The 이력서: what goes on it, and how it differs from a Western CV

A Korean white-collar application has two documents, not one: the 이력서 (iryeokseo, structured resume) and the 자기소개서 (jagisogaeseo, self-introduction essay). Submitting only an 이력서 is rarely enough. Submitting a Western-format CV is one of the most common reasons foreign applicants are filtered out at the document-screening stage.

This chapter covers the 이력서. The next chapter covers the 자기소개서. Read both before you apply to anything.

The two-document system in one paragraph

The 이력서 is factual and dense. Its purpose is to let a Korean HR reviewer scan your credentials in roughly 10 seconds and confirm that you meet the basic requirements. Section headings are pre-printed. Fields are short. Achievement narratives do not belong here.

The 자기소개서 is the opposite. It is a set of prompted personal essays where you explain who you are, why you want this job, and what you intend to contribute. It is always written in formal polite Korean. It is not a cover letter.

Both documents are typically required. At chaebols and large firms they are integrated into a single proprietary portal form (입사지원서, ipsa jiwonseo). At SMEs you submit each separately.

What a Korean 이력서 actually looks like

Imagine a single-page table. Top right: a small ID-style photo. Top left and center: name, date of birth, address, contact details, nationality, visa status, military service, photo. Below that: education, work experience, certifications and language scores, awards, references. No paragraphs. No achievement bullets. No design flair.

The Western CV emphasizes narrative. The Korean 이력서 emphasizes scannability. A Korean HR reviewer looking at 200 applications wants to see school, GPA, certifications, language scores, and visa status within 10 seconds. Anything that slows that scan reduces your odds.

This is why a Western-format CV does not work as a substitute. The HR reviewer cannot find what they are looking for, and the application is set aside.

The legal and real gap on personal information

Korean law and Korean practice point in different directions. You need to understand both.

What the law says

The Fair Hiring Procedures Act (채용절차법, chaeyong jeolcha beop) added Article 4-3, in force since July 17, 2019. It prohibits employers with 30 or more employees from requiring personal information unrelated to job performance. Specifically prohibited:

• Physical characteristics (appearance, height, weight)
• Birthplace or hometown
• Marital status or anything implying it
• Family wealth or assets
• Education, occupation, and assets of parents and other direct ascendants or descendants, and of siblings

Penalties: an administrative fine of 3 million KRW for a first offense, 4 million KRW for a second, and 5 million KRW for a third or later (Article 17 and the Enforcement Decree). Companies under 30 employees are not covered by the Act.

A MOEL inspection of 627 workplaces in the second half of 2023 found 281 illegal or unfair hiring practices, including application forms that still asked for marital status and family members' education and occupation (MOEL press release, March 6, 2024). So the law is on paper but enforcement is partial.

What actually appears on most private-sector forms

If a 30-or-more-employee firm asks for a prohibited field, you are legally not required to provide it. In practice, complaining about the form at the application stage is not productive. Leave those fields blank or write N/A and move on.

Public sector: completely different rules

Government agencies, state-run institutions, and public enterprises use a mandatory blind-hiring standard form (표준이력서, pyojun iryeokseo) that prohibits photos, school names, age and date of birth, family background, hometown, and physical characteristics. Blind hiring became mandatory for public institutions (공공기관) in July 2017 and for local public enterprises from August 2017. MOEL's blind-hiring guideline for public institutions was last revised in November 2022. Separately, the Fair Hiring Procedures Act extended related personal-information restrictions to employers with 30 or more employees, including private companies, in July 2019.

One practical note: most public-sector positions require Korean citizenship or F-5 permanent residency. Entry-level public-sector hiring of E-7 or student visa holders exists but is rare.

Section by section: the 이력서 fields

인적사항 (injeoksahang): personal information

The top block. Photo at upper right, fields below.

Name (이름): Both your name in your original script and a Korean phonetic transliteration (한글). Decide on one Korean spelling and use it everywhere. A different spelling on different documents reads as a discrepancy.

Date of birth (생년월일, saengnyeon weoril): Required on private-sector applications. Format YYYY/MM/DD or YYYY.MM.DD.

Nationality (국적, gukjeok): Always disclose. Country name in Korean: 미국 (USA), 영국 (UK), 베트남 (Vietnam), 필리핀 (Philippines), 중국 (China), 러시아 (Russia), 인도네시아 (Indonesia), 태국 (Thailand), and so on.

Visa type and work eligibility: State your visa, its issue date, and its expiry date. KOWORK, a job platform for foreigners, lists unclear visa information among the common reasons strong foreign applicants are filtered out. F-visa holders should highlight the visa clearly: it signals no sponsorship needed. E-7 candidates should state E-7 sponsorship is required, and which code is the target. Being direct saves everyone time.

Address (주소): Current residential address in Korea (or in your home country if you are applying from abroad).

Contact (연락처): Korean mobile (휴대폰) and email (이메일).

Military service (병역사항, byeongnyeok sahang): Every Korean resume template includes this field. As a foreign national, write 해당 없음 (haedan eobseum, not applicable). Do not leave it blank. Blank fields read as incomplete applications.

학력사항 (haknyeok sahang): education

Reverse chronological order, most recent first. Use YYYY.MM date format throughout (e.g., 2019.03 for March 2019).

For each entry: institution name, major, enrollment date, graduation date (or 졸업예정 for expected), and degree type.

Foreign degrees: Institution name in full English plus a Hangul transliteration. Korean degree equivalents:

• Bachelor's = 학사 (haksa)
• Master's = 석사 (seoksa)
• PhD = 박사 (baksa)

GPA: Always show both scales. "3.7 / 4.0" or "3.5 / 4.5" depending on the original scale. If your country uses degree classifications instead of GPA (UK, Australia, France), write the classification in English and note what it corresponds to.

경력사항 (gyeongnyeok sahang): work experience

Reverse chronological. For each entry: employer name, role or title, employment dates in YYYY.MM, and a brief factual description of responsibilities.

Keep it factual and concise. Achievement narratives belong in the 자기소개서, not here. Brief one-line scope notes with concrete numbers are appropriate: "Managed social accounts across 4 platforms with 200K combined followers."

Job title mapping: Western titles do not always translate directly. Use the closest Korean functional equivalent and add the original English title in parentheses, for example: "제품기획자 (Product Manager)."

Experienced hires (5+ years): Add a separate document called 경력기술서 (gyeongnyeok gisuljeo, career description), 2 to 4 pages, that goes deeper on professional accomplishments. The 이력서 stays concise; the 경력기술서 carries the detailed narrative.

자격증 및 어학능력 (jagyeokcheung mit eohak neungnyeok): certifications and language

TOPIK: The single credential that most directly signals Korean-market readiness for foreign applicants. Format: "TOPIK II 4급 (Certificate No. XXXXX, valid through YYYY-MM)." TOPIK results are valid for 2 years from the results announcement date. Include the certificate number; HR may verify.

TOPIK level benchmarks:

• Level 3: Below the level expected for most office positions.
• Level 4: Inflection point. Most Korean-language office roles become accessible, and Level 4 is a common minimum in postings aimed at foreign applicants.
• Level 5: Preferred for most mid-level white-collar roles at Korean firms.
• Level 6: Near-native. Opens virtually all positions.
• No TOPIK: Write 준비중 (junbijung, in preparation) if you are actively studying. Do not leave blank; omission reads as evasion.

English proficiency: TOEIC, IELTS, or TOEFL with score and test date. Some Korean firms set a minimum TOEIC score for international-facing roles. Check each posting for the current cycle.

Other certifications: Full name, issuing body, date obtained. Korean government-recognized certifications (Korean industrial certifications, Korean professional certifications) carry more weight than informal certificates.

수상경력 (susang gyeongnyeok): awards

Optional section but recommended if you have substantive entries: academic prizes, competition wins, professional recognition. Keep entries to one line each: award name, issuing body, date.

자기소개서 attachment

For most SME applications you submit the 이력서 and 자기소개서 as separate files (or sometimes as a combined HWP/PDF document). Chapter 6 covers the 자기소개서 format.

The 스펙 (spek) portfolio: how foreign credentials map

스펙 (spek, from English "specification") is the Korean term for the credential portfolio Korean HR uses to sort applicants at document screening. Every Korean applicant builds a 스펙 across these categories:

You do not need every element. Present what you have, in the format Korean HR can read quickly, and be transparent about what you are building toward.

Format and file type

Page count: Aim for one page. Two pages acceptable for senior or experienced hires. The 경력기술서 is a separate document, not an extension of the 이력서.

File format:

• For direct email submissions to SMEs, HWP (Korean Hangul word processor) is the safe default. HWP is the format most Korean HR teams use natively.
• PDF is widely accepted at MNCs, tech-sector firms, and chaebols.
• For platform applications (Saramin, JobKorea, company portals), you usually fill out fields directly in the platform, and some also accept a file upload.

If you do not have access to HWP, generate a PDF and use the Seoulstart Korean Resume Builder which outputs a properly formatted Korean resume.

The 증명사진: the resume photo

Specifications for private-sector applications:

• Size: 3x4 cm is the traditional resume size, and 3.5x4.5 cm (passport size) is also common. Follow what the form asks for. When in doubt, ask the studio for both.
• Digital file: JPG or PNG. Check the platform's upload limits for file size and dimensions.
• Background: Neutral white or light gray
• Attire: Formal business wear. Dark suit conventional.
• Expression: Neutral or slight natural smile.
• Date: Taken within the last 6 months.

Dedicated photo studios (사진관, sajingwan) throughout Seoul take resume photos, and many offer same-day turnaround. Prices vary widely: a basic set costs much less than a retouched professional set, so compare a few studios before you book.

Do not submit a selfie or a casual photo. Do not submit any photo when applying to public-sector positions; photos are prohibited on the blind-hiring standard form.

Company type determines your format

What works for one type of employer may not work for another:

Common mistakes foreign applicants make

These are the patterns that come up most often in employer and career-service guidance for foreign applicants.

1. Submitting only an English-format CV. The most common and most consequential error. Korean HR cannot process it efficiently. Even for MNCs, prepare a Korean version.

2. Missing the 자기소개서 entirely. Submitting only an 이력서 for a Korean white-collar role is a near-automatic disqualification at most firms.

3. Writing achievement narrative in the 이력서. The work history section should be factual: company, role, dates, brief scope. Achievement storytelling belongs in the 자기소개서.

4. Wrong language register in the 자소서. Mixing informal and formal endings. Use -합니다 / -습니다 throughout.

5. Machine-translated Korean. Korean HR identifies machine-translated text easily. Hire a Korean-native proofreader if your Korean is not at the level required.

6. Hiding or omitting visa status. Leaving the visa field blank or burying it at the bottom signals evasion. State visa type, issue date, and expiry date clearly.

7. Leaving the military service field blank. Always write 해당 없음.

8. GPA without scale conversion. "3.8" by itself is not legible to Korean HR. Always write "3.8 / 4.0."

9. Identical 자소서 sent to multiple companies. The 지원동기 section must be specific to the company. Generic motivation statements are a known disqualifier.

10. Submitting a Western-style cover letter alongside the 이력서. A Western cover letter is not a 자기소개서 substitute. They are different documents in structure, purpose, and language.

Practical scenarios

I have a Western university degree. How do I list it?

Institution in full English plus Hangul transliteration. Korean degree equivalent: 학사 / 석사 / 박사. Major, enrollment date, graduation date in YYYY.MM. GPA in both scales.

At application stage, no formal credential verification is required at most private-sector employers. After offer, the employer typically asks for a certified transcript or authenticated degree certificate. Public-sector and some government-adjacent employers may require apostille authentication.

My visa is D-10 and I need E-7 sponsorship. How do I list my status?

In the personal information section, write your current visa: "D-10 (구직비자, job seeker visa), valid until [date]." In your 자기소개서 or in a brief cover note to the employer, state that you are eligible for E-7 sponsorship if hired. Being transparent about needing E-7 is not universally a disqualifier; it filters out employers who are unwilling to sponsor anyway, which saves everyone time.

I want to apply to a tech startup on Wanted. Can I use an English CV?

For Wanted-listed companies whose postings are in English or explicitly bilingual: yes. A modern English CV with portfolio links is appropriate. The traditional 이력서 table format is not expected.

For Wanted listings in Korean only: use a Korean CV. A brief Korean self-introduction paragraph is welcomed even for bilingual postings.

I have 5+ years of experience. Do I do anything differently?

Add a 경력기술서 (gyeongnyeok gisuljeo) to your application package. Two to four pages giving each major role and its achievements space. Keep the 이력서 itself concise, and move detailed accomplishment narratives into the 경력기술서 and the 직무역량 section of your 자기소개서.

Action checklist

• Generate a Korean-format 이력서 using the Seoulstart Korean Resume Builder or an HWP template.
• Take a 증명사진 at a proper photo studio if you do not already have one less than 6 months old.
• State your visa type, issue date, and expiry date clearly in the 인적사항 section.
• Write 해당 없음 in the military service field.
• Show GPA in both scales.
• List TOPIK with certificate number, or write 준비중 if you are actively studying.
• Save in HWP format for SME submissions, PDF for MNCs and tech.
• Prepare a 경력기술서 if you have 5+ years of experience.