South Korea Minimum Wage 2026: Hourly and Monthly Rates Explained

Korea sets one national minimum wage each year. It covers every worker in every industry — foreign workers included. Know the number, and know what your employer can and can't count toward it, and you can check your own pay in a minute. That's what this page is for.

Check your pay now

Type in your monthly pay that counts (see the next sections for what counts) and your regular monthly hours. For a normal 40-hour week, that's 209 hours. The checker works it out in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent.

The rates for 2025, 2026 and 2027

The Minimum Wage Commission set the 2026 rate in July 2025, and the government made it official on August 5, 2025. It runs from January 1 to December 31, 2026. The 2027 rate was decided on July 14, 2026, and announced on August 5, 2026.

Why 209 hours? Forty hours a week, plus the paid weekly rest day, averaged across a month. If your contract has fewer regular hours, the monthly minimum is lower. The hourly rate is the same.

Who it covers

The Minimum Wage Act covers every business that employs workers. The main exceptions are businesses that only employ relatives living together, domestic helpers hired by a household, and seafarers under a separate law.

Two more rules matter if you're from abroad. The Labor Standards Act bans unequal working conditions because of nationality. And the law on employing foreign workers bans unfair treatment just for being foreign. Put simply, there's no lower minimum wage for E-9, H-2 or any other visa.

If a contract sets pay below the minimum, that part is void by law. The minimum wage replaces it.

What counts — and what doesn't

Until 2024, part of the monthly bonuses and cash welfare was left out. That phase-in is over. Both now count in full.

Here's the key point. An employer can't reach the minimum by adding up overtime. Your pay for regular hours has to reach it by itself.

A worked example

Imagine your first pay slip shows basic pay of 1,950,000 won, a monthly meal allowance of 150,000 won paid in cash, and 400,000 won of overtime. Your contract says 40 hours a week.

• Counted pay: 1,950,000 + 150,000 = 2,100,000 won (overtime is left out)
• Hours: 209
• 2,100,000 ÷ 209 = about 10,048 won an hour

That's below the 2026 rate of 10,320 won. The gap is about 56,880 won a month. The overtime doesn't fix it. In this case you'd have a good reason to ask your employer — and to call 1350 if nothing changes.

Now change one thing. Suppose the 150,000 won wasn't cash but free meals in the canteen. Then it doesn't count at all, and the counted pay drops to 1,950,000 won — about 9,330 won an hour. Same work, same food, very different answer. That's why the details on your pay slip matter.

Reading the wage line in a contract offer

If you're coming through EPS, you'll see a standard labor contract before you fly. The wage line is easy to misread. Here's how to check it calmly.

Find the hours first. Look for the regular working hours per day and per week. A 40-hour week means the 209-hour monthly figure applies.

Then find the basic pay. Compare it with the minimum for the year you'll start work. If you start in January 2027, use the 2027 rate, not 2026.

Look for fixed allowances. A fixed monthly allowance paid in cash counts. Overtime estimates don't, even if the offer mentions “expected overtime.”

Check housing and meals. If the contract says money will be taken for a dorm or food, the amount should be clear. Ask if it isn't.

If the numbers look wrong, ask your sending agency before you sign. It's much easier to fix a contract than to chase pay later. Our EPS step-by-step guide has a full checklist for the contract stage.

Probation: when 90% is allowed

During probation, an employer can pay 90% of the minimum wage — but only if all three are true:

1. The contract is for 1 year or longer.
2. It's within 3 months of probation starting.
3. The job isn't simple manual work as listed by the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

Lots of factory and farm jobs done by foreign workers are simple manual work. For those jobs, the 90% rule doesn't apply. If your first months were cut, ask 1350 whether that was legal.

Dorm and meal costs

Many foreign workers live in a company dorm and eat at work. Free housing or meals given in kind don't count toward the minimum. When an employer takes money from your pay for them, Ministry of Employment and Labor guidance for foreign workers says you must agree and the amounts must be reasonable. Get the deduction in writing. Check it on every pay slip. If it looks too high, call 1350. Employers who give you a dorm must also meet the housing standards set by law.

How to report underpayment

1. Gather your records. Contract, pay slips, bank records of your wages, and your own notes of hours worked.
2. Call 1350. The Ministry of Employment and Labor help line gives advice, with interpretation, on weekdays from 9:00 to 18:00.
3. File a petition. Go to the regional labor office for your workplace, or file online through the Ministry's labor portal.
4. Get support if you need it. Local foreign worker support centers can help with language and forms. Our help lines guide lists where to call.

Your employer isn't allowed to punish you for reporting. If someone threatens you, write down what was said and tell the labor office. And when you leave a job, don't forget the other money you may be owed: our severance pay guide explains who gets it and how much.