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Court fee calculator

Estimate first-instance civil court filing fees and service deposits, including the electronic-filing reduction and current service charge.

Reference results

Check the entries, then select Calculate.

Costs of starting a first-instance civil action

This estimates the filing fee and advance service deposit for a first-instance civil complaint seeking payment. Different rules apply to counterclaims, appeals, payment orders, family or administrative cases and provisional measures. The claim value generally does not separately add interest or late-payment damages claimed alongside principal. If the claim's value cannot be determined, consult the court's guidance first.

Filing fee formulas by claim value

Below KRW 10 million: value × 0.005. From KRW 10 million to under KRW 100 million: value × 0.0045 + KRW 5,000. From KRW 100 million to under KRW 1 billion: value × 0.004 + KRW 55,000. From KRW 1 billion: value × 0.0035 + KRW 555,000. Under Article 2 of the Act on Stamps Attached for Civil Litigation, etc., the minimum is KRW 1,000; above that, amounts below KRW 100 are discarded.

Where Article 16 conditions are met, such as electronic submission by a registered user who has consented to electronic proceedings, the displayed fee is nine-tenths of the ordinary amount. For a KRW 10 million claim, for example, the paper filing fee is KRW 50,000 and the electronic filing fee is KRW 45,000.

Service charges are a reserve assuming deposits for all parties

This uses the ordinary service charge of KRW 5,640 per service announced by the courts effective July 1, 2026. Small claims up to KRW 30 million use parties × 10 services; larger ordinary first-instance claims use parties × 15 services. A paper small-claims case with one plaintiff and one defendant therefore gives KRW 112,800.

Even when electronic filing is selected, this tool conservatively shows a reserve based on deposits for all plaintiffs and defendants. It does not automatically exclude the registered electronic-filing user's own deposit, so it may exceed the actual filing screen's amount. Always check actual service charges and the total on the court's electronic-filing screen. Remaining deposits may be refunded or additional payments required.

How this differs from total litigation costs

Lawyer fees, appraisal fees, witness travel, translation and enforcement costs are excluded. This total also does not establish the costs recoverable from the other party. Distinguish a pre-filing reserve from the amount actually payable.

Calculation basis and official sources

This material is based on sources checked on November 7, 2026 (KST). Check subsequent amendments and transitional provisions for your particular case separately.