About kr-utils main
kr-utils main (krutils.com/main/) is a free site of small calculators and guides for foreigners living, working, or visiting Korea. There is no sign-up, no app to install, and your inputs stay on your device. This page covers our mission, data sources, update cadence, limits of liability, and how to reach us.
1. Who we are
kr-utils main runs on the krutils.com domain alongside utilkit, the Korean-language sibling site for Korean residents. Both are operated by the same individual based in South Korea.
- Operation type: Individually operated (no registered business entity)
- Operating region: Republic of Korea
- Started: April 2026 (utilkit) · single-domain consolidation May 2026 (krutils.com)
- Responsible person / privacy officer: Site operator (reachable via email below)
Because there is no registered business entity, no business registration number is shown. This is a one-person side project funded by ads, operated alongside a full-time job.
2. What we build
kr-utils main collects the small frictions that foreigners typically hit when living or working in Korea, and turns each one into a fast browser tool. The site currently has 23 tools and 7 guides. Categories include:
- Visa & immigration — ARC renewal tracker, visa expiration countdown, F-1-D digital nomad visa eligibility
- Tax — year-end tax (19% flat vs progressive), foreigner salary take-home, VAT
- Daily life — Korean address transliteration, hanja name lookup, lunar/solar conversion, holidays
- Money & transport — Seoul T-money fare, Korea phone plans (SIM / eSIM / MVNO), credit cards guide
- Real estate — Korea real estate for foreigners (eligibility & tax)
- Customs & etiquette — Korea customs allowance, etiquette quiz
Topics that don't fit a single calculator — multi-year tax filing, visa renewal flow, comparing carriers — live as long-form guides.
3. Why we make this
Life in Korea as a foreigner involves an unusual number of small calculations: how many days until your ARC expires, what your salary actually looks like after the 19% flat tax option, how Seoul's transfer fare works on T-money, whether you qualify for the F-1-D digital nomad visa. The answers exist somewhere, but they're scattered across government PDFs, expat forums, and outdated blog posts.
kr-utils main puts the most-asked calculations into one place that loads fast on a phone and gives a clear answer in a second. No account, no install, no chasing pop-ups. Each result can be shared as a link or screenshot — useful for sending to a friend, your HR team, or your immigration lawyer.
4. Data sources and verification
Tool logic and content are grounded in primary Korean government sources:
- Tax: National Tax Service Hometax (hometax.go.kr), Korean law center (law.go.kr)
- Social insurance rates: NHIS (nhis.or.kr), NPS (nps.or.kr), Employment Insurance (ei.go.kr), KCOMWEL (kcomwel.or.kr), updated each January
- Labor law (annual leave, severance, unemployment): Ministry of Employment and Labor (moel.go.kr)
- Holidays: Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI), plus Ministry of the Interior temporary holiday notices
- Real estate: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (molit.go.kr), Apply Home (applyhome.co.kr)
- Visa & immigration: HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr), Korea Immigration Service (immigration.go.kr)
New tools are verified against brute-force test ranges, boundary values, and public reference cases before launch. When a law or rate changes, the change is reflected immediately. Each tool's page shows the effective basis date next to the H1 or in the body so you can tell which version of the rules the answer reflects.
5. Update policy
- Social insurance rates: every January (right after the official notice)
- Tax (acquisition, capital gains, gift, comprehensive income, VAT): immediately after each amendment (typically January and July)
- Labor law (annual leave, severance, unemployment, minimum wage): when the Ministry of Employment and Labor publishes the change
- Holidays: every December (next year's holidays confirmed) plus temporary holidays as announced
- Visa & immigration policy: on the effective date of each Immigration Service change
Long-form guides are reviewed each quarter and the "Last updated" date at the top of each guide is bumped when content changes.
6. Limits of liability
All tools and guides on kr-utils main are for informational purposes and fast estimation only. They are not legal, tax, medical, or immigration advice. For any of the following, please consult the appropriate professional or official authority:
- Filing deadlines, contracts, official submissions: a Korean licensed tax accountant (세무사), labor attorney (노무사), or judicial scrivener (법무사); or Hometax / Ministry of Employment and Labor / Law center directly
- Medical interpretation (BMI, pregnancy weeks): a licensed physician or your regular check-up clinic
- Visa & residency status: HiKorea or the Korea Immigration Service hotline
- Real estate transactions: a licensed real estate agent and a judicial scrivener
Tool results may differ depending on date, statute interpretation, and personal circumstances. Each tool page also carries its own disclaimer at the bottom — please read both.
7. Contact
Use one address for everything: bug reports, data update requests, new tool ideas, business inquiries, and privacy questions.
- Email: support@krutils.com
- Reply target: within a few business days
- Related pages: Privacy Policy · Terms of Use
※ The same information in Korean for the utilkit side: About — utilkit.