The 2026 minimum wage
Korea's minimum wage for 2026 is ₩10,320 an hour. For a full-time job of 40 hours a week that means at least ₩2,156,880 a month (209 paid hours, which includes the weekly holiday pay explained below). From January 2027 it rises to ₩10,700 an hour, or ₩2,236,300 a month full-time. It applies to almost every employee in Korea regardless of nationality, including part-time workers and students.
One exception: during a probation period of up to three months, an employee on a contract of one year or longer can be paid 90% of the minimum wage — but not in simple manual jobs.
Weekly holiday pay (주휴수당)
If you work 15 hours a week or more and turn up on all your scheduled days, you are owed one paid day off each week — the weekly holiday allowance, juhyu sudang. It is required by law: an employer can't opt out, and "a slightly higher hourly wage instead" is not a valid substitute unless the contract shows the wage still meets the minimum with holiday pay included.
- Your scheduled hours are 15 or more a week.
- You attended every scheduled day that week. Being late or leaving early doesn't cancel it; only an unexcused absence does. Paid leave counts as attendance.
- You are still employed the following week.
It applies at workplaces of every size, including those with fewer than five employees.
How it's calculated
Weekly holiday pay = (weekly hours ÷ 40) × 8 × hourly wage
Weekly hours above 40 count as 40.
A full-time worker (40 hours) gets 8 hours' pay. Someone working 20 hours gets (20 ÷ 40) × 8 = 4 hours' pay. Either way, it adds 20% to your weekly pay for your scheduled hours.
Weekly and monthly pay at the minimum wage
2026 minimum wage ₩10,320 · amounts in KRW
| Hours per week | Holiday pay hours | Weekly pay incl. holiday pay | Monthly equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 hours | None | 103,200 | 448,429 |
| 15 hours | 3.0 hours | 185,760 | 807,171 |
| 20 hours | 4.0 hours | 247,680 | 1,076,229 |
| 25 hours | 5.0 hours | 309,600 | 1,345,286 |
| 30 hours | 6.0 hours | 371,520 | 1,614,343 |
| 35 hours | 7.0 hours | 433,440 | 1,883,400 |
| 40 hours | 8.0 hours | 495,360 | 2,152,457 |
Monthly equivalent = weekly pay × 365 ÷ 7 ÷ 12.
Compare 14 and 15 hours: one extra hour adds not one but about four hours of pay, because holiday pay starts. This is why some employers split jobs into shifts just under 15 hours a week.
Overtime, night and holiday premiums
At workplaces with 5 or more employees:
- Overtime — hours beyond 8 a day or 40 a week are paid at 150%.
- Night work — hours between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. get an extra 50%.
- Holiday work — 150% for the first 8 hours, 200% beyond that.
Premiums stack: an hour worked at 11 p.m. on a holiday is paid at double the normal rate. At workplaces with fewer than five employees these premiums don't apply, but weekly holiday pay still does.
Checking a monthly salary against the minimum wage
For monthly-paid jobs, divide your monthly pay by your monthly paid hours. For a 40-hour week that is 209 hours, so in 2026 anything below ₩2,156,880 a month breaks the law. Some bonuses and benefits paid less than monthly don't count toward the minimum.
Working part-time on a student visa
On a D-2 or D-4 student visa you need permission for part-time work from immigration before you start, and the permitted hours are limited. The pay rules on this page still apply in full once you work. Check the current conditions on HiKorea or call the Immigration Contact Center (1345).
If you weren't paid
Unpaid wages can be claimed for up to three years. File a complaint with the Ministry of Employment and Labor online or at your local labor office (1350). Your contract, payslips and records of the hours you worked make it much easier.