Government Bodies
Definition
The Ministry of Justice (법무부) is the Korean government body responsible for immigration policy, visa issuance decisions, and enforcement. The Korea Immigration Service (KIS) operates under the MOJ and handles most day-to-day immigration matters for foreigners.
Korea's Ministry of Justice (법무부, MOJ) has jurisdiction over immigration law, naturalization, refugee processing, and criminal justice. Within the MOJ, the Korea Immigration Service (출입국·외국인정책본부, KIS) is the operational arm handling: visa issuance and refusal, ARC registration, sojourn period management, deportation, and immigration enforcement. Regional immigration offices (출입국관리사무소) are the local offices where foreigners appear in person for ARC registration, visa changes, and extensions. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (외교부, MOFA) handles overseas visa applications through Korean embassies and consulates, while MOJ handles domestic immigration matters. Policy decisions — such as which countries are visa-exempt, points thresholds, and new visa categories — are made at the MOJ level.
Understanding which government body handles your issue helps you reach the right channel. If you are already in Korea, your primary contact is the regional immigration office (under KIS/MOJ). If you are applying from abroad, it's the Korean embassy or consulate (under MOFA). Complaints about immigration decisions must be directed to the MOJ, not the embassy. Immigration lawyers who specialize in appeal cases deal directly with the MOJ.