The numbers behind your pay.
Your worker status, workplace size and contracted hours matter. Read the whole working week, then reconcile the payslip with the money that reaches your bank.
- Keep a complete signed contract and itemised wage statement.
- Count contracted work, not only classroom or client hours.
- Use MOEL 1350 for labour guidance and 1345 for immigration consequences.
Read the effective date
The PDF records KRW 10,320 as the 2026 minimum hourly wage and KRW 10,700 from 1 January 2027. These are the edition's figures, not independent live verification.
Monthly comparison
- The edition gives KRW 2,236,300 on the ministry's 209-hour basis for 2027.
- That is a calculation basis for 40 contracted weekly hours, not every worker's monthly entitlement.
Workplace size
- The Labour Standards Act generally applies at five or more employees; smaller workplaces still have obligations.
- Confirm how worker classification and workplace size affect your case.
Hours and annual leave
- The guide notes Articles 55 and 60 exclusions for employees averaging under 15 contracted weekly hours over four weeks.
- Where Article 60 applies, 80% annual attendance generally earns 15 days; a fully attended month in the first year generally earns one day.
Retirement benefits
- The guide describes exclusions for service under one year and average weekly hours under 15 over four weeks.
- Ask which scheme applies before assuming a benefit is payable.
Confirm current rates and the provisions that apply to your status with MOEL or a qualified labour adviser. Keep your contract, schedule and payslips together.
From gross pay to the bank deposit
All amounts below are fictional teaching examples. The deductions are not statutory rates or a personal payroll estimate.
Example earnings
- Base salary: KRW 2,800,000.
- Housing allowance: KRW 500,000.
- Gross pay: KRW 3,300,000.
Example deductions
- Pension: KRW 150,000; health and long-term care: KRW 130,000.
- Income and local tax: KRW 70,000; other lawful deduction: KRW 20,000.
- Total deductions: KRW 370,000; expected bank credit: KRW 2,930,000.
- 01Match each earning
Check the contract, allowances and agreed extra work, alongside the pay period and hours.
- 02Explain each deduction
Ask what it covers and how the amount was calculated.
- 03Reconcile the bank credit
Gross pay minus deductions should equal the deposit. Keep personal copies of both records.
Make the first month auditable
The first payslip and insurance records reveal whether the role is administered as promised.
Before and during work
- Keep the signed contract and confirm permitted workplace and any filing.
- Record actual start, finish, breaks and extra duties.
- Keep schedules, approved leave and written changes to duties or location.
At payday
- Match gross pay and allowances to the contract.
- Confirm NHIS and pension records where applicable.
- Save a monthly folder with the schedule, payslip, bank credit and approved overtime or leave.
For wage, safety or retaliation concerns, preserve personal copies outside employer-controlled accounts. Ask 1350 or a qualified adviser; immediate danger may require 112 or 119. Check immigration effects before resigning or changing jobs.
Adapted from the digital edition revised 3 October 2026. Individual PDF pages retain their own source-review dates. Not independently verified — confirm official requirements before acting.