Can foreign residents register as job seekers on Work24 or WorkNet?

Yes. Foreign residents with an alien registration card can sign up and register as job seekers.

Work24 (work24.go.kr) is the integrated service run by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, bringing together what used to sit across separate sites including WorkNet. Registration uses your alien registration number for identity verification, the same way a resident registration number is used for Korean nationals. If online verification fails — which happens depending on how your mobile phone account is registered — you can complete it in person at an employment centre with your alien registration card.

Registering as a job seeker does connect you to more than listings. It is the entry point for employment centre counselling, where a counsellor reviews your situation and can refer you to vocational training. Some training and support programmes are open to foreign residents and some are restricted by residence status, so ask the centre directly what your status qualifies for rather than assuming either way. Bring your alien registration card and, if you have one, documentation of your previous employment.

Two practical notes for your situation in Changwon. First, if your contract ended rather than you resigning, ask at the same visit whether you qualify for employment insurance benefits — eligibility depends on your enrolment history and the reason for leaving, and the centre assesses it. Second, employment centres have foreign worker support functions in areas with larger foreign populations, and Changwon is an industrial area, so ask whether a counsellor who handles foreign residents is available and on which days.

The general information line for the ministry is 1350, and it handles questions about working conditions as well. For questions about what your residence status allows, the 1345 immigration contact centre advises in multiple languages.