Deposit (bojeunggeum)
Korean: 보증금 · bojeunggeum
The money you pay the landlord at the start of a Korean lease, returned when the lease ends.
Every Korean home lease, jeonse or wolse, has a deposit. It is returned at the end, after any amounts you owe are settled.
Even after the lease term ends, the lease relationship is treated as continuing until you get your deposit back (Housing Lease Protection Act, Art. 4(2)). If the landlord does not return it, you can apply to court for a lease registration order (임차권등기명령) so you can move out without losing your protection (Art. 3-3).
Legal basis
Explanations follow the current Korean statutes on the National Law Information Center (law.go.kr). Laws change, so check the original text before relying on it. This is general information, not legal advice. All terms