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Exit tax · South Korea

Leaving South Korea.

Exit tax for major shareholders. If you lived in Korea at least 5 of the last 10 years and were a major shareholder of Korean shares at the end of the year before you leave, emigrating treats your shares as sold on the departure date. The gain is taxed at 20% on the first KRW 300 million and 25% above, plus local income tax of one tenth, so 22% and 27.5%. From 1 January 2027 the deemed sale also covers your foreign shares, taxed at 20%, or 10% for shares in small and medium enterprises, plus local income tax, unless their total market value at departure is KRW 500 million or less.

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By the Patrician.ch research desk · Updated 30 October 2026 · 8 min read
Rate on unrealized gains 27.5% on the gain accrued to the day you leave
Deferral See below
Addresses with no capital gains tax 39 of the 100 on the board
Trigger Loss of tax residence the departure date is tested under local rules

What the charge looks like on your number.

Gain accrued at departureExit charge at 27.5%Kept after tax
$1M$275K$725K
$5M$1.4M$3.6M
$20M$5.5M$14.5M

Flat application of the headline rate to the gain. Exemptions, thresholds, and the date of the sale change the figure.

Official source: Korea Law Information Center. Checked against it on .

Deferral.

5 years, with collateral and a Korean tax agent. Returning within 5 years refunds it.

Addresses with no capital gains tax.

Abu Dhabi, UAE🇦🇪 Abu DhabiUAE · effective tax 0% on $1MAndorra la Vella🇦🇩 Andorra la VellaAndorra · effective tax 10% on $1MAnguilla🇦🇮 AnguillaAnguilla · effective tax 0% on $1MAthens, Greece🇬🇷 AthensGreece · effective tax 43% on $1MBora Bora, French Polynesia🇵🇫 Bora BoraFrench Polynesia · effective tax 25% on $1MChristophe Harbour, St Kitts and Nevis🇰🇳 Christophe HarbourSt Kitts and Nevis · effective tax 0% on $1MDubai, UAE🇦🇪 DubaiUAE · effective tax 0% on $1MGeneva, Switzerland🇨🇭 GenevaSwitzerland · effective tax 40% on $1MGeorge Town, Cayman Islands🇰🇾 George TownCayman Islands · effective tax 0% on $1MGibraltar🇬🇮 GibraltarGibraltar · effective tax 6% on $1MGstaad, Switzerland🇨🇭 GstaadSwitzerland · effective tax 36% on $1MHong Kong🇭🇰 Hong KongHong Kong SAR · effective tax 15% on $1MHvar, Croatia🇭🇷 HvarCroatia · effective tax 29% on $1MJersey🇯🇪 JerseyJersey · effective tax 20% on $1MLimassol, Cyprus🇨🇾 LimassolCyprus · effective tax 34% on $1MLucerne, Switzerland🇨🇭 LucerneSwitzerland · effective tax 28% on $1MLugano, Switzerland🇨🇭 LuganoSwitzerland · effective tax 35% on $1MLuxembourg🇱🇺 LuxembourgLuxembourg · effective tax 43% on $1MMonaco🇲🇨 MonacoMonaco · effective tax 0% on $1MMontreux, Switzerland🇨🇭 MontreuxSwitzerland · effective tax 41% on $1MMykonos, Greece🇬🇷 MykonosGreece · effective tax 43% on $1MNassau, Bahamas🇧🇸 NassauBahamas · effective tax 0% on $1MPanama City🇵🇦 Panama CityPanama · effective tax 0% on $1MPlatinum Coast, Barbados🇧🇧 Platinum CoastBarbados · effective tax 27% on $1MPrague, Czech Republic🇨🇿 PragueCzech Republic · effective tax 22% on $1MProvidenciales, Turks and Caicos🇹🇨 ProvidencialesTurks and Caicos · effective tax 0% on $1MPunta del Este, Uruguay🇺🇾 Punta del EsteUruguay · effective tax 0% on $1MQueenstown, New Zealand🇳🇿 QueenstownNew Zealand · effective tax 38% on $1MSingapore🇸🇬 SingaporeSingapore · effective tax 21% on $1MSt John's, Antigua and Barbuda🇦🇬 St John'sAntigua and Barbuda · effective tax 0% on $1MSt. Moritz, Switzerland🇨🇭 St. MoritzSwitzerland · effective tax 28% on $1MTucker's Town, Bermuda🇧🇲 Tucker's TownBermuda · effective tax 11% on $1MVaduz, Liechtenstein🇱🇮 VaduzLiechtenstein · effective tax 18% on $1MValletta, Malta🇲🇹 VallettaMalta · effective tax 34% on $1MVerbier, Switzerland🇨🇭 VerbierSwitzerland · effective tax 36% on $1MVirgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands🇻🇬 Virgin GordaBritish Virgin Islands · effective tax 0% on $1MZermatt, Switzerland🇨🇭 ZermattSwitzerland · effective tax 36% on $1MZug, Switzerland🇨🇭 ZugSwitzerland · effective tax 21% on $1MZurich, Switzerland🇨🇭 ZurichSwitzerland · effective tax 36% on $1M
Questions

Is there an exit tax when you leave South Korea?

Exit tax for major shareholders.

If you lived in Korea at least 5 of the last 10 years and were a major shareholder of Korean shares at the end of the year before you leave, emigrating treats your shares as sold on the departure date. The gain is taxed at 20% on the first KRW 300 million and 25% above, plus local income tax of one tenth, so 22% and 27.5%. From 1 January 2027 the deemed sale also covers your foreign shares, taxed at 20%, or 10% for shares in small and medium enterprises, plus local income tax, unless their total market value at departure is KRW 500 million or less.

Can the South Korea exit tax be deferred?

5 years, with collateral and a Korean tax agent.

Returning within 5 years refunds it.

Which addresses on the board levy no capital gains tax?

39 of the 100 addresses on the board levy no personal capital gains tax on listed securities, among them Abu Dhabi, Andorra la Vella, Anguilla, Athens, Bora Bora, Christophe Harbour.

Source: the Patrician.ch board, an original ranking of 100 residence addresses across 47 countries and territories. Tax rates, thresholds and routes are sourced. Cost, safety, schools, sun and beauty are Patrician.ch editorial indices. Figures current to October 2026. Updated . Cite as: Patrician.ch, South Korea exit tax 2026: leaving South Korea, rate and deferral, patrician.ch/exit-tax/south-korea/, October 2026.

Your own portfolio, on your own numbers: the exit tax calculator.

Where the same income keeps more once you have left: moving from South Korea.

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Income tax on the published 2026 rules. Social contributions, most deductions and treaties are not modeled. Figures are for a non-US single filer. Wealth tax, an exit and your passports are added when you run the engine on your own numbers. Not advice. Residence rules change often. Verify before acting.

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