Requesting an Employment Certificate in Korea: What Your Employer Should Include

Requesting an Employment Certificate in Korea: What Your Employer Should Include

A future employer or public office may ask for a document confirming your work history. Before requesting one, find out which facts the receiving organization needs. A factual employment certificate serves a different purpose from a personal recommendation letter.

Article 39 of Korea’s Labor Standards Act requires an employer to promptly issue a truthful employment certificate when the statutory conditions apply, including after the employee has left. The certificate must contain only the information requested by the employee. Article 19 of the Enforcement Decree covers employees who worked continuously for at least 30 days and requests made within three years after leaving employment. elaw.klri.re.kr

Send HR or the employer a clear written request specifying the items you need, such as:

• Name as it should appear on the document
• Employment start and end dates
• Department, position and actual duties
• Wage information, only when needed
• Recipient’s required format and submission deadline
• Contact method for collecting the certificate

If the receiving organization provides a form, attach it and explain any unfamiliar field. Ask whether a company seal, signature, contact number or English version is required. A receiving institution may have separate translation or authentication rules; a certificate issued by an employer is not automatically accepted for every purpose.

Check the document before submitting it. Compare dates and duties with your records, and confirm that your Roman-letter name is consistent with the identification used for the application. Ask the issuer to correct errors rather than editing the certificate yourself.

Keep the original request, the response and the issued document. If the employer disputes your service period or refuses the request, organize your contract, work records and correspondence before seeking advice. Avoid including unnecessary salary or identification details merely because they appeared on an old template.

Read Article 39 of the Labor Standards Act and Article 19 of its Enforcement Decree.

Official legal texts checked: September 28, 2026. Individual disputes and document-acceptance requirements require case-specific review.