Clear guidance on attorney fees for foreigners in Korea.
Before comparing lawyer fees in Korea in detail, it helps to understand what is included at each stage — from a free initial inquiry to a paid legal consultation. This guide covers criminal defense, criminal complaints, civil litigation, family, and immigration matters; fees may vary depending on case complexity, urgency, evidence volume, number of allegations, detention status, and translation or interpretation needs.
A brief initial email describing your matter is free. Detailed legal advice or evidence review is a paid advisory service (KRW 550,000). Email is available in English and Chinese.
Use the consultation chat on this website to submit your case summary, contact details, and preferred consultation time. Attorney Doyun Lee will contact you using the information you provide.
Phone consultation in English: 30 minutes, KRW 110,000. In-person consultation in English: 30 minutes, KRW 550,000.
The consultation fee is waived if you retain Attorney Doyun Lee for the matter.
A free email inquiry is limited to identifying the type of case, whether consultation is available, and the general next steps.
Detailed legal review, evidence analysis, document review, and legal strategy — the core work of an English-speaking lawyer in Korea — are provided through a paid consultation.
The most common starting point is confirming the legal consultation fee in Korea before deciding whether to proceed. Not sure where to start? Our overview of legal help for foreigners in Korea explains how the consultation process works before you reach out.
A short reference list of common legal fees in Korea for foreign clients. Full details, including criminal lawyer fees in Korea, are available below.
This guide reflects standard Korean lawyer fees for foreigners across common services. Final fees are quoted after reviewing the case type, scope, urgency, evidence volume, and required language support.
Criminal lawyer fees in Korea typically depend on the stage of the case and the complexity of the allegation. Investigation-stage criminal defense — including interview preparation, attorney attendance, and communication with the investigator — generally starts from KRW 7,700,000 to KRW 11,000,000. Trial-stage defense, including court appearances and defense briefs, generally ranges from KRW 8,800,000 to KRW 13,200,000, with similar ranges applying to appeals before the appellate court or the Supreme Court.
For foreign clients, criminal defense attorney fees in Korea also reflect the need for English or Chinese communication throughout the investigation and trial process. As a Korean criminal defense lawyer certified by the Korean Bar Association as a specialist in criminal law, Attorney Doyun Lee represents foreign clients directly — see the Criminal Lawyer in Korea for Foreigners page and the Korean Police Interview Lawyer guide for more on how investigation-stage defense works in practice, or read more about the attorney's background.
Fees for filing or responding to a criminal complaint in Korea vary depending on whether the matter involves complaint drafting only, evidence organization, or full investigation-stage representation with interview attendance. Full investigation-stage complaint representation generally ranges from KRW 6,600,000 to KRW 9,900,000.
For victims of crime, representation may include compensation negotiation, settlement agreements, and non-punishment statement support, while suspect-side settlement representation focuses on contact with the counterparty and negotiated settlement terms. Related outcomes are described in our case results and legal news sections.
Civil litigation fees in Korea depend on the complexity of the claim, ranging from simple civil matters and small claims to first-instance litigation and appeals before Korea's higher courts.
Korean divorce lawyer fees generally reflect whether the matter involves an agreed divorce, mediation, or contested litigation with disputes over property division, alimony, or child custody — see the Divorce Lawyer in Korea for Foreigners page for details relevant to international couples.
Immigration lawyer Korea fees typically apply to visa-risk consultations following a criminal matter, immigration opinion letters, and responses to departure or deportation orders. Foreign clients facing both a criminal case and an immigration concern can review the Immigration & Visa Lawyer in Korea page for more detail.
Legal fees in Korea may vary depending on the type of case, urgency, number of allegations, number of parties involved, detention or warrant issues, evidence volume, number of police or court appearances, need for written opinions, and whether English, Chinese, or Korean communication is required. For foreign clients, translation, interpretation, overseas communication, visa-related issues, and document preparation may also affect the final estimate.
A brief initial email describing the matter is free and may be sent in English or Chinese. Substantive legal advice, document review, or evidence review is a paid advisory service costing KRW 550,000.
A 30-minute phone consultation in English is KRW 110,000. A 30-minute in-person consultation in English is KRW 550,000. Use the consultation chat on this website to submit a case summary and preferred consultation time; after confirmation and payment, Attorney Doyun Lee will call. The consultation fee is waived if you retain her for the matter.
Investigation-stage criminal defense generally starts from KRW 7,700,000 to KRW 11,000,000. Trial defense generally ranges from KRW 8,800,000 to KRW 13,200,000, depending on the case.
VAT is included in the quoted fees above. However, court fees, filing fees, postage, travel expenses, interpretation fees, and translation fees may be charged separately.
Yes. Nationwide and remote representation may be available depending on the case. Email communication is available in English and Chinese; phone and in-person consultations are conducted in English.
Available payment methods (such as international wire transfer) vary by case and are confirmed individually during the consultation. All fees are quoted in Korean won; as a rough guide, KRW 1,000,000 is approximately USD 700–750 depending on the exchange rate.
The fees above are standard reference fees based on one client and one primary issue or allegation. Fees may be adjusted depending on additional allegations, number of victims, number of interviews or hearings, evidence volume, urgency, detention status, need for interpretation or translation, and whether the client is overseas. VAT is included in the quoted fees above. Court fees, filing fees, service fees, postage, travel expenses, interpretation fees, and translation fees may be charged separately. Email inquiries are free, but detailed legal analysis and legal strategy are provided through a paid consultation.
Send a short summary of your case, timeline, documents, and preferred language. We will let you know whether consultation is available and what the next step would be.
A brief initial email describing your matter is free. Detailed legal advice or evidence review is a paid advisory service (KRW 550,000). Email is available in English and Chinese.
Use the consultation chat on this website to submit your case summary, contact details, and preferred consultation time. Attorney Doyun Lee will contact you using the information you provide.
Phone consultation in English: 30 minutes, KRW 110,000. In-person consultation in English: 30 minutes, KRW 550,000.
The consultation fee is waived if you retain Attorney Doyun Lee for the matter.