Criminal Records vs. Investigation Records in South Korea: A Comprehensive Overview

I. The Big Picture 1. Basic Concepts A. What is an investigation data table? An investigation data table is a table on which an investigative agency,…

An Argument on the Factory Floor, a Fatal Collapse: Court Rules Work-Related Stress Death Is Industrial Accident

A Korean administrative court has recognized the death of a factory manager who collapsed after a heated workplace argument as an industrial accident — confirming that…

“Management Reasons” Is Not a Reason: Court Voids Dismissal Notice That Lacked Specific Grounds

A Korean administrative court has ruled that a termination notice citing only “management reasons” — without any specific explanation — fails to satisfy the written notice…

565 Insults, One Year in Prison: Korean Court Sends Online Abuser to Jail for Relentless Campaign Against Actress Kim Gyu-ri

A Korean court has sentenced a man to one year in prison for posting over 565 insulting messages about actress Kim Gyu-ri (formerly known as Kim…

Step Outside the Lines, Still Protected: Constitutional Court Overturns Decision Not to Prosecute Driver Who Hit Pedestrian

Korea’s Constitutional Court has ruled that a pedestrian who was struck while slightly outside the painted lines of a (zebra) crosswalk is still entitled to the…

Squid Game’s “Gganbu Grandfather” Acquitted: Supreme Court Confirms Not-Guilty Verdict for Actor Oh Yeong-su

Korean actor Oh Yeong-su, internationally recognized for his role in Squid Game and the first Korean actor to win a Golden Globe, has had his sexual…

Split Into Three Cases, Charged Three Times: Court Orders Law Firm to Refund ₩9.9 Million in Excessive Fees

A Korean court has confirmed that a law firm must return nearly half of the fees it charged a client, after finding that three separately billed…

Self-Defense Laws in South Korea in 2026: Why One Woman Was Protected and Another Was Fined

Two recent cases — actress Nana’s armed home intruder and a woman who punched a bathroom voyeur — have reignited debate about South Korea’s narrow self-defense…

Still Constitutional: Bar Exam Time Limit Survives Challenge Despite Divided Court

Korea’s Constitutional Court has narrowly upheld the rule that law school graduates must pass the bar exam within five years and five attempts — with no…

Forty Years Late Is Not Too Late: Supreme Court Rules May 18 Families Can Still Sue for Emotional Damages

Korea’s Supreme Court has ruled that bereaved families of victims of the May 18, 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement can still pursue state compensation claims for emotional…

Too Poor for a Lawyer, Too Poor to Be Tried Without One: Supreme Court Overturns Conviction for Denying Public Defender

A Korean appellate court that rejected a welfare recipient’s request for a court-appointed lawyer and then proceeded to try and convict him without one has had…

Undercover, Not Entrapment: Supreme Court Upholds Sting Operation Against Illegal Massage Parlor

A police officer posing as a customer to verify whether a massage parlor was offering sexual services did not conduct an unlawful sting operation — and…

A KakaoTalk Message Is a Contract: Court Orders Client to Pay ₩50 Million in Legal Success Fees

A Korean court has ruled that a client’s KakaoTalk message committing to pay a specific sum by a specific date constitutes a legally binding modification of…

The Korean H-2 Visa (Working Visit): A Practical Guide

The Big Picture 1. Overview of the H-2 Visa The H-2 (working visit) visa is a long-term residence status based on Article 10 of the Immigration…

The Korean H-1 Visa (Working Holiday): A Practical Guide

The Big Picture 1. Overview of the H-1 Visa H-1 is the working holiday (負光就業) residence status. It is a status that allows a national of…

The Korean G-1 Visa (Miscellaneous/Refugee): A Practical Guide

The Big Picture 1. Legal Basis and Basic Character of G-1 Status A. Legal basis G-1 residence status is grounded in Article 10 of the Immigration…

Lawful Use of the Title “Attorney” in South Korea

1. Overview To lawfully use the title “attorney” in Korea, one must in principle (1) acquire the qualification of an attorney under the Attorney-at-Law Act and…

Permanent Residence (F-5 Visa) Status in South Korea

The Big Picture 1. Meaning and Characteristics of F-5 Permanent Residence Status Permanent residence (F-5) status allows a foreigner to reside continuously in the Republic of…

Marriage Migrant (F-6 Visa) Residence Status in South Korea

The Big Picture 1. Overview of F-6 Status Marriage migrant (F-6) status is a long-term residence status granted to a foreigner who has married a Korean…

Overseas Korean (F-4 Visa) Residence Status in South Korea

The Big Picture The Overseas Korean (F-4) residence status is conferred under the Act on the Immigration and Legal Status of Overseas Koreans (hereinafter the “Overseas…

The Korean E-9 (Non-Professional Employment) Visa

I. The Big Picture 1. Overview of the E-9 Visa The E-9 (Non-Professional Employment) visa is a status of stay granted to foreign nationals who enter…

The Korean E-7 (Special Designated Activities) Visa

I. The Big Picture 1. Overview of the E-7 Visa The E-7 visa (Special Designated Activities status) is a status of stay granted to foreign nationals…

Armed Home Invasion of Actress Nana Draws Seven-Year Sentence

A man who broke into the home of Korean actress Nana (Im Jin-ah) armed with a weapon, threatened her and her mother, and demanded money has…

The Korean E-2 (Foreign Language Instructor) Visa

I. The Big Picture 1. Significance and Legal Basis of E-2 Status The E-2 (Foreign Language Instructor) status of stay is the status of stay for…

The Korean E-1 (Professor) Visa

I. The Big Picture 1. Overview The E-1 visa is the Professor (敎授) status of stay, a long-term status of stay granted to foreign nationals who…

Supreme Court Upholds Fines for Disability Rights Activists Who Spray-Painted and Plastered Subway Station in Protest

Background On February 13, 2023, leaders and members of the Korea Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination (전국장애인차별철폐연대, known as Jeonjangnyeon) staged a demonstration at the Samgakji Station…

Three Sisters Fined for Assault and Stalking After “Fermented Seafood Attack” on Husband’s Affair Partner

Background In October 2023, three sisters carried out a coordinated attack on a woman identified as B, who had been in a romantic relationship with the…

Possession as a Continuing Offense: Supreme Court Rules That Pre-Law Deepfake and Illicit Recording Stockpiles Remain Punishable

Background A defendant identified as A was charged with multiple violations of Korea’s Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes (the Sexual…

The Complete Guide to the Korean D-10 (Job Seeker) Visa

I. The Big Picture 1. Overview of the D-10 Visa and Legal Basis The D-10 (Job Seeker) status of stay is granted to foreign nationals with…

The Complete Guide to the Korean D-8 (Corporate Investor) Visa

I. The Big Picture 1. Overview of the D-8 Visa The D-8 (Corporate Investor) status of stay is a long-term status of stay granted to essential…

The Complete Guide to the Korean D-4 (General Training) Visa

I. The Big Picture 1. Overview of the D-4 Visa The D-4 visa is a long-term status of stay granted to foreign nationals who intend to…

The Complete Guide to the Korean D-2 (Study Abroad) Visa

I. The Big Picture 1. Overview of the D-2 Visa The D-2 visa is a long-term status of stay granted to foreign nationals who intend to…

Secretly Photographed Evidence of a Spouse’s Affair Can Be Used in Civil Court — But the Hidden Recorder Cannot…

Korea’s Supreme Court has drawn a clear line between two types of covertly obtained evidence in a marital infidelity case: photographs taken of a spouse’s phone…

Filming Fighter Jets Gets Chinese Nationals Prison Time in Korea’s First Foreign Espionage Conviction of Its Kind

Two Chinese nationals who repeatedly photographed South Korean and US military facilities and attempted to intercept air traffic communications have been sentenced to prison in what…

Legal Marriage Is Not Enough: Court Rules Long-Separated Spouse Cannot Claim Pension Split

A Korean administrative court has ruled that a former spouse who was legally married but had been living entirely separately for years — with no genuine…