Getting a message that says little more than “we liked your profile, want an interview?” feels off, especially if you keep asking for details and the recruiter keeps dodging. The good news is Korean law actually has clear answers about what’s normal here and what isn’t.
Is It Normal for Recruiters to Withhold Job Details in Korea?
Somewhat, and it depends on which detail. There’s no general Korean statute requiring every private employer to publish an exact salary, schedule, and job duties before requesting a résumé. Even legitimate listings on platforms like Kowork sometimes list salary as “Decision After Interview” while still identifying the company, employment type, location, and job responsibilities in detail.
The practical distinction is this: a legitimate recruiter may withhold one commercially sensitive detail, most often exact salary. A questionable recruiter often withholds the job itself, meaning company identity, duties, schedule, and pay are all missing at once.
If a recruiter can’t or won’t answer basic questions like what company you’d be working for, what you’d actually be doing, and roughly what it pays, that’s a legitimate reason to be cautious, even if it isn’t proof of a scam on its own.
When Does Vague Become an Actual Red Flag?
A few patterns specifically warrant more scrutiny:
“Any visa is OK.” Work eligibility in Korea depends on your specific visa status, not just having a visa. A recruiter who doesn’t check whether your visa actually permits the job they’re offering is either poorly informed or worth avoiding.
Payment requested before you start work. This is where Korean law gets specific, and where certain high-pay, low-detail factory or packaging postings some members have flagged come in. Under the Employment Security Act, anyone recruiting workers is generally prohibited from receiving money from applicants in connection with recruitment, regardless of what it’s called: finder’s fee, contract fee, processing fee, or reservation fee.
There’s a narrow legal exception for registered fee-charging employment agencies, but even they can generally only collect a fee after an employment contract has been concluded, and only within limits set by the Ministry of Employment and Labor. A recruiter asking for money before you’ve even seen the employer or signed anything doesn’t fit that exception.
Messenger-only contact plus a payment request. KakaoTalk itself is completely normal for business communication in Korea. The risk pattern isn’t the platform, it’s the combination: minimal job details, redirect to Kakao or Telegram, then a request for money or an unfamiliar app install.
What Should You Actually Ask Before Sending Your CV?
Before handing over sensitive documents, it’s reasonable to ask a recruiter for six things: company name and workplace location, actual job duties, gross pay, working days and hours, employment type, and which visas are eligible for the role. A legitimate recruiter should be able to answer most of these. If none of them can be answered, that’s the real signal, not just one missing detail.
If you’re specifically job hunting outside of teaching roles, our guide on non-teaching jobs available on the F visa in Busan covers what legitimate postings in that space typically look like. And if a job offer ties into a change of employer under an E-7 visa, understanding what needs to happen with your contract before that switch is worth reading first.
If you believe you’ve encountered an illegal fee request or a false job advertisement, MOEL’s official reporting channel and its 1350 counseling line are the right first stop before sending money or personal documents to anyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal for a recruiter to ask me to pay before I start a job in Korea? Generally yes if it’s framed as a fee to secure the job itself. The Employment Security Act prohibits recruiters from taking money from applicants in connection with recruitment. Confirm your specific situation with MOEL (1350) if you’re unsure.
Does a job posting have to list the exact salary before I apply? No, there’s no general legal requirement for this at the application stage. It becomes legally required detail once a formal employment contract is being drawn up, under the Labor Standards Act.
What should I do if I think I’ve been targeted by a job scam? Don’t send money or install unfamiliar apps. You can report suspected illegal employment placement or false job advertising through Korea’s official Government24 reporting channel, or call MOEL’s 1350 counseling line for guidance first.
Resources
- MOEL Employment & Labor Counseling Center: 1350
- Immigration Foreign Resident Information Center: 1345
- Report illegal job placement/false advertising: Government24
