The two words Korean tenants hear most for protecting a deposit are move-in registration and the fixed date (hwakjeong-ilja). Article 3-2(2) of the Housing Lease Protection Act gives a tenant who has the opposing requirements (possession plus resident registration) and a fixed date on the lease contract the right to be repaid the deposit ahead of junior right-holders and other creditors in an auction or public sale. Where, with what and for how much you get that fixed date is set by Article 3-6 of the Act, Article 4 of the Decree, and two rules (a Ministry of Justice Ordinance for community centres and a Supreme Court Rule for courts and registry offices). The fee is 600 won per case, 500 won through the online registry. Here are the four texts: where to go, what to bring, the 6 checks and same-day cut-offs.
1. Where: community centres, eup/myeon offices and branch offices; district courts, branch courts and registry offices; notaries (Act Art. 3-6(1)). You can also apply through the online registry or a real estate e-contract.
2. In person: the original contract and ID (Ordinance Art. 2(2)). Six things are checked first, such as whether the contract is complete (Art. 3).
3. Fee 600 won per case, 500 won online — waived for basic livelihood recipients and others, and for e-contract applicants (Ordinance Art. 8(3)).
Who gives the fixed date — Act Art. 3-6(1)
| Type | What the source says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Local offices | The eup/myeon office or dong community centre where the house is, and branch offices of a si (excluding special and metropolitan cities and Sejong, including special self-governing provinces), gun or autonomous gu | Their work follows the Ministry of Justice Ordinance |
| Courts and registries | District courts, their branches and registry offices | Their work follows the Supreme Court Rule; Decree Art. 4 leaves them out of its definition |
| Notaries | Notaries under the Notary Public Act | Fees follow the notary fee rules (Ordinance Art. 8(2)) — not read this time |
The Act says “where the house is” only for the local offices, not for courts, registries or notaries. Whether any registry office will do isn’t stated in the Supreme Court Rule we read either, so check before you go (our gloss).
Three ways to apply
| Route | What the source says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| In person | The holder of the contract applies, attending with the original contract and ID (resident card, driving licence, passport, alien registration card, etc.) — Ordinance Art. 2 | Courts and registries likewise accept “the holder of the lease contract” in person (Rule Art. 6(1)); no tenant-only restriction |
| Online registry | The landlord or tenant, a lawyer or judicial scrivener (including firms), or the licensed agent who drew up the contract; individuals need a certificate designated by the court administration, companies a commercial registry e-certificate — Rule Art. 6(2)–(4) | Given on a scanned “digitised document” (Art. 2) |
| Real estate e-contract | If the lease was signed on the government e-contract system, the tenant applies through it and a community centre gives the date — Ordinance Art. 2-2 | Fee waived for this route (Art. 8(3) item 11) |
Six checks before stamping — Ordinance Art. 3
| No. | Check (summary of the text) | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A complete document showing the parties, property, term, rent and deposit | A half-filled provisional contract can be turned away |
| 2 | The signature or name and seal of the parties (or their agent) | — |
| 3 | Gaps that should be continuous are struck through with a straight or diagonal line | — |
| 4 | Corrections show the number of characters changed in the margin, signed or sealed by the parties | — |
| 5 | A contract of two or more pages has a tally seal across pages (not for e-contracts) | A punched-hole method may replace it (Art. 4(2)) |
| 6 | No fixed date already given — except a renewal written onto a contract that already has one | So a renewal added to the same contract can get a new date |
For courts and registries, Rule Art. 5(2) says an application that fails the requirements in a Supreme Court established rule is returned at once with reasons. We didn’t read that established rule.
How it is stamped — Ordinance Art. 4, Rule Art. 7
A fixed-date stamp goes in the contract’s margin (or on the back), with the date and fixed-date number in Arabic numerals. Numbers are given in order of application (Ordinance Art. 5(1)); the register is opened each year, closed and kept for 20 years (Art. 5(2)–(3)). Courts and registries also keep the data for 20 years (Rule Art. 9(2)). Decree Art. 4(1) lists 8 items in the register: number, date, landlord and tenant details, address, property, term, rent and deposit, and the applicant’s name and first 6 digits of the resident number.
Can I get it today? — electronic cut-offs
| Route | What the source says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| E-contract (Ordinance Art. 4-3) | Given on the day barring system failure; applications after 16:00 on a weekday or on a Saturday or holiday may be given the next working day | The system must warn it may not be same-day |
| Online registry (Rule Art. 8) | Same day within weekday working hours; after 16:00 it may move to the next working day; after 18:00 or on a Saturday or holiday it is given the next working day | Applying on the evening of moving day can cost a day |
| In person | No time rule in the texts we read | Go within counter hours |
The fixed date feeds straight into repayment priority, so one day matters. You can try the dates in the opposing power and priority date checker.
Fees — Ordinance Art. 8, Rule Art. 13
| Type | What the source says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed date (in person) | 600 won per case, plus 100 won for every 4 pages beyond 4 | A 2–3 page contract is 600 won |
| Information | 600 won per case, plus 50 won per page beyond 10 printed pages | 12 pages: 600 + 2 × 50 = 700 won (our sum) |
| Online registry | 500 won each for the date or information; no extra-page charges | 100 won less than in person (our sum) |
| Rounding | Amounts under 100 won are not counted; no separate viewing fee if printed at the same time | — |
| Waivers (Ordinance) | Basic livelihood recipients; independence and national merit patriots and senior survivors; Agent Orange patients; war veterans; 18 May democracy patriots; special mission personnel; persons injured or killed rescuing others and their families; single-parent family protection recipients; e-contract applicants | On the court side (Rule Art. 13(2)) the waiver applies when “the tenant” qualifies, but not for online registry applications |
The two rules name one group slightly differently (“special mission performers” vs “special mission patriots”); we kept each as written.
When you don’t need to apply separately — lease reporting
Article 6-5(3) of the Real Estate Transaction Reporting Act treats a fixed date as given when a housing lease is reported with the contract attached. That is covered with the text in lease contract reporting. Leases outside reporting (for example a deposit of 60 million won or less and rent of 300,000 won or less) need one of the routes above.
Checklist
- ☐ Original contract (tally seal if 2+ pages), ID
- ☐ Lines through gaps; character counts and signatures by corrections
- ☐ 600 won in person, 500 won online
- ☐ Apply electronically before 16:00 on a weekday
- ☐ Move-in registration as well — the fixed date alone gives no priority
Questions that remain
Can I get it on the day I sign?
The texts set no timing. But priority needs the opposing requirements and the fixed date, so an early fixed date only works once you have moved in and registered (Act Art. 3-2(2)).
Does the landlord have to agree?
In person, any “holder of the contract” may apply; landlord consent isn’t a stated requirement (Ordinance Art. 2(1)).
What if we renew with a higher deposit?
Under the proviso to check 6, a renewal written onto a contract that already has a date can get a new one. How the increase ranks isn’t in the texts we read.
Sources
- Korean law database (law.go.kr) — Housing Lease Protection Act Arts. 3-2, 3-6 — source (current text, effective 2 January 2026, Act No. 21065; checked 5 November 2026). Priority requirements, who gives fixed dates, the register, fees, delegation.
- Korean law database — Housing Lease Protection Act Decree Arts. 4, 7 — source (current text, effective 1 July 2026, Decree No. 36423; checked 5 November 2026). The 8 register items, how the date is given, fee types and waiver delegation.
- Korean law database — Ordinance on fixed dates and lease information, Arts. 2–5, 8 — source (current text, effective 7 February 2022, Ministry of Justice Ordinance No. 1022; checked 5 November 2026). In-person application and ID, e-contract route, the 6 checks, stamp and tally seal, same-day rule, 20-year register, 600 won fee and 11 waivers.
- Korean law database — Supreme Court Rule on fixed dates and information, Arts. 3, 5–9, 13 — source (current text, effective 10 June 2021, Supreme Court Rule No. 2986; checked 5 November 2026). Courts and registries, online applicants and certificates, the 16:00 and 18:00 rules, 20-year retention, 500 won and waivers.
- Not read. Supreme Court established rules (return criteria, online procedure), notary fee rules, case law.
- What we added. The “worth noting” column and the Korean everyday gloss.
Where to check further
- The community centre where the house is, or a nearby registry office — hours and documents.
- Korea Legal Aid Corporation — priority and distribution disputes.
Written on 5 November 2026. The content is from the source; the glosses are ours.
