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
[UPDATE] 2026 Income Requirement for an F-6 Visa Required income (2026), based on Korean spouse’s income: Family Members Required Income 2 people 25,195,752 won 3 people…
Overseas Korean (F-4 Visa) Residence Status in South Korea
[QUICK UPDATE] H-2 + F-4 Visa Now Integrated (effective Feb 12, 2026) What’s changed: As of Feb 12, 2026, H-2 and F-4 visas have integrated New…
The Korean E-9 (Non-Professional Employment) Visa
[UPDATE 1] E-9 Visa: Newly Added Industries (effective June 2025) What’s Changed The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced additional industries where E-9 visa holders can…
The Korean E-7 (Special Designated Activities) Visa
For more info about the E-7 visa: https://klawguru.com/2026/10/13/e-7-work-visa-issuance-for-foreign-nationals-in-south-korea-2026/ https://klawguru.com/2026/10/21/e-7-visa-job-types-in-south-korea-2026-requirements-wages-documents/ I. The Big Picture 1. Overview of the E-7 Visa The E-7 visa (Special Designated Activities status)…
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
[UPDATE] The D-10 Visa – Rule Changes General Maximum D-10 stay period increased from 1 year to 3 years D-10-1 (3 years) — eligible if you…
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
[FAQ] Can I Work with a D-2 visa? You must get permission from the immigration office before working — even if you’ve already graduated No work…
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…
What’s Final Is Final: Supreme Court Rules Appellate Courts Cannot Retry Unappealed Convictions
When only one side appeals part of a split verdict, the unappealed portion becomes legally final and is off-limits for the appellate court — even if…
Banned for Life from the Library — But the Ban Itself Is Void: Court Rules Permanent Exclusion Goes Too Far
A Korean court has invalidated a public library’s decision to permanently ban a disruptive patron, finding that while some restriction was warranted, a lifetime ban exceeds…
Malicious Complaints, Real Harm: Court Orders Parent to Pay ₩30 Million After Teacher Develops Facial Paralysis
A Korean court has ruled that a parent whose relentless and sometimes fabricated complaints caused a school administrator to develop depression and facial paralysis must pay…
Three Espressos and No Sleep: Insurance Agent Gets Three Years for Orchestrating ₩1 Billion Arrhythmia Fraud
A Korean insurance agent who created a detailed manual coaching clients on how to fake heart arrhythmia symptoms — and how to manipulate medical tests to…
One Witness Who Stayed Quiet: Court Acquits Resident Who Insulted Building Manager, Citing Lack of Public Element
A Korean appellate court has overturned a verbal insult conviction, finding that the presence of a single bystander who never passed the information on to anyone…
A Dying Whisper Can Still Be a Valid Will: Supreme Court Defends Dictated Testaments for the Critically Ill
South Korea’s Supreme Court has ruled that a terminal patient’s difficulty speaking does not automatically disqualify a dictated will — and that courts must look beyond…
Showing Up on Time and Still Getting Arrested: Supreme Court Says ‘That Can Be Unlawful’
A valid arrest warrant does not automatically justify its execution. If the suspect voluntarily appears at the agreed time and shows no signs of fleeing or…
Fired Your Lawyer? That Will Be ₩30 Million : Court Strikes Down Law Firm’s Punitive Termination Clause
A Korean appellate court has voided a law firm’s retainer clause that required clients to pay a fixed ₩30 million penalty for terminating the engagement —…
Training Is No Excuse: Supreme Court Confirms Dog Trainer Convicted of Animal Abuse for Prolonged Physical Restraint
A Korean dog trainer who injured a small elderly poodle by physically restraining it for fourteen minutes after it bit him has had his animal abuse…
Complete Guide to South Korean Visa Categories: A to H (2026)
1. Overview and Legal Basis Any foreign national seeking to enter the Republic of Korea must hold a status of stay (visa) (Immigration Act, Article 10(1)).…
A Lighter, a Cockroach, and a Neighbor’s Death: Four-Year Sentence Upheld for Fatal Apartment Fire
A Korean appellate court has confirmed a four-year custodial sentence for a man who started a fatal fire in his studio apartment while trying to kill…
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