’t cover Koreans in a similar scheme |
| F-4 (overseas Korean) | Only if you apply to join |
| Professional work visas E-1 to E-7 (including E-2 teachers and E-7 professionals) | Only if you apply to join |
| E-9, H-2 (Employment Permit System) | Covered for training and job-support programs; unemployment and parental leave benefits only if you applied |
| D-2, D-4, D-10 and other non-work visas | Not covered |
“Apply to join” means you (with your employer) file an application with the Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service (근로복지공단). You then pay the normal employee premium of 0.9% of pay (as of October 2026), and your employer pays its share.
Not sure if you're insured? Log in to Work24 or ask the Employment Center for your insured history (피보험자격 이력). If your payslip has an "employment insurance (고용보험)" line, you're paying in.
Who qualifies for the benefit
You must meet all of these:
- 180 insured days (피보험 단위기간) in the 18 months before your last day. This counts paid days, not calendar days, so it’s roughly 7 to 8 months of full-time work.
- Involuntary job loss: dismissal, contract ending, business closing, or a resignation for a recognized reason. Recognized reasons include wages unpaid for 2 months or more, harassment, a big cut in pay or hours, or a workplace move that makes your round-trip commute 3 hours or more.
- Able and ready to work, and actively looking for a job.
Quitting for personal reasons, or being fired for serious misconduct, usually disqualifies you.
How much and how long
You get 60% of your average daily wage for the 3 months before leaving, within a floor and a cap:
- Floor: 80% of the minimum wage for 8 hours. In 2026: ₩10,320 × 8 × 80% = ₩66,048 a day.
- Cap: ₩68,100 a day for people who left on or after 1 January 2026 (it was ₩66,000).
You earned ₩3.5 million a month and lost your job in 2026. 60% of your average daily wage is about ₩68,500, above the cap, so you get ₩68,100 a day: about ₩2.04 million for a 30-day month.
The number of days depends on your age on your last day and how long you were insured:
| Insured period | Under 50 | 50+ or disabled |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1 year | 120 days | 120 days |
| 1 to 3 years | 150 days | 180 days |
| 3 to 5 years | 180 days | 210 days |
| 5 to 10 years | 210 days | 240 days |
| 10 years or more | 240 days | 270 days |
How to claim
- Your employer reports that you lost insured status and files a separation certificate (이직확인서) with the reason you left. Check the reason is correct.
- Register as a job seeker on Work24 and complete the online orientation.
- Visit your Employment Center with your ARC to apply. There’s a 7-day waiting period first.
- Every 1 to 4 weeks, prove your job-search activity (applications, interviews, approved training) on a set “recognition day” (실업인정일).
- If you find a stable job with at least half of your benefit days left, you may get an early re-employment allowance of half the remaining amount.
Visa issues to check first
The benefit doesn’t extend your visa. You can only collect it while you legally stay in Korea and are allowed to look for work. When a job ends, report it to immigration and ask about your options, such as a job-seeking stay or a change of visa: see reporting changes to immigration and changing your visa status. E-9 workers have a limited time to find a new employer, so contact the Employment Center straight away.
Changes coming in 2027
In September 2026 the government announced a plan to raise the employment insurance premium from 0.9% to 1.0% of pay for both workers and employers in 2027, and to pay the benefit on a 6-day-week basis while keeping the total amount and the 120 to 270 day range. These changes still need the law and decrees to be amended; check before you rely on them.
Common questions
I’m an E-2 teacher. Can I get unemployment benefits?
Only if you and your school applied for employment insurance while you worked. Many E-2 teachers aren’t enrolled, so check your payslip and insured history.
My contract simply ended. Does that count as involuntary?
Usually yes, if the employer didn’t offer a renewal or you had a fixed-term contract that ended. If you refused a renewal on similar terms, it may count as voluntary.
Can I get the benefit after leaving Korea?
No. You must be in Korea, available to work and reporting your job search on the recognition days.
What if my employer never enrolled me, though my visa is covered automatically?
If your visa is automatically covered (F-2, F-5, F-6), you’re insured from your first day even if the employer didn’t report it. Ask the Employment Center to confirm your insured status (피보험자격 확인청구).
Official sources
This guide explains the general rules as of the date above. Rules change and every case is different, so confirm with the office named here (or the 1345 Immigration Contact Center) before an important decision. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.