South KoreaHow long is the divorce cooling-off period?
In South Korea, the divorce cooling-off period is 3 months for couples with minor children and 1 month for couples without minor children.
What the Law Says
South Korean law requires divorcing couples to observe a mandatory cooling-off period before a divorce can be finalized through mutual consent. The length depends on whether the couple has minor children.
The cooling-off period is designed to encourage reflection and reconciliation before finalizing divorce. It applies only to divorces by mutual consent (not judicial divorces).
If the couple has minor children, the cooling-off period is three months. If they have no minor children, it is one month. During this time, either party may withdraw consent at any point, which halts the divorce process.
The period begins on the day the couple jointly submits their divorce application to the family court or local district office — depending on the procedure used.
Statutory TextWhere a husband and wife file an application for divorce by mutual consent, they shall observe a cooling-off period of one month; provided that where they have a minor child, the cooling-off period shall be three months.
— Act on Special Cases Concerning the Settlement of Family Disputes, s. 25 — Divorce by Mutual Consent
What to Do
Both spouses must jointly submit a divorce application to the family court or competent local district office.
Wait the applicable cooling-off period: 1 month (no minor children) or 3 months (with minor children).
Neither spouse may withdraw consent during the first 30 days if they have minor children — but may do so after that, up to the end of the 3-month period.
After the cooling-off period ends without withdrawal, the divorce becomes effective upon registration with the local district office.
Sources
Not legal advice. This article is general information based on publicly available sources, written for educational purposes. Laws change and individual situations vary. Consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction before acting on anything you read here. Last reviewed: 2026-06-08.