When a creditor garnishes your wages in Korea, they don’t take all of them. Civil Execution Act Article 246(1)4 protects half of wages, pensions, salaries, bonuses and retirement pensions, and the Decree puts a floor and a ceiling on that half. If half comes to less than 2.5 million won a month, 2.5 million is protected (Art. 3, revised 27 January 2026); if half exceeds 3 million won, only 3 million plus half the excess is protected (Art. 4). On 4 million won a month, 2.5 million stays and up to 1.5 million can be seized. Half of severance pay is protected (item 5).
1. The rule: half of pay is protected (Act Art. 246(1)4).
2. Floor of 2.5 million won a month — pay up to 2.5 million is fully protected, and up to 5 million keeps 2.5 million (Decree Art. 3).
3. Ceiling of 3 million + (half − 3 million) ÷ 2 — on 10 million won, 4 million stays (Decree Art. 4).
Calculator
Updates as you type. Protected = half of pay, but at least 2.5 million won a month, and above 3 million it becomes 3 million plus half the excess. Pay from several employers or of several kinds is added together (Decree Art. 5). A court can change the range on application (Act Art. 246(3)).
The provisions
| Type | What the source says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Act Art. 246(1)4 | Half of wages, pensions, salaries, bonuses, retirement pensions and similar pay; but where that falls below the Decree amount set with regard to minimum living costs, or exceeds the amount set with regard to a standard household’s costs, the Decree amount | Claims that cannot be seized |
| Decree Art. 3 | The floor is 2.5 million won a month | Revised 27 Jan 2026, in force 1 Feb 2026 |
| Decree Art. 4 | The ceiling, not below item 1, is 3 million won a month (item 1) plus half of the protected amount (monthly) minus 3 million (item 2) | When half exceeds 3 million |
| Decree Art. 5 | Pay from several employers or of several kinds is added together | Counted as one |
| Act Art. 246(1)5 | Half of severance pay and similar | No floor or ceiling |
On application, a court can cancel all or part of a garnishment order, or extend it to protected claims, having regard to both sides’ circumstances (Art. 246(3)). The calculator shows the statutory baseline.
Five sums — our example
| Monthly pay (our example) | Protected / seizable | Worth noting (our sum) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 million won | 2 million / 0 | Half 1 million < 2.5m → 2.5m, but pay is less |
| 4 million won | 2.5 million / 1.5 million | Half 2 million < 2.5m |
| 6 million won | 3 million / 3 million | Half 3 million as is |
| 8 million won | 3.5 million / 4.5 million | 3m + (4m − 3m) ÷ 2 |
| 10 million won | 4 million / 6 million | 3m + (5m − 3m) ÷ 2 |
Up to 5 million won of pay, what’s left is the same 2.5 million; between 5 and 6 million, half is left; past 6 million, the protected amount grows at half the speed. On 5 million won a month, 2.5 million stays and up to 2.5 million can be seized.
Enter the monthly wage claim that is subject to garnishment. Whether it’s counted after tax and social insurance isn’t stated in the provisions we read, so check the court order and your employer’s handling. Pension rights and the living-expense account are in protecting pensions from seizure.
Once wages reach your bank account
Paid into an account, wages become a deposit. Article 246(2) has the court cancel the order for that part on the debtor’s application where items 1 to 7 are transferred into the debtor’s account. Separately, deposits of 2.5 million won or less per person can’t be seized (item 9, Decree Art. 7), less anything already protected in a living-expense account or as cash.
Checklist
- ☐ The claim and amount named in the order
- ☐ Pay from several sources is added, not counted separately
- ☐ Wages already in the bank: apply to cancel (Art. 246(2))
- ☐ Hardship: apply to change the range (Art. 246(3))
Credit data and licence restrictions from 5 million won of arrears are in tax arrears 5-million-won checker.
Questions that remain
What about a bonus month?
Item 4 includes bonuses, and Decree Art. 4 works on “the monthly amount”. How a bonus is spread into months isn’t spelled out.
Is it the same for tax arrears?
We read only the Civil Execution Act. Check the National Tax Collection Act’s own rules.
Sources
- Korean law database (law.go.kr) — Civil Execution Act Art. 246 — source (current text, effective 1 February 2026, Act No. 20733; checked 21 October 2026). Half of pay and severance, cancellation for transferred amounts, court variation, deposits.
- Korean law database — Civil Execution Act Enforcement Decree Arts. 3–5, 7 — source (effective 1 February 2026, Decree No. 36056; checked 21 October 2026). Floor 2.5 million a month, ceiling 3 million plus half the excess, adding sources, deposits 2.5 million.
- Not read. Other Acts’ exemptions (e.g. tax collection); case law on what comes off pay first.
- What we added. The “worth noting” column and the Korean everyday gloss.
Where to check further
- Korea Legal Aid Corporation — applications to cancel or vary an order.
- Credit Counseling and Recovery Service — debt adjustment.
Written on 21 October 2026. The content is from the source; the glosses are ours.
