What is the minimum wage in 2026, and does it apply to foreigners too?

The 2026 minimum wage is 10,320 KRW per hour, and it applies equally to foreign workers.

The 2026 minimum wage is 10,320 KRW per hour. This is 290 KRW more than last year. The daily wage is 82,560 KRW (based on 8 hours a day). The monthly wage is 2,156,880 KRW (40 hours a week, including 8 hours of paid weekly holiday).

Foreigners who work in Korea are workers too. So the Minimum Wage Act (최저임금법) applies to them, whatever their visa status (E-9, F-4, F-6, etc.). Employers must pay workers covered by the minimum wage at least the minimum wage amount. If a contract states a wage lower than the minimum wage, that part is void. It is treated as if the parties agreed to pay the minimum wage.

⚠️ Good to know

• Only part of welfare-type payments, such as meals and lodging, is counted in the minimum wage. Meals, lodging, and similar benefits given in kind (not in money) are not counted. Meal payments given in cash are counted only for the part over 7% of the monthly converted amount.
• Bonuses are counted only for the part over 25% of the monthly converted amount.
• A person on probation with a work contract of 1 year or more may be paid a different amount, but only within the first 3 months after starting. This does not apply to simple labor jobs.
• The 2027 minimum wage proposal was decided at 10,700 KRW per hour, but this is the proposal decided by the committee. Check the Ministry of Employment and Labor (고용노동부) notice to see if it is final.

If you are paid less than the minimum wage, call the Ministry of Employment and Labor (1350) or the Foreign Nationals Comprehensive Information Center (외국인종합안내센터) (1345).