Can I re-enter Korea after being deported?

What Korean law says

Article 11(1): the Minister of Justice may prohibit the entry of a foreign national falling under any of the listed grounds. Subparagraph 6 is a person in respect of whom five years have not passed since they left Korea after receiving a deportation order.

The other subparagraphs operate independently. They include a person reasonably suspected of being likely to act against the interests or public safety of Korea, a person reasonably suspected of being likely to act against economic or social order or public morals, a person who is a carrier of an infectious disease or a narcotics addict or otherwise likely to harm public health, and a person who lacks the means to meet the costs of their stay. Subparagraph 8 is a catch-all for a person the Minister considers unsuitable for entry on grounds equivalent to the others.

Article 11(2) allows reciprocal refusal where the person’s own country refuses entry to Korean nationals on grounds outside that list.

Immigration Control Act, Article 11. Act No. 20992, in force from 23 January 2026.

What usually happens in practice

Two features of the wording matter. The power is framed as one the Minister may exercise, so it is discretionary, and the five-year period is a ground for refusal rather than a sentence that expires into an entitlement. Passing the five years removes that particular ground; it does not create a right to enter, and the other subparagraphs remain available on their own terms.

The counting point is the day of departure. People frequently calculate from the date of the deportation order, or from the incident, and arrive a year early.

Because this is the consequence that bites hardest and lasts longest, it is the strongest practical reason to deal with the departure question properly at the time. A departure order under Article 68, complied with, does not engage subparagraph 6 at all, which is a difference measured in years.

What you should do next

• Count from the date you actually left Korea, and keep proof of that date.
• Keep the deportation order and any departure documents. You will be asked about them later.
• Do not treat the five years as automatic clearance. Check your position before booking travel.
• If you are still in Korea and facing removal, resolve the departure-order question first. It decides whether subparagraph 6 applies at all.

Written and reviewed by Soobin You, Attorney at YUSU Lawfirm. Former prosecutor. Last legal review: 12 September 2026.