Lease termination notice (in Korean, filled in English)
Pick your situation and fill in the fields in English. You get the Korean notice for your landlord and the deadline that applies to you.
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This is a general-purpose letter for reference, not legal advice. If you expect a dispute, get help from a lawyer or a public service such as the Korea Legal Aid Corporation (대한법률구조공단).
Which notice do you need?
Not renewing: a tenant who wants to leave at the end of the lease must tell the landlord at least two months before the end date. If neither side gives notice in time, the lease is treated as renewed on the same terms for two years (Housing Lease Protection Act Art. 6(1)–(2)).
Leaving a renewed lease early: if the lease was renewed automatically, or through your one-time renewal request, you can end it at any time. It ends three months after the landlord receives your notice (Art. 6-2, applied to renewal requests by Art. 6-3(4)).
How to send it as certified mail (내용증명)
Content-certified mail (내용증명) is registered mail for which Korea Post certifies what document you sent, to whom and when (Enforcement Rule of the Postal Service Act, Art. 25(1)4(a)). It is the usual way to prove you made a demand or gave notice on a certain date.
Print three identical copies on A4: one original for the landlord and two copies (Art. 48(1)). The post office keeps one copy for three years from the day after sending and gives the other back to you (Art. 48(3)). You can also send it online through the Korea Post e-certified mail service.
- Take the three copies and your ID to any post office counter and ask for 내용증명.
- A notice takes effect when it reaches the other side, not when you post it (Civil Act Art. 111(1)). If the arrival date matters, ask for delivery certification (배달증명) as well.
- Certified mail proves what you sent. It does not force the landlord to pay; that takes a court procedure.
Lease Termination Notice: common questions
Q. Is a text message enough?
A. The Act does not set a form for the notice. But you may later need to prove when it arrived, so send it in a way that leaves a dated record: certified mail with delivery certification is the safest.
Q. Do I pay the agent fee for the next tenant if I leave early?
A. The Act does not say who pays it. It depends on your contract and what you agree with the landlord, so check your contract and agree in writing.
▸ Automatic lease renewal: the 2-month rule and leaving early >
Legal basis (Korean):주택임대차보호법 · 우편법 시행규칙
Korean version: 한국어 서식 · Found an error? Tell us