Living in Korea, you may occasionally break a rule without meaning to, simply because Korean laws and norms can differ from what you are used to at home. This page explains the key prohibited acts and penalties that foreigners and refugees should be aware of. The source is the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA). For the most up-to-date information, please check with the Immigration Contact Center (1345) or your local Korea Immigration Service (KIS) office before taking any action.
Acts That Can Lead to Serious Criminal Punishment and Deportation
The following acts can result in criminal charges and forced deportation from Korea. Please take these seriously.
- Joining or organizing a criminal group: Forming or joining a group whose purpose is to commit crimes such as assault, intimidation, trespassing, theft, property damage, unlawful confinement, or extortion.
- Carrying dangerous objects: Walking around with items that could cause serious harm to a person, such as knives, steel pipes, or hacksaws.
- Gambling or providing a gambling venue: Betting real money, or letting others use a place you control for gambling.
- Taking apparently abandoned items: Even if a bicycle, TV, or other object looks as though it has been thrown away, taking it without permission can be treated as theft.
- Unregistered private overseas money transfers: Sending money abroad must be done through an officially registered financial institution (a bank or licensed money-exchange service). Using a private broker is illegal.
- Any act involving illegal drugs: Manufacturing, smuggling, possessing, or using narcotics is illegal. The KNPA is currently running intensive drug-enforcement operations.
- Producing or distributing illegal sexual recordings: Filming or sending sexually explicit images or videos of someone without their consent.
- Not carrying ID: Foreign nationals aged 17 or older must carry their passport or Alien Registration Card (ARC) at all times. Failing to carry it, or refusing to show it when asked, can result in a fine of up to 1,000,000 won.
Acts That Can Lead to Punishment or Deportation (Special Law Violations)
Depending on the circumstances, the following acts can result in criminal penalties, cancellation of your residence status, or forced deportation.
| Violation | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Driving a car, motorcycle, or electric scooter without a license | Up to 1 year imprisonment or a fine of up to 3,000,000 won |
| Drunk driving | Blood alcohol level 0.03% or above: 1—5 years imprisonment or a fine of 5,000,000—20,000,000 won. 0.2% or above: 2—6 years imprisonment or 10,000,000—30,000,000 won. Refusing a breath test: 1—6 years imprisonment or 5,000,000—30,000,000 won |
| Driving a vehicle without completing ownership transfer registration | Fine of up to 500,000 won |
Minor Order Violations (Fines and Administrative Penalties)
The following acts do not usually lead to criminal prosecution, but they do carry fines or administrative penalties. Korea enforces everyday public-order rules strictly, so it is good to know these.
| Violation | Amount |
|---|---|
| Dropping a cigarette butt or gum on the ground | 30,000 won (other litter: 50,000 won) |
| Spitting in a public place | 30,000 won |
| Smoking in a no-smoking zone | Approx. 100,000 won |
| Riding a motorcycle or electric scooter without a helmet | 20,000 won |
| Two or more people riding an electric scooter | 40,000 won |
| Jaywalking (crossing the road outside a crosswalk) | 30,000 won |
If You Are a Victim of a Crime: The Reporting-Exemption System
Even if you are undocumented (overstaying your visa or otherwise without legal status), please call the police (112) if you have been a victim of a crime. You have the right to report it.
Article 84 of Korea’s Immigration Act generally requires public officials to report undocumented foreign nationals to the immigration authorities when they become aware of them. However, there is an important exception: when an undocumented person reports a crime as a victim, the authorities may refrain from notifying the immigration office. This exception is called the reporting-exemption system (통보의무 면제 제도).
If you are a victim, please report it without fear. Not reporting can allow the harm to continue and the perpetrator to go unpunished.
Helplines
| Purpose | Number |
|---|---|
| Reporting a crime / emergency rescue | 112 (police) / 119 (fire and ambulance) |
| General information for foreigners (20 languages including Arabic) | 1345 |
| Counseling for victims of gender-based violence (24 hours, 365 days) | 1366 |
| General government information | 110 |
- 1345 — The Immigration Contact Center (1345) provides telephone counseling in 20 languages, including Korean, English, Arabic, and French. After the automated greeting, press the number for your language and then press * to be connected to a counselor in that language.
- 1366 — The Women’s Emergency Helpline operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, nationwide. It is for anyone who urgently needs rescue, protection, or counseling related to domestic violence, sexual violence, or similar situations.
- Amounts, deadlines, and fine levels can change when laws are revised. Please verify the latest information with 1345 or your local Korea Immigration Service (KIS) office before taking any action.