English-speaking lawyers and legal help in Korea
Lawyers and legal
Immigration, labor, family, and criminal help, from free government services to private firms. Every firm here has a confirmed Korean-licensed attorney (변호사).
Two things before you pay for a lawyer: first, many problems (unpaid wages, a visa question, a lease dispute) can start with the free services below, especially 1345, which connects you to a licensed attorney in your language at no cost. Second, when you do hire a firm, confirm the attorney is a Korean-licensed lawyer (변호사), ask whether that lawyer personally handles your file, and get a written fee agreement before you commit. Every firm listed here has a Korean-licensed attorney confirmed on its own site. Before a sponsored firm appears, we also check its lawyers on the Korean Bar Association (대한변호사협회) register.
Free and low-cost
5 listedGovernment and NGO services. For many issues this is the right first call, and for income-qualifying residents it can cover full representation.
1345 Immigration Contact Center, Village Lawyers for Foreigners
외국인을 위한 마을변호사
Immigration and visaLabor and employmentFamily and divorceReal estate and contractsPersonal injury
English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Russian, and up to 20 total
Free
Free, and open to all foreigners regardless of visa status, including undocumented. Connects you to a licensed Korean attorney through a three-way interpreted call. The best free English-language legal route. Weekdays 9am-10pm (English and Chinese until 10pm, other languages until 6pm).
Korea Legal Aid Corporation (KLAC)
대한법률구조공단
Family and divorceLabor and employmentReal estate and contractsCriminalPersonal injury
Korean
Free
Free or low-cost representation by licensed lawyers for those below 125% of median income; foreigners qualify on the same basis as citizens. Consultations are primarily in Korean, so bring an interpreter or use the 1345 route for English. Best when you need actual representation, not just advice.
Seoul Global Center, free legal counseling
서울글로벌센터
Jongno-gu, Seoul
Immigration and visaLabor and employmentFamily and divorceReal estate and contracts
English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Russian, and more
Free
Free for any foreigner in Seoul. Lawyers and labor attorneys hold weekday consultations at 38 Jongno, Jongno-gu; reservations are recommended. General counseling runs in 13 languages.
Danuri Multicultural Family Helpline
다누리콜센터
Family and divorceImmigration and visa
Korean, English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Russian, Japanese, Thai, Khmer, Mongolian, Uzbek, Nepali, Lao
Free
Free, 24/7, 13 languages. For multicultural families and marriage migrants (F-6 and related), with links to legal advisors and emergency support. Best for family disputes, domestic violence, and marriage-visa issues.
Korea Family Welfare Legal Counseling Center
한국가정법률상담소
Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul
Family and divorce
Korean, English
Free
Free in-person English consultations every Monday, 6-8pm, for family-law matters (divorce, custody, domestic violence). A long-running NGO. Confirm whether your session is with a licensed lawyer when you book.
Major law firms
9 listedKorea's large, long-established full-service firms, with English-speaking teams and Korean-licensed attorneys. Tags show the practice areas each firm lists on its own site. Three have dedicated immigration teams.
Kim & Chang
김·장 법률사무소
Jongno-gu, Seoul
Business and corporateLabor and employmentCriminalFamily and divorceReal estate and contractsTax
Korean, English, Japanese
Korean-licensed attorney
Established in 1973. Main office at the Seyang Building, 39 Sajik-ro 8-gil. Its Japan Practice team handles matters for Japanese clients in Japanese.
Lee & Ko
법무법인(유) 광장
Jung-gu, Seoul
Business and corporateLabor and employmentCriminalFamily and divorceReal estate and contractsTax
Korean, English, Japanese
Korean-licensed attorney
Established in 1977. Office at 63 Namdaemun-ro. Has a Family Law and Inheritance practice and a Japanese-speaking Japan Practice Group.
Bae, Kim & Lee (BKL)
법무법인(유한) 태평양
Jongno-gu, Seoul
Business and corporateLabor and employmentCriminalFamily and divorceReal estate and contractsTax
Korean, English, Japanese
Korean-licensed attorney
Established in 1980, with about 900 professionals including lawyers qualified in Korea and abroad. Office at Centropolis B, 26 Ujeongguk-ro. Its Japan Practice Group works in Japanese.
Shin & Kim
법무법인(유) 세종
Jongno-gu, Seoul
Immigration and visaLabor and employmentCriminalFamily and divorceBusiness and corporateReal estate and contractsTax
Korean, English
Korean-licensed attorney
Founded in 1983, with over 800 professionals. Office at D-Tower, 17 Jongno 3-gil. Has a dedicated immigration, visa and citizenship team for visa, residence and nationality matters.
Yulchon
법무법인(유한) 율촌
Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Business and corporateLabor and employmentCriminalFamily and divorceReal estate and contractsTax
Korean, English
Korean-licensed attorney
Seoul office established in 1997, at Parnas Tower, 521 Teheran-ro. Has a practice for international inheritance, international divorce and cross-border child abduction cases.
Yoon & Yang
법무법인(유) 화우
Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Business and corporateLabor and employmentCriminalFamily and divorceReal estate and contractsTax
Korean, English
Korean-licensed attorney
Formed from Yoon & Partners (1989) and Roh & Yang (1993). Office at ASEM Tower, 517 Yeongdong-daero. Practices include family law and construction and real estate.
Jipyong
법무법인[유] 지평
Jung-gu, Seoul
Business and corporateLabor and employmentCriminalFamily and divorceReal estate and contractsTax
Korean, English
Korean-licensed attorney
Founded in 2000. Office at Grand Central A, 14 Sejong-daero. Its family law practice covers inheritance disputes and inheritance and gift tax.
Barun Law
법무법인(유한) 바른
Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Immigration and visaLabor and employmentCriminalFamily and divorceBusiness and corporateReal estate and contractsTax
Korean, English
Korean-licensed attorney
Has an Immigration and Nationality Team led by a former immigration office director, plus family and inheritance litigation. Main office at the Textile Center, 518 Teheran-ro.
D&A (Daeryuk & Aju)
법무법인(유한) 대륙아주
Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Immigration and visaLabor and employmentCriminalBusiness and corporateReal estate and contractsTax
Korean, English
Korean-licensed attorney
Formed in 2009 from the merger of Daeryook and AJU Law Group. Has an Immigration and Nationality Services Center. Office at Donghoon Tower, 317 Teheran-ro.
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