What is the minimum wage in Korea, and how is overtime pay calculated?

Korea's minimum wage in 2026 is 10,030 won per hour, set annually by the Minimum Wage Commission and applies equally to foreigners on any work visa. For full-time work (40 hours/week), this translates to roughly 2,096,270 won/month before deductions. The minimum wage is enforced rigorously: employers paying below face fines up to 30 million won and criminal penalties.

Overtime pay (연장근로수당) is calculated at 1.5x regular hourly wage for hours worked beyond 40/week or 8/day. So at minimum wage, overtime is 15,045 won/hour. Night work (야간근로, 10pm to 6am) gets an additional 50 percent on top. Work on weekends or public holidays without prior compensation gets 1.5x for the first 8 hours and 2x beyond. The 52-hour workweek law caps total work at 40 regular + 12 overtime hours, with significant exemptions reduced after 2024 reforms.

Foreign worker protections: All foreign workers (including E-9 industry workers and undocumented) are covered by the Labor Standards Act, Minimum Wage Act, and Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act. Employers must provide written contracts in your native language for E-9 visa holders, and any wage cuts, deductions, or unpaid overtime is illegal. The Workers Welfare Insurance (4 major insurances) is mandatory: National Pension (4.5 percent), Health Insurance (3.545 percent), Employment Insurance (0.9 percent), Industrial Accident Insurance (employer pays 100 percent). The first three are split 50/50 between you and your employer, deducted automatically from gross salary.

If your employer pays below minimum wage, withholds wages, or denies overtime: File a complaint with the Ministry of Employment and Labor (1350, 24/7 multilingual hotline) or visit your local Employment and Labor Office (고용노동지청). The investigation is free and the labor inspector can issue corrective orders within 14 days. The Korea Foreign Workers Support Center (1644-0644) also provides free legal help for visa-based wage issues. Don't sign anything you don't understand, keep copies of all contracts and pay stubs (월급명세서), and bank transfers create evidence trails. Statute of limitations is 3 years for unpaid wages, so report sooner rather than later.