How to use
On the From hourly wage tab, enter your hourly wage and your contracted weekly hours (the hours set in your contract, excluding overtime). You see your weekly holiday pay, weekly pay, monthly pay and annual pay. The hourly wage field starts at the 2027 minimum wage of KRW 10,700. Choose whether you worked every scheduled day that week, and turn on the probation reduction only if you meet its legal conditions. If the hourly wage you enter is below the 2027 minimum wage, a warning appears.
The number of workdays is used only to show average daily hours (contracted weekly hours ÷ workdays). Weekly holiday pay uses a proportional formula based on a comparable worker working 5 days and 40 hours a week.
On the Check monthly salary tab, enter your base pay, regular monthly bonus and cash benefits. The calculator converts them to an hourly equivalent, compares it with the 2027 minimum wage, and shows how much you are short each month if it falls below.
South Korea’s 2027 minimum wage
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Hourly rate | KRW 10,700 |
| Increase | Up KRW 380 (3.7%) from KRW 10,320 in 2026 |
| Monthly equivalent (40 h a week, 209 hours) | KRW 2,236,300 |
| Probation rate (90%) | KRW 9,630 an hour, KRW 2,012,670 a month |
| Period | January 1 – December 31, 2027, all industries |
| Legal basis | Ministry of Employment and Labor Notice No. 2026-60 (issued August 5, 2026) |
The Ministry of Employment and Labor published the final notice on August 5, 2026. It applies from January 1, 2027. Until December 31, 2026, the 2026 minimum wage (KRW 10,320 an hour) applies.
Where the 209 hours a month come from
For salaried workers, the monthly salary is divided by a standard number of hours per month to get an hourly rate, which is then compared with the minimum wage (Enforcement Decree of the Minimum Wage Act, Article 5). A 40-hour-a-week worker also gets 8 hours of pay for the weekly holiday, so 48 hours a week are paid.
- 48 hours × 365 ÷ 7 ÷ 12 = 208.57 hours → 209 hours
- KRW 10,700 × 209 hours = KRW 2,236,300
For 40 hours a week, this calculator uses 209 hours as is. For fewer hours, it calculates monthly hours as (contracted hours + weekly holiday hours) × 365 ÷ 7 ÷ 12 without rounding the hours, and rounds only the final amount to the nearest won. For example, at 20 hours a week that is (20 + 4) × 365 ÷ 7 ÷ 12 = 104.29 hours, and the monthly equivalent is KRW 1,115,857. Annual pay is the monthly equivalent × 12, which is KRW 26,835,600 at 40 hours a week.
Weekly holiday pay: conditions and formula
Weekly holiday pay (juhyu sudang) is a Korean rule: if you work every scheduled day in a week, you get at least one paid day off per week on average (Labor Standards Act, Article 55(1); Enforcement Decree, Article 30(1)). It does not apply if your contracted weekly hours average under 15 over 4 weeks (Labor Standards Act, Article 18(3)).
Weekly holiday pay = (contracted weekly hours ÷ 40) × 8 hours × hourly wage
Overtime beyond 40 hours is left out, so weekly holiday pay covers 8 hours at most. These examples use the 2027 minimum wage.
| Contracted weekly hours | Weekly holiday hours | Weekly holiday pay | Weekly pay (contracted + holiday) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 hours | 8 hours | KRW 85,600 | KRW 513,600 |
| 25 hours | 5 hours | KRW 53,500 | KRW 321,000 |
| 20 hours | 4 hours | KRW 42,800 | KRW 256,800 |
| 15 hours | 3 hours | KRW 32,100 | KRW 192,600 |
| 14 hours | None | KRW 0 | KRW 149,800 |
The calculation assumes a comparable full-time worker works 40 hours over 5 days a week. Actual weekly holiday pay may differ if that worker’s schedule at your workplace differs. Check the exact amount with your regional employment and labor office.
Checking a monthly salary (pay that counts)
Pay given regularly at least once a month counts toward the minimum wage (Minimum Wage Act, Article 6(4)). Since 2024, regular monthly bonuses and benefits paid in cash, such as meal, housing and transport allowances, count in full. Pay for work outside contracted hours, such as overtime, night and holiday work, and benefits in kind (such as provided meals) do not count. Enter only pay that counts on the monthly salary tab.
When to apply the probation reduction
If the contract runs for 1 year or more and it is within 3 months of the start of probation, an employer can pay 90% of the minimum wage (Minimum Wage Act, Article 5(2); Enforcement Decree, Article 3). No reduction is allowed for simple manual jobs designated by the Minister of Employment and Labor.
This calculator does not include premiums for overtime, night and holiday work, taxes, or social insurance.
South Korea’s 2026 minimum wage
The 2026 minimum wage, which applies until December 31, 2026, is KRW 10,320 an hour. To calculate with the 2026 rate, use the South Korea Minimum Wage Calculator 2026.