Author: koodeep

Korea is widely known for its strong public safety and low crime rate, but that doesn’t mean problems never happen. Minor theft, hit-and-run accidents, or unexpected traffic incidents can affect anyone—foreign residents included.

When something like this happens, many foreigners feel stuck, not because evidence doesn’t exist, but because they don’t know who to ask or how to ask. One of the most powerful tools in Korea is CCTV, and understanding how to legally access it can make a real difference.

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1. Can You Legally Request CCTV Footage in Korea?

Yes. Under Korean law, if you yourself are captured in CCTV footage—for example, as a victim of an incident—you are considered an “information subject” and have the right to request access to that footage. This right is guaranteed under the Personal Information Protection Act. Importantly, police presence or a police report is not a legal requirement just to view CCTV footage.

The Korean National Police Agency has made it clear that CCTV managers (such as apartment offices or store owners) must allow victims to view footage in which they appear. If other people appear in the video, their faces or identifying features can be blurred or masked, but the footage itself cannot be refused simply because it contains other individuals.

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2. How to Access Public CCTV (Crime-Prevention & Traffic Cameras)

If the CCTV is installed in a public place—such as streets, alleys, parks, or intersections—the footage is usually managed by a local government office or police authority.

• Neighborhood crime-prevention CCTV (often labeled like “Safety-000” or “Children-000”) is typically managed by the local district office (gu office). You can request access through Korea’s official Information Disclosure Portal(정보공개포털).
• Traffic CCTV on main roads is often managed by the local police or a city traffic information center. Requests can be made through the relevant police station, especially if the footage is related to an accident.

In investigation-related cases, CCTV collected by police during an investigation can also be requested by the incident party, once your status as the information subject is confirmed. Any third parties appearing in the footage will be fully blurred, and in some cases, the cost of masking may be charged to the requester.

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3. Can Foreigners Request CCTV Footage? – Absolutely Yes.

Foreigners have the same legal rights as Koreans when it comes to accessing CCTV, as long as they meet basic residency conditions. The law explicitly allows information disclosure requests by foreigners who either (i) reside in Korea with a registered address, or (ii) are temporarily staying in Korea for academic or research purposes.

In practice, this means most foreign residents—workers, students, exchange students, and long-term visitors—are fully eligible to request CCTV footage through the same procedures as Korean citizens.

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4. Practical Tips Foreigners Should Know

Timing is critical. Many CCTV systems only store footage for about 30 days, sometimes less. If you think CCTV might be relevant, act quickly.

When viewing footage, it’s often allowed to record the screen using your smartphone, as long as other people’s faces are already blurred. This is a practical way to preserve evidence before the footage is deleted.

Also, don’t overlook private CCTV. In Korea, many small shops, cafés, parking garages, and convenience stores have their own cameras. If an incident happens nearby, it’s often effective to politely ask surrounding businesses whether their cameras captured the area. Store owners are generally cooperative, especially when you explain you are the victim.

Finally, if a CCTV manager unreasonably refuses access despite your clear appearance in the footage, they may face administrative fines under Korean law. Complaints can be filed with the Personal Information Protection authorities, though in most everyday situations, calm explanation and understanding of your rights are enough to move things forward.

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Knowing how CCTV access works in Korea turns uncertainty into control. For foreigners living here, this knowledge can be the difference between feeling helpless and confidently protecting your rights when something unexpected happens.

If you live in Korea, chances are you already step into a convenience store almost every day. What many foreigners discover a bit later—but quickly come to love—is convenience store parcel delivery (편의점 택배). In short, it’s a system that lets you send and receive packages directly through nearby convenience stores, without waiting at home or dealing with couriers during work hours. For anyone living alone, working full-time, or frequently using second-hand marketplaces, it’s one of those quietly brilliant Korean services that makes daily life much easier.

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1. What Is Convenience Store Parcel Delivery?

Convenience store parcel delivery allows you to drop off a package at a convenience store or receive a package at a convenience store instead of your home. Because stores operate 24/7 and are everywhere, you can send parcels late at night, early in the morning, or whenever it fits your schedule. For foreigners who may not be comfortable coordinating deliveries in Korean—or who don’t want their home address shared—this system feels especially practical and secure.

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2. Why Foreign Residents Find It So Useful

The biggest advantage is flexibility. You don’t need to wait at home, worry about missed deliveries, or explain complicated instructions to a courier. You simply pick up your parcel at a nearby store when it arrives. It’s also widely used for second-hand transactions, since you can avoid revealing your home address. On top of that, Saturday pickup is usually available, unlike traditional post office services.

That said, there are trade-offs. Delivery can be slower than premium courier services, sometimes taking several days or even a week. Packages may sit in a corner of the store until collected by the courier, so careful packaging is essential. Prices are reasonable for small, light parcels, but can rise quickly with weight and distance. It’s a convenient system—just not a rush service.

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3. CU Convenience Store Parcel Service (CU 편의점택배)

CU is one of the most common convenience store chains in Korea, and its parcel service is very foreigner-friendly. You can register online, fill out shipping details at a kiosk inside the store, print a label, and hand the package to staff. CU also offers store-to-store delivery, meaning both the sender and receiver pick up packages at CU locations.

For foreigners, CU’s strength lies in accessibility. Stores are easy to find in residential areas, and the step-by-step kiosk process is relatively intuitive even with basic Korean. It’s a popular choice for personal shipments and casual online sales.

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4. GS25 Convenience Store Parcel Service (GS25 편의점택배)

GS25 operates a similar system and is equally popular. Like CU, GS25 allows 24-hour parcel drop-off, store pickup, and relatively affordable rates for small packages. GS25 is also widely used by small business owners and freelancers, since business parcel registration is possible even without large monthly shipping volumes.

For foreigners running side projects—selling handmade goods, trading items online, or managing small e-commerce operations—this can be surprisingly useful. You get business-level shipping rates without committing to high volumes, something that traditional courier contracts often require.

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5. A Few Things to Keep in Mind

One important limitation is that parcels must stay within the same brand: CU-to-CU or GS25-to-GS25 only. You can’t send from CU and receive at GS25, so it’s best to check which brand is near both you and the recipient. Delivery times can vary, and during strikes or logistics disruptions, delays may be significant. If you’re patient and value flexibility over speed, it’s a great option.

For foreigners living in Korea, convenience store parcel delivery is one of those “local life hacks” worth learning early. Once you use it a few times, it quickly becomes part of your everyday routine—quietly efficient, practical, and very Korean.

If you work in Korea — or plan to — 2026 brings several changes that may affect your salary, benefits, working hours, and holidays. Some are symbolic, others have very real impacts on your monthly paycheck and work–life balance.

Here’s a clear breakdown of what foreign employees should know about Korea’s labor-related changes in 2026.

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1. Higher Minimum Wage (and Why It Matters Even If You Earn More)

From 2026, Korea’s minimum wage increases by 2.9%, rising to 10,320 KRW per hour.

For a standard full-time schedule (40 hours per week, 209 hours per month), that means:

• Monthly pay rises from 2,096,270 KRW → 2,156,880 KRW

Even if you earn well above minimum wage, this matters because several benefits are linked to it, including unemployment benefits and parental leave payments.

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2. Higher Unemployment Benefits

If you qualify for unemployment benefits (구직급여), payouts increase in 2026.

Daily amounts:

• Maximum: 66,000 KRW → 68,100 KRW
• Minimum: increases automatically to maintain at least 80% of minimum wage

Monthly benefits (30 days, 8 hours/day):

• Minimum: 1,925,760 KRW → 1,981,440 KRW
• Maximum: 1,980,000 KRW → 2,043,000 KRW

This is notable because the maximum cap is rising for the first time since 2019, reflecting stronger income protection for workers.

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3. Higher Maternity Leave Pay

For foreign employees who qualify for maternity leave, benefits also increase in 2026.

How it works in Korea:

• First 60 days (75 days for multiple births): paid by the employer
• Remaining period: supported by the government

Changes in 2026:

• Maximum monthly benefit: 2.1 million KRW → 2.2 million KRW
• Minimum monthly benefit: rises to 2,156,880 KRW

Even employees already receiving maternity benefits will see the higher cap applied from 2026.

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4. Shorter Workweeks? Government Support for “4.5-Day Weeks”

Starting January 2026, the Korean government will financially support small and medium-sized companies that adopt a 4.5-day workweek.

Support details:

• Up to 600,000 KRW per employee
• If new staff are hired, subsidies can reach 800,000 KRW per month per new hire

This is part of a broader national goal to reduce average working hours to below the OECD average by 2030.

For foreign employees, this doesn’t guarantee shorter hours — but it signals a strong policy direction toward better work–life balance.

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5. “Workers’ Day” Becomes “Labor Day”

From 2026, Workers’ Day (May 1) will officially be renamed Labor Day.

Why this matters:

• The change reflects a shift toward a more worker-centered and value-neutral understanding of labor
• It aligns Korea more closely with international terminology

Practically, it remains a paid day off for most employees — but the renaming reflects changing attitudes toward work and labor rights.

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6. Constitution Day May Become a Public Holiday Again

July 17 (Constitution Day) may return as an official public holiday after 18 years.

Background:

• It was removed in 2008 when the five-day workweek was introduced
• It is the only national foundation day not currently a public holiday
• A bill to restore it has already passed committee review

If finalized:

• Total public holidays + weekends in 2026 increase from 118 days to 119 days

For employees used to tight schedules, even one extra public holiday can make a noticeable difference.

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7. More Days Off Overall in 2026

As it stands:

• 70 official holidays in 2026
• 118 total days off including weekends
• 119 days if Constitution Day is reinstated

For foreign workers used to fewer public holidays, Korea’s calendar may feel surprisingly generous — especially when combined with annual paid leave.

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What This Means for Foreign Employees

Not every change directly affects your contract, but taken together, 2026 shows a clear direction:

• Stronger income protection
• Gradual reduction of working hours
• More emphasis on work–life balance
• Symbolic and legal recognition of labor rights

If you work in Korea long-term, these changes are worth paying attention to — especially when negotiating contracts, planning family leave, or comparing work cultures across countries.

If you work in Korea, you will eventually hear the term “Year-End Tax Settlement” (연말정산). For many foreigners, it sounds complicated — but in reality, it’s a structured process that happens once a year and is largely handled online.

This guide explains what year-end tax settlement is, when and how to do it, and the special rules and benefits foreign employees should know.

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1. What is Year-End Tax Settlement in Korea?

Year-end tax settlement is the process of reconciling the income tax you already paid throughout the year with the tax you actually owe.

In Korea, employers withhold income tax from your salary every month. At the beginning of the following year, the tax office recalculates:

• your total annual income
• applicable deductions or tax benefits
• the final tax amount

If you paid too much, you get a refund.
If you paid too little, you pay the difference.

For most employees, this happens once a year, through their employer.

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2. When does it happen?

For income earned in 2025, the year-end tax settlement takes place in January–February 2026.

Typical timeline:

• Mid-January: Hometax “Simplified Service” opens
• January–February: Employees submit data to their company
• By March 10: Final withholding tax return deadline (handled by employer)

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3. How do you do it? (Hometax)

Most foreign employees use Hometax, the National Tax Service’s online platform.

The general flow is:

1. Log in to Hometax
2. Check your income and deductions via the Simplified Service
3. Submit documents or consent forms
4. Your company finalizes the calculation and files the return

Some companies download employees’ data in bulk (with your consent). Others ask you to download and submit the documents yourself.

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4. Are foreign employees treated the same as Koreans?

It depends on your tax residency status.

If you are a Korean tax resident

You are treated the same as Korean employees for calculation methods.

You are considered a resident if:

• you have an address in Korea, or
• you stayed in Korea 183 days or more in the year

However, some deductions and special tax rules differ, which is where foreign employees need to pay close attention.

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5. New and important benefits for foreign employees

(1) Housing savings deduction now available

From 2025, foreign employees can claim a housing savings deduction (for example, housing subscription savings) if they are the spouse of a non-home-owning household head.

Previously, foreigners were excluded because they could not be registered as household heads. This rule has now been expanded.

Conditions:

• Total annual salary: 70 million KRW or less
• Tax resident in Korea
• Spouse of a non-home-owning household head

Deduction:

• 40% of the amount paid
• Up to 3 million KRW per year

This is a major change for married foreign workers living in Korea.

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(2) Tax reduction for foreign technical professionals

Foreign employees with specialized qualifications may receive income tax reductions for up to 10 years.

You may qualify if you:

• provide technology under an engineering or technology-transfer agreement, or
• hold a bachelor’s degree or higher in science/engineering with overseas R&D experience

Benefit:

• 50% income tax reduction for up to 10 years

If you work for a designated strategic or specialized company (for materials, parts, or equipment industries), the reduction can be:

• 70% for the first 3 years

Highly skilled foreign talent under Korea’s advanced industry talent programs may also apply tax reductions to income received after February 28, 2025.

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(3) Optional 19% flat tax for foreign employees

Foreign employees can choose between:

• the progressive tax rates (6%–45%), or
• a flat tax rate of 19%, for up to 20 years from their first working year in Korea

Important points:

• You must choose one — you cannot mix them
• If you choose the flat tax, no deductions or tax credits apply
• Not available if you work for a company in which you own 30% or more shares

This option can be attractive for high-income earners who do not rely on deductions.

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(4) Income tax exemption for foreign language teachers

Some foreign teachers may be fully exempt from income tax under tax treaties.

If:

• Korea has a tax treaty with your home country, and
• the treaty includes a teacher or professor exemption clause,

then income from teaching or research may be exempt for a certain period.

Treaty rules vary by country, so this must be checked individually.

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6. What if you are a non-resident?

Even if you are not a Korean tax resident, you must still settle Korean-source employment income.

However:

• Most deductions are not available
• Family-related deductions and special credits usually do not apply

In these cases, settlement is simpler but less favorable.

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7. Practical tips for foreign employees

• Do not assume your company will automatically choose the best tax option for you
• Compare flat tax vs. progressive tax carefully
• Check whether you qualify for technical expert reductions
• Married employees should review housing deductions starting this year
• Keep records, even if you use the Simplified Service

The National Tax Service also provides:

• English guides on its website (National Tax Service – English)
• Multilingual manuals (English, Chinese, Vietnamese)
• English hotline: 1588-0560

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Final thoughts

Year-end tax settlement in Korea is not just a formality — it’s a chance to recover overpaid taxes or reduce your tax burden, especially if you are a foreign employee with special eligibility.

The key is understanding which rules apply to you and making informed choices — particularly when it comes to flat tax options and special reductions.