Before an international colleague starts, name one person for each practical question: who explains the team and tools, who handles pay and insurance, and who can answer questions about stay status and registration. The reason to do this is that several of the new hire’s first obligations come with legal deadlines, such as a 15-day limit for reporting a change of address. According to Study in Korea, the government portal for international students and graduates, registered foreigners who move must report the new address within 15 days. This article gives an owner map for the first week, built from the portal’s pages.
Build a simple owner table
Make a short table with one row per topic, a named contact, and a next action. A starting version:
| Topic | Suggested owner | What the sources say to cover |
|---|---|---|
| Contract and pay | HR or payroll | Written contract with salary, duties, benefits, leave; wages paid directly, in full, at least monthly |
| Insurance | HR | Check enrolment in the four major insurances |
| Stay status and address | HR, with the employee | Registration, address change within 15 days, extension before expiry |
| Bank account and phone | Buddy or manager | Documents each service asks for |
| Team norms | Direct manager | Hours, lunch, titles, communication style |
The person who explains software access may not be qualified to answer a question about immigration status. Say so on the table, and point immigration questions to the immigration office or a qualified adviser.
Contract, pay and insurance
Study in Korea’s pre-employment checklist includes opening a bank account, confirming enrolment in the four major insurances (National Pension, Health Insurance, Employment Insurance and Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance), and drafting a work contract. The portal says a contract specifies salary, job responsibilities, company benefits and vacation. It also summarises the rules for foreign workers: employers must not discriminate because of a worker’s status, must use a standard employment contract when hiring foreign workers under the Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers, and must pay wages directly, in full and regularly, at least once a month on a fixed date. Have the contract and the pay date ready to explain in the first days, in a language the employee understands.
Stay status, registration and address
The portal explains several obligations that the employee, not the employer, ultimately carries, but that you can help with by giving dates and documents:
- Foreigner registration. Foreigners who intend to stay more than 90 days must register within 90 days of entry, and those granted a stay status or a change of status must register immediately on receiving the permission.
- Change of address. A registered foreigner must report a new address within 15 days at the immigration office or the local township or municipal office. The portal says late reporting can lead to a fine of up to 1 million won.
- Extension of stay. An application to extend must be made before the current period expires, with the application form, passport, alien registration card, any status-specific documents and the fee.
Put the employee’s expiry date in your own calendar with the employee’s agreement, and agree who will remind whom. Avoid asking people to post identity records in a group chat, and collect documents only through the channel you have agreed.
Bank account and phone
For a bank account, Study in Korea lists ID (a passport, alien registration card or resident registration card), a seal or signature, and proof of the purpose of the financial transaction, with typical bank hours from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. That means a new hire may need to take time off during the working day, so plan it. For a mobile phone, the portal says an alien registration card is needed for postpaid plans and a passport for prepaid plans, and it names SKT, KT and LG U+ as the main providers, with foreign-language support lines. Offer to tell the employee which documents to bring, but let them choose the provider.
Team norms: hours, titles and phrases
The portal’s workplace section describes working hours as typically 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and lunch breaks of about one hour from noon, with variations by company. It lists a typical hierarchy from CEO through General Manager (Bujang), Deputy General Manager (Chajang), Manager (Gajang) and Assistant Manager (Daeri) to Employee (Sawon), and says it is common to add “ssi” or “nim” after the name of a senior colleague. It also provides sample Korean phrases for meetings, email and document approval.
Share your own version of these points in writing: your actual hours, who the new hire reports to, how approval works and how to address colleagues. A one-page note saves repeated questions and shows what is expected.
Give a first task and check in
Assign one achievable task with a named reviewer, and tell the employee where reference material is stored. At the end of the week, ask what is unclear about responsibilities, communication and paperwork, and record the answers in the owner table so that the next hire starts with a better version.
Common mistakes and what to verify
- Letting immigration questions float. Name an owner and an escalation route.
- Missing the 15-day address report. Remind the employee when they move.
- Assuming the contract is understood. Walk through pay date, duties and leave.
- Overlooking insurance. Confirm enrolment in the four insurances.
- Assuming norms are obvious. Write down hours, titles and approval steps.
Rules change: confirm with the official bodies
This is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Registration deadlines, fines, insurance rules and visa conditions can change and depend on the employee’s stay status. Confirm them with HiKorea or the immigration office that covers your workplace, the relevant insurance bodies and the Ministry of Employment and Labor.
Sources
- Study in Korea – Residence Eligibility and Stay Duration – foreigner registration, address change and extension of stay.
- Study in Korea – Employment in Korea – pre-employment checklist, contract and wage rules, workplace norms.
- Study in Korea – Living and Housing Information – bank account and mobile phone requirements.