Divorce by agreement(协议离婚)

Divorce by Agreement

  Under Korean family law(which is a sub-section of Korean Civil Act), there are two types of divorce; 1) divorce by agreement, 2) and judicial divorce.

  Divorce by Agreement is also called as 'uncontested divorce'. The parties first need to obtain a confirmation of intent not to contest divorce form the Family Court of jurisdiction. The divorce becomes effective when a report of divorce which is signed by both parties and attached with a copy of the confirmation is reported to the head of the local district unit.

  Procedure of divorce by agreement is as follows. You need to apply for confirmation of intent not to contest divorce by submitting certain documents to the court, such as copies of family relations certificate, marriage certificate, copies of resident registration, copies of an agreement regarding the custody and parental rights if there is a minor child, etc..

  Then the parties must appear together at the court and be confirmed by the court about their intent to divorce. During this procedure, the court may order a modification to the agreement regarding custody and decision on parental rights for the interest of minor children.

  Finally, after you get the copy of confirmation from the court, you should report it to the local district unit office. If you fail to submit the report in three months after the issuance of the copy of confirmation, the divorce is not effective. In such cases, the parties need to obtain another confirmation on intent to divorce from the court.

  I once met Iranian couple who married in Iran, but wanted to divorce in Korea. They already had made the agreement to divorce and had gone through religious divorce procedures, but the Iranian Embassy required them to take legal procedures in Korean Family Court.

  Since they did not speak any Korean, I had to translate all of their documents into Korean, accompany them to the court appearance(the court does not designate a translator in uncontested divorce procedure, so I had to play a role as a translator in front of judges), and help them report it to the office. I hope to meet them as my clients being in a happier situation in the future.

  协议离婚

韩国家庭法（韩国民法的一部分）规定：离婚有两种类型1）协议离婚 2）审判离婚

协议离婚也叫没有争吵的离婚。当事人首先从管辖的家庭法院那里确认收到没有离婚异议。区政府里收到附上上边的离婚确认书，有两个当事人签字盖章的离婚申请书以后离婚才生效。

协议离婚的顺序如下你应该在所管辖的法院附加几份材料然后申请离婚确认，附加的材料有家庭关系证明书，结婚证明书，居民登录证副本，有未成年子女的情况关于养育和亲生权的副本。

然后当事人去法院，他们的离婚意向从法院得到确认。这样的确认程序中，法院为了未成年人的利益也可能要求养育权与亲生权协议。

  最后从法院得到离婚意向确认书后你得在地区区政府进行离婚申告。你如果从发行离婚意向确认书后3天之内没进行离婚申告的情况离婚无效。这样的情况，当事人又得重新从法院确认得到离婚意向。

  有一次见过在伊朗结婚却在韩国离婚的夫妇。他们虽然已经结束离婚协议，也都经过了宗教上的程序，伊朗大使馆里要求他们经过韩国家庭法院中韩国法上的离婚程序。

  因为他们完全不会韩国语，我将他们应该提交的所有文件翻译成韩国语，为了得到离婚意向的确认一块去了法庭（因为法院在协议离婚程序中不指定翻译官，我在判师前边也必须做翻译）。帮助他们在区政府做了离婚申告。我希望以后在高兴的情况下见到他们作为我的当事人。

Overdue wage(拖欠工资)

overdue wage

  I saw some English teachers in 'Hagwon' who worked but did not receive their paycheck. At first I could not understand why they did not seek any legal measure, since some of teachers had not been payed for several month. The reason I most frequently hear is that the teachers believed the employer saying it will be payed as soon as possible, and that they were afraid to arouse any legal issue in a foreign country. 

  According to Article 36 of the Labor Standards Act, if a worker retires, an employer shall pay the wages, compensations, and other money or valuables within 14 days after the cause for such payment has occurred. An employer who violates the provisions of Article 36 shall be punished.

  When you did not receive your paycheck after you leave the workplace, then you should first file a petition at the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Employment and Labor of your workplace. You can do it either by visiting the office or via internet. Labor board will investigate the employer and, if finds guilty, will send the case to the Public Prosecutors' Office.

  Along with this criminal procedure, you need to get 'certificate of overdue wage' from labor board, and file a civil suit using the certificate as a major proof. Lawyers in KLAC(Korean Legal Aid Corporation) helps filing a wage lawsuit for free.  

拖欠工资

  我知道几位在学院里教英语却没有拿到工资的老师。他们当中有一部分几个月没有拿到工资的情况也有，我刚开始不能理解他们为什么那么久没有拿到工资也不采取任何法律措施。我最经常听到的理由是老师们相信雇佣主说的会尽快给支付工资的话，或者是他们本身害怕在国外引起任何法律问题。

  劳动基准法第36条规定：劳动者退休的情况，雇佣主发生支付原因以后14天之内应该支付工资、保尝金、其它钱或者贵重品。违反第36条规定的雇佣主将会受到处罚。

  你如果离开职场以后没有得到工资的情况，首先应该去管辖职场的雇佣劳动部提交陈情书。你可以通过访问雇佣劳动部办公室或者通过网络陈情。劳动委员会调查雇佣主以后如果判断有嫌疑（罪）的话，会将事件移送给检查厅。

  与这样的刑事程序一样，你从雇佣劳动部收到“拖欠钱物凭证书”，应该把这作为重要的证据提起民事诉讼。大韩法律援助工团的律师免费帮助提起拖欠工资的诉讼。

MINIMUM WAGES(最低工资)

MINIMUM WAGES 

  Korean labor law obliges employers to pay above the minimum amount of wage to employees. Minimum wage is determined on an annual basis, and in 2013, the hourly minimum wage rate is 4,860 won, daily wage rate( on a 8-hour basis) is 38,880 won, and in case of 40 hours per week(209 hours per month), the monthly wage will amount 957,220 won.

  Korean Minimum Wage Act is basically applied to every business or workplace employing workers which, of course, include foreigners. Exceptional cases exist where the minimum wage can be reduced, such as apprentices, and where the Minimum Wage Act is not applied, such as a workplace that employ only relatives living  together or domestic workers, or a sailor who is subject to the seamen law or an owner of ship employing sailor.

  If your labor contract provides for a wage that is less than the minimum wage rate, then it shall be considered to stipulate that the same wage as the minimum wage rate shall be paid.

  When you have to decide whether or not the minimum wage is fulfilled, you need to calculate the total wage, which excludes bonus, the wage which is paid for the non-contractual working hours such as extended work allowance, holiday work allowance, etc., and also allowances paid for an employee's living support or welfare(meal costs, etc.). Then, you convert that total wage into hourly rate and compare it to the minimum hourly rate. 

   最低工资

 韩国的劳动法正迫使雇佣主给职员支付最少金额以上的工资。最低工资是每年决定的，以2013年为基准 每小时最低工资比率是4860韩币，每天（8小时基准）是38,880韩币。一周以工作40小时为基准（一个月是209小时）一个月最低工资是95万7千2百20元韩币。

   韩国的最低工资法原则上适用于使用劳动者的所有行业或者工作场所，上边所说的劳动者当然也包括外国人。另外，有适用最低工资减额或者不适用最低工资的情况，例如，实习劳动者的情况可以适用最低工资减额。只使用同居亲属的行业从事者或者家事使用者，对于适用船员法的船员和使用船员的船舶的所有者等来说不适用最低工资法。

  你的劳动合同如果提供比最低工资还要低的工资的话，那就应该视为规定应当支付与最低工资相同的工资。

  如果你签了接受不到最低工资的金额的劳动合同的情况，视为决定支付与最低工资相同的工资。

  判断履行最低工资与否的情况是，除去奖金、规定劳动时间没有支付的工资（例如：延长工作补贴等）、生活补助或者作为福利厚生的补贴等（餐费）后 计算的总工资，那个工资转换为小时工资与每小时最低工资比较就可以了。

Criminal minor(刑事未成年人)

criminal minor

  Korean Criminal Act Clause 9 defines 'criminal minors' as those who are under 14. It means that if you are under 14 years old, then you do not get punished by Criminal Law.

  I once met clients who were parents of a child who had beaten his classmate. The injury was not significant but the problem was that the parents of the injured child demanded too much money(I recall the amount was near 50 million Won). They also intimidated my clients that they will sue the child unless they give out the money.

  Even though my clients were not affluent enough, they had a will to cover the medical cost and consolation money but the other side just did not want to settle.

  I found the boy was in the first grade in middle school. His Korean age was 14 but his legal age was 12. Since the child is a 'criminal minor', even if the victim's parents sue the child, the prosecutor will decide not to indict the child. Instead of prosecuting the child, it is possible for the prosecutor to transfer the case into 'juvenile protection case'.

  Juveniles who committed crimes and who are between 10 and 14 could be sent to juvenile department of the court and get 'protective disposition' under Korean Juvenile Act. Such a protective disposition is significantly different from criminal punishment in terms of degree of measures, influence to the child's future etc..

  After my clients were told about these legal issues, they decided not to comply with the other side's ridiculous demand. Soon I could hear that they made a settlement in a moderate amount before going to the police department.

 刑事未成年人

  韩国刑法第九条将14岁未满的人定义为刑事未成年人。就是说，你如果14岁未满的话，就意味着你不会受到刑法的处罚。

  我有一次见了一位委托人, 这位委托人是殴打同班学生的孩子的家长。虽然被害人受到伤害的程度不大，问题是受伤孩子的父母要求太多的钱作为协议金（记得当时是要求韩币5000万元左右）。他们还威胁当事人如果不给钱的话将会控告那个孩子。

  我的委托人们虽然境遇不是很好，但是想要赔偿治疗费和精神赔偿费，但是对方完全不想协议。

  我发现了加害学生上中一的事实。那个孩子韩国年龄14岁法律上满12岁了。因此，即使受害者的父母控诉这个孩子但是因为这个孩子属于刑事未成年人，检察决定不起诉那个学生。但是检察作为“少年保护事件”孩子有被移送的可能性。

  根据少年法规定10岁以上14岁未满的少年属于触犯刑罚法令的行为,要被送到法院的少年部接受“保护处分”。这样的保护处分在那个措施的程度，对孩子的未来的影响方面与刑罚处罚有很大的区别。

  我的委托人被告知这些法律争论焦点之后决定不应对对方无理的要求。并且我还听说了他们在去警察部门之前以适当的金额协议的消息。

Expected time horizon when filing a suit(诉讼时间)

 Litigation is a time-consuming job. Even if you obviously have a proper right and the other side has obligation, you still need to go through a long way to get judgement from the court. Even in a simple case such as debt collecting case, where there is an obvious proof like a contract document, it still may take quite a long time, usually around half a year or even a full year or two.
 It is the delivery of documents by the court that usually takes much of the time used during legal procedure. If you don't know the defendant's address then you should make inquiries to other institutions through the court procedure and it may take a few months to get the answer. If the defendants' address is not correct, you will get the correction order from the court, and you need to visit government office to get the copy of resident registration of defendants, using the correction order from the court. Then finally, you can correct the defendants' address by using the address written in resident registration, and the court will deliver your pleading to the corrected address. Such procedures, which is not relevant to the merits of the case, consumes much of the time. It is also problematic if the defendant has no property. Even if you get the judgement from the court, it is no use if the defendant does not have any property where the judgement can be executed. Even if there exists a certain property, you need to start another execution procedure. You must seize that property, and proceed to compulsory auction or collection of receivables, etc.. All of these procedures are conducted using only Korean and it is hard for expats to understand what to do during the process. Sometimes I feel like to take over the right(credit) from my foreign friends so I can deal with legal matters by myself for them. But under the Korean law, such a delegation of litigation is prohibited unless there is an attorney-client relationship. In conclusion, you need to contemplate the time horizon and cost before starting a lawsuit. If you are planning to leave Korea soon, or if you cannot afford attorney fee, then you will find yourself being in a stressful situation.

  你决定提起民事诉讼的情况预想所需要的时间。

 

诉讼是一件花费很多时间的事情。虽然对你来说有明确的权利，对对方来说有义务，你仍然需要为了得到法院的判决而通过很长的路。就像债券托收（讨债）等简单的事件，甚至像合同文件一样即使有明确的证据的案件一般仍然需要半年或者1,2年左右还可能花费很长时间。

一般来说，法律手续中法院送达文件需要大部分时间。如果你不知道被告的地址得通过法院的程序向其他机关询问被告的地址，为了得到答案可能要等几个月。如果被告的地址不正确，你会收到法院的更正通知。你利用法院的更正通知，为了得到被告的户口本跟复印件需要访问官公署。然后利用身份证上记载的地址修正被告人的地址，法院按照修正的地址送达诉状。这样的程序虽然跟事件的实体没有关系但也需要花费很多时间。

 

对被告来说没有财产的情况也属于一种问题。对被告来说，如果没有能够执行判决的财产的话，即使法院判决也没有用。即使被告有财产，你也得开始其他的执行手续。你得进行扣押被告的财产，强制拍卖或者债券托收手续。

 

这些所有的程序都是只用韩语进行，外国人在整个过程中需要该做什么理解上有很大的难度。有时，我认为宁愿从外国人那里接受转让证券，代替他们接管法律手续执行。但是根据韩国法律 律师跟依赖人没有关系的话，禁止诉讼上的委任。

 

结论是，你在诉讼开始之前，有考虑预想时间和费用的必要。你如果有很快离开韩国的计划或者付不起律师费用的话，在法律程序上经历挫折的可能性很高。