Can foreigners work in Korea?
Yes, but only with a status of stay that allows employment. Working without one can lead to prison or a fine. CHECKED 01 NOV 2026 Depends Source: Immigration Act, Art. 18(1) · Easy Law (Ministry of Government Legislation) Open the official source ↗ Checked Nov 1, 2026 Re-check due Jan 30, 2027 3 sources What the law says Under Article 18(1) of the Immigration Act, a foreigner who wants to be employed in Korea must hold a status of stay that allows employment activities. Where a status designates a workplace, you may not work anywhere else (Art. 18(2)). Our summary. Read the full text in the official source above. Which statuses allow work? Korea's Easy Law site lists these statuses of stay as work-eligible. What each one lets you do is set out in the Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act. C-4 Short-term employment E-1 Professor E-2 Foreign language instructor E-3 Researcher E-4 Technical instructor E-5 Professional E-6 Arts & entertainment E-7 Specially designated activit...