Korea’s AI Labor-Law Service Offers 24-Hour Guidance on Wages and Part-Time Work

South Korea’s Ministry of Employment and Labor is operating an AI labor-law consultation service that answers common questions about wages, working hours, weekly holiday pay, severance pay and unemployment benefits around the clock.

The service may be useful to international students working part-time in Korea who need initial information about unpaid wages or employment contracts. In addition to an answer, users can review relevant ministry interpretations and comparable cases.

The service explains that, unless there are exceptional circumstances, wages owed after employment ends should generally be paid within 14 days of the final working date. A delay may amount to wage arrears under Korean labor law.

Eligibility for weekly holiday pay generally depends on factors including scheduled weekly hours of at least 15 and attendance on the required workdays. Cases involving an employee who starts or leaves in the middle of a week may require a closer review of the contract period and actual attendance.

According to the ministry, the service handled 117,000 consultations in 2025, its first year of operation. Night and weekend use accounted for 37.7% of inquiries. The ministry said the service reduced information-search time by 87.5% compared with conventional portal searches, and that 173 certified labor attorneys reviewed and refined its training data.

Foreign-language questions made up 6.8% of total use, including inquiries in Russian, Myanmar and Uzbek. Planned upgrades include analysis of employment contracts and other labor documents, links to case-filing services on the Labor Portal, and broader guidance on workplace harassment, industrial accident compensation and the Employment Permit System.

International students must distinguish labor rights from immigration permission. General labor-law guidance does not replace the part-time work authorization required under a student’s immigration status, and an AI response does not settle the facts of an individual dispute.

Students who have not been paid should keep their employment contract, pay statements, bank records, work schedules, attendance records and relevant messages, and contact the competent labor office or another official consultation channel for case-specific guidance.

• Wages are generally due within 14 days after employment ends, subject to the facts of the case.
• Working 15 hours a week does not by itself resolve every weekly holiday pay question; contract dates and attendance also matter.
• Labor-law rights and immigration authorization for part-time work are separate requirements.
• Use AI guidance as a starting point and confirm unpaid-wage or dispute cases with an official authority.