A registered job agency in Korea can charge you at most 1% of the wages for the job, capped at 3 months' wages. It can collect that fee only after you sign an employment contract, and only under a written fee agreement you signed first. Anything more, or anything earlier, breaks the rules.
This guide is for anyone in Korea who finds work through a private job agency: day laborers, caregivers, domestic helpers, factory workers, and F-4 or H-2 holders. It covers what an agency may charge you, what the employer pays, the warning signs, how to check registration, and where to report.
What a job agency is under Korean law
A job agency arranges an employment contract between an employer and a job seeker. If it charges money, it is a paid job placement business (유료직업소개사업). Most people call it a job agency (직업소개소). A day-labor office (인력사무소) is the same kind of business.
The law that covers it is the Employment Security Act (직업안정법). Under that law:
- A domestic paid agency must register with the city, county or district office where its main office is.
- An agency that places workers in jobs abroad registers with the Ministry of Employment and Labor (고용노동부) instead. Anyone recruiting workers for jobs abroad must report it to the ministry.
- Each agency office must have at least one qualified job counsellor (직업상담원). The owner, or a family member who lives with the owner, can fill this role if they are qualified and work there full-time. Staff who are not counsellors cannot do placement work.
- An agency cannot lend its name, trade name or registration certificate (등록증) to someone else.
- An agency, or its staff, cannot also run a marriage brokerage or a lodging business.
- An agency must carry guarantee insurance, a mutual-aid policy, or a bank deposit. This covers damage it causes to workers or employers through intent or negligence.
In Gangnam-gu, the district office runs a disqualification check (결격사유 조회) and an office site visit before it issues a registration certificate. The certificate is issued within 15 days.
What an agency can charge you
The fee caps come from the Ministry of Employment and Labor's domestic paid placement fee notice, Notice No. 2017-22 (국내유료직업소개요금 등 고시). It has been in force since July 1, 2017. As of October 30, 2026, it is the only version listed as current on law.go.kr. An agency cannot take any money beyond the fees this notice allows.
Three rules apply to the fee you pay as a job seeker:
- Contract first. The agency can collect a fee only after you and the employer sign an employment contract.
- Written agreement first. Your fee must be based on a written agreement you signed with the agency in advance.
- 1% cap. For a job shorter than 3 months, the fee is at most 1% of the wages for the whole job. For a job of 3 months or longer, the fee is at most 1% of 3 months' wages.
To work out the most an agency can charge you for a specific job, use our free job agency fee calculator.
Worked examples
| Job | Wage base | Most you can be charged |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year job at ₩2,500,000 a month | ₩7,500,000 (3 months) | ₩75,000 |
| 1 construction day at ₩180,000 | ₩180,000 | ₩1,800 |
What counts as wages
The wage base is wages as defined in the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법). For tip-based jobs with no set wage, the employer's income guarantee letter is used instead. If the employer gives you room and board, up to ₩50,000 a month of it can be added to the wage base.
High-level professional jobs
For some high-paid professional jobs (고급·전문인력), the agency and the employer can agree on any fee. That exception covers only the employer's side. The 1% cap on the job seeker still applies.
What the employer pays
The employer's fee is separate from yours, and its cap is higher:
| Job length | Employer's maximum fee | Construction day work |
|---|---|---|
| Shorter than 3 months | 30% of wages for the whole job | 10% |
| 3 months or longer | 30% of 3 months' wages | 10% |
In the worked examples above, the employer can be charged up to ₩2,250,000 for the 1-year job and up to ₩18,000 for the construction day.
An agency cannot take advance money (선급금) from an employer that is meant for the job seeker.
The day-labor "10%" explained
Many construction day workers see the agency keep 10% of the daily wage. That 10% is the employer's fee, not yours. The fee notice lets caregivers (간병인), domestic helpers (파출부) and construction day workers collect the employer's fee from the employer and pass it to the agency. This works only within the employer's cap and only as agreed in a signed form: the consent to collect the fee on the agency's behalf (건설일용 및 간병·파출 소개요금 대리수령 동의서).
If you never signed that form, the arrangement is not covered by the notice. Ask the district office that registered the agency, or call 1350.
Membership fees for caregivers and domestic helpers
Some agencies place day workers such as caregivers and domestic helpers on a membership basis. Instead of a fee per job, the agency charges a monthly membership fee (회비). Each side, the employer and the worker, can be charged up to 4% of the monthly minimum wage. The monthly minimum wage is the hourly minimum wage times 209 hours.
| Year | Hourly minimum wage | Monthly minimum wage (209 hours) | Maximum monthly membership fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | ₩10,320 | ₩2,156,880 | ₩86,275 |
| 2027 | ₩10,700 | ₩2,236,300 | ₩89,452 |
If you are a member, the agency cannot charge you any other placement fee on top of the monthly fee.
Other duties an agency has to you
- Wage-arrears warning. If the employer is on the published list of employers with unpaid wages (체불사업주), the agency must tell you.
- Licence check on the employer. If the employer's business needs a government licence, registration or report, the agency must check that it has one.
- Under-18s. The agency must check your age. For a job seeker under 18, it needs written consent from a parent or guardian.
- Honest ads. False job ads and false job conditions are banned.
- Equal treatment. The Employment Security Act bans discrimination in job placement because of sex, age, religion, physical condition, social status or marital status.
Red flags: when to walk away
- The agency asks for money before you have a signed job contract. The rules allow a fee only after the contract.
- There is no written fee agreement. Your fee must be based on one you signed in advance.
- The fee is more than 1% of up to 3 months' wages. Check it against the worked examples above.
- The agency says it can get you an E-9 job. Only government employment offices can do that (see the next section).
- The agency cannot show a registration certificate, or the district office has no record of it. Running an unregistered agency is a crime.
- The agency also runs a lodging business, such as a guesthouse. Agencies cannot run lodging businesses.
- The person recruiting for an employer asks you for money. Anyone recruiting workers cannot take money or any benefit from applicants. The only exception is a registered agency's legal fee.
For warning signs in job offers in general, read Job offer red flags in Korea.
E-9 workers: only government employment offices place you
If you work on the E-9 visa under the Employment Permit System (EPS), private agencies have no role in your hiring. Under the Foreign Workers Act (외국인근로자의 고용 등에 관한 법률), only government employment offices (직업안정기관) can select, place or otherwise take part in hiring foreign workers. An employer who could not hire Korean workers applies to the employment office, and the office recommends suitable people from the foreign job-seeker roster.
A private agency that offers to "arrange" an E-9 job is acting illegally. Read E-9 worker rights and the EPS guide for how the official process works.
How to check an agency's registration
- Find the office address. The agency registers with the city, county or district office (시·군·구청) where its main office is.
- Ask to see the registration certificate (등록증). The district office issues it when the agency registers. An agency cannot lend its certificate to anyone else.
- Call that district office. Give the agency's name and address, and ask whether it is registered. The jobs department name varies by district.
Penalties for agencies that break the rules
| Violation | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Placement using violence, threats or confinement, or placement for prostitution or other obscene work | Up to 7 years in prison or a ₩70 million fine. Attempts are also punished. |
| Running a paid agency without registration, registering by fraud, or lending or borrowing a registration | Up to 5 years in prison or a ₩50 million fine |
| Taking money from applicants during recruitment, or false job ads or conditions | Up to 5 years in prison or a ₩50 million fine |
| Charging more than the notified fee, taking advance money from an employer, no parental consent for under-18s, or non-counsellor staff doing placement | Administrative fine (과태료) up to ₩10 million |
The district office that registered the agency can also suspend it for up to 6 months or cancel its registration. For an unregistered agency, officials can remove its sign, post a notice that the business is illegal, and seal its equipment.
Local offices do inspect. Gangnam-gu has 357 registered paid agencies as of September 2026, the most of any local government. Its checks include overcharging, taking advance money from employers, false job ads, and unregistered placement. Gangnam-gu says it refers unregistered agencies for criminal complaint or investigation.
Where to report a problem
- The district office that registered the agency. It can inspect the agency and impose fines.
- The Ministry of Employment and Labor, 1350. The main phone line is 1350. It is a charged call, open weekdays 09:00 to 18:00. The ministry refers detailed fee questions to the labor office that covers the workplace.
- Investigative agencies. For violent or coercive placement, or placement for prostitution, you can also go to investigators.
The government can pay a reward to someone who reports false job ads, or violent, coercive or prostitution-linked placement. The reward does not cover overcharging or unregistered agencies.
If you were overcharged
We found no official way to get an overcharged fee back. The fine for overcharging goes to the government, not to you. Report the agency to the district office that registered it. Then call 1350 and ask the labor office what you can do to recover the money. Keep your fee agreement, your job contract, and any payment records.
Next steps
- Before you pay anything, make sure you have a signed job contract and a signed fee agreement.
- Check that your fee is no more than 1% of up to 3 months' wages.
- Confirm the agency's registration with its district office.
- If something is wrong, report it to that district office and call 1350.
- For day-labor pay, insurance and severance, read Day labor in Korea.
- To look for work without an agency fee, browse Seoulstart Jobs.