Civil Act Art. 660 · Labor Standards Act Art. 76-2
Resignation Letter Generator (Korean Format)
Fill in the form to generate a Korean-language resignation letter or a certified-mail demand letter for workplace harassment. The document body is always in Korean — the format Korean employers and labor offices require.
Generated document
Fill in the form and press Generate.
What this tool does
This generator produces two official Korean-format documents from a simple form: a resignation letter (sajikseo) and a certified demand letter (naeyong jeungmyeong) for workplace harassment. For resignations it auto-calculates the legal termination-effective date under Civil Act Article 660 — the date your employment ends even if your employer refuses to accept the letter (notice date + 1 month). The demand letter cites Labor Standards Act Articles 76-2 and 76-3, which oblige employers to investigate harassment promptly. A built-in warning prevents a common costly mistake: describing harassment inside a resignation letter, which can hurt unemployment-benefit eligibility.
Who uses this
- Employees leaving a Korean company that has no official resignation form
- Calculating when your resignation legally takes effect if the employer refuses to accept it
- Harassment victims formally demanding an internal investigation and protective measures
- Foreign workers in Korea generating a correctly formatted Korean document from an English UI
- Organizing facts in document form before consulting a labor attorney (nomusa)
How to use (4 steps)
- 1Choose the document type: 'Resignation letter' to give notice, 'Demand letter' to formally report harassment. Never mix the two purposes in one document.
- 2Enter your name, company, department, and position. Blank fields become [ ] placeholders you can fill in by hand after printing.
- 3For resignations, pick a desired last day and a reason — five neutral preset phrases or your own Korean text.
- 4Press Generate and copy the text. Print and sign the resignation letter; for the demand letter, send three identical copies via certified mail at any Korean post office.
Legal basis (Civil Act Art. 660 · Labor Standards Act Art. 76-2/76-3)
Termination effective date (Civil Act Art. 660) (1) With no fixed employment term, either party may give notice any time (2) Termination takes effect 1 month after the other party receives notice (3) For period-based pay (monthly salary), it takes effect after one full pay period following the current one Example: letter submitted Aug 19, employer refuses to accept: → effective Sep 19 (may be later for monthly pay) → if the employer accepts, effective immediately upon acceptance Workplace harassment (Labor Standards Act Art. 76-2) — 3 elements: (1) abuse of superior position/relationship (2) beyond appropriate work scope (3) physical/mental distress or worsened work environment Employer duties (Art. 76-3): prompt objective investigation (para. 2), victim protection during investigation (para. 3), no retaliation (para. 6)
Real-world examples
Example 1: Employer refuses to accept the letter
You submit on Aug 19; the company says 'not until we find a replacement.' Under Art. 660(2), employment ends after Sep 19 regardless of consent. Stopping work before that date counts as unexcused absence, which can lower the average wage used for severance and invite damage claims — keep working normally until the effective date.
Example 2: Quitting because of harassment — what to write
If a manager's repeated abuse drove the decision, write a neutral reason ('personal reasons') in the resignation letter and send the harassment facts separately as a certified demand letter. Harassment described only in a resignation letter leaves a 'voluntary departure' record; certified mail plus evidence supports a labor-office complaint and involuntary-departure recognition for unemployment benefits.
Example 3: A foreign worker's Korean resignation letter
A Vietnamese employee changing jobs can fill the form in the Vietnamese UI and receive the exact Korean format Korean employers require. Korean-language originals are the standard for documents submitted to companies and labor offices — safer than translations.
Frequently asked questions
Can my employer stop me from quitting by rejecting the letter?
No. Resignation notice does not require consent. Even if rejected, employment ends automatically 1 month after notice under Civil Act Art. 660 (one pay period later for monthly salary). However, stopping work before then counts as unexcused absence with severance and liability risks.
What happens if I stop showing up before the effective date?
Your severance pay is based on the average wage of the final 3 months — absences lower it. The employer may also claim damages for handover failures. The safe route is working until the effective date or agreeing on an earlier exit with the company.
Does a certified demand letter force the company to act?
The letter itself has no binding force, but once the employer is aware of alleged harassment, Art. 76-3 imposes a legal duty to investigate promptly and objectively. The certified letter officially proves when the employer became aware — key evidence if you later file with the labor office.
Can I get unemployment benefits if I quit over harassment?
Departure due to workplace harassment can qualify as a 'justified reason' under the Employment Insurance Act, making benefits possible even for a voluntary exit. You need objective proof: the certified letter, internal reports, a labor-office complaint, recordings. Writing only 'personal reasons' with no records makes this hard. The local employment center makes the final call.
Does the resignation letter have to be in writing?
Verbal notice is legally valid, but written submission avoids disputes about when notice was given. Email or messenger also works as evidence, though if company rules specify a written form, follow them.
How do I send certified mail (naeyong jeungmyeong)?
Prepare three identical copies (for you, the recipient, and the post office) and submit at a post-office counter, or write and send online at epost.kr. The post office certifies the record for 3 years.
Cautions
- •This tool assists with formatting and is not legal advice. For dismissal, discipline, or litigation situations, consult a certified labor attorney or lawyer.
- •The effective date shown is the Civil Act minimum when the employer does not accept; acceptance makes it effective immediately, and monthly pay can push it later under Art. 660(3).
- •Company rules or contracts may set their own exit procedures that apply first (invalid if they violate the law).
- •False statements in a certified letter can invite defamation counterclaims — state only objectively provable facts.
- •Documents are generated entirely in your browser and never sent to or stored on a server.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-19
When does resignation take effect?
If your employer accepts the letter, immediately. If not, Civil Act Art. 660 makes it effective 1 month after notice (or one pay period later for monthly pay). Unexcused absence before then risks severance-pay reduction and damage claims.
3 elements of workplace harassment
① Abuse of superior position or relationship ② beyond the appropriate scope of work ③ causing physical/mental distress or worsening the work environment (Labor Standards Act Art. 76-2). Employers must investigate promptly (Art. 76-3), and retaliation is prohibited.
How to send a certified letter
Prepare 3 identical copies (sender, recipient, post office) and send at any post office or online at epost.kr. If the company fails to act, file a complaint with the Ministry of Employment and Labor portal (labor.moel.go.kr).