Is it possible for a foreigner to get a job as a masseuse in Korea?

<Question> I am a marriage immigrant with permanent residency. Do I need to get a license to practice massage as a profession? What are the penalties for working as a masseuse without a license? Will I be deported if I am arrested more than once?

<Answer> In Korea, an ma (massage) is a job ‘reserved for the visually impaired’, and only the visually impaired can do it. Korea has been operating this system for a long time in order to consider the visually impaired who have difficulty finding other jobs and to guarantee their right to live.

Occasionally, it has been pointed out that this system infringes on the freedom of choice of occupation for non-disabled people, but each time the Constitutional Court has decided that the relevant law is constitutional.

Therefore, it is illegal as well for foreign residents to work as masseurs in Korea. Korean law stipulates that non-disabled persons who engage in the work of a masseuse for profit purposes shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than three years or by a fine of not more than 30 million won.

Nevertheless, you can still see massage parlors lined up all over the adult entertainment establishment area. This is because local governments and the police are not actively cracking down, knowing the reality of society in need of masseuses for non-disabled people. 

Of course, if the place engage in illegal prostitution in massage parlors, it will be subject to active crackdowns. In any case, if you are caught doing a massage, you will be punished.

In the case of the questioner, there is no big problem in staying in Korea even if you are fined because you have permanent residency. Permanent residency is not revoked unless the person commits a crime that is equivalent to imprisonment for more than two years or is against the national interest of Korea.

Legal Consultation for Foreign Residents ‘Papaya Story Living Legal Visa Support Center’ English 031-8001-0211 / Law Firm (Limited) Min ‘Immigration Legal Support Team’ 02-3477-5550, email: beobil2002@lawmin.net