South Korea

Small Claims Court in South Korea

₩30 million
Maximum claim amount
1 court hearing
Typical resolution time
No appeal
Final judgment rule
The Short Answer

South Korean small claims courts (civil divisions of district courts) handle monetary claims up to ₩30 million under the Civil Procedure Act.

What the Law Says

South Korea does not have a separate 'small claims court' but applies a simplified small claims procedure within district courts under Chapter 12-2 of the Civil Procedure Act. This procedure applies exclusively to monetary claims meeting strict statutory criteria.

P1: Under Article 318-2 of the Civil Procedure Act (Act No. 8491, amended Apr. 17, 2024), the small claims procedure applies only to civil claims seeking payment of money not exceeding ₩30 million (KRW). Claims for non-monetary relief (e.g., injunctions, specific performance, or declaratory judgments) are excluded.

P2: Eligible claims include unpaid wages, rent arrears, consumer refunds, breach-of-contract damages, and personal injury compensation — provided they are quantifiable in money and fall within the ₩30 million cap. Excluded matters include family law, real property title disputes, intellectual property infringement, and criminal complaints.

Statutory Text

A claim for payment of money not exceeding thirty million won may be filed under the small claims procedure.

— Civil Procedure Act, Art. 318-2(1)
Statutory Text

Judgments rendered under the small claims procedure shall not be subject to appeal.

— Civil Procedure Act, Art. 318-10(1)

What to Do

1

Confirm your claim is monetary, quantifiable, and ≤ ₩30 million; verify it is not excluded by Art. 318-2(2) (e.g., no family, administrative, or IP matters).

2

File a simplified complaint (Form No. 51, Supreme Court Rules) directly with the competent district court; no lawyer required, and filing fee is reduced to ₩10,000 (Civil Procedure Act Enforcement Decree, Art. 47-2).

Sources

statuteCivil Procedure Act (민사소송법)

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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: 2026-10-03.