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Part-time Pay in Korea

Work 15 hours a week in Korea and you are owed an extra day's pay. Find out what it adds.

Work out your part-time pay

Enter your hourly wage and hours to see what actually reaches your account.

How your hours work
Your hours
h

How many hours you work on a working day.

days

How many days a week you work.

Hourly wage

won

Workplace size
How tax is deducted
Probation
Overtime, night and holiday hours
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How this is worked out

Base pay (weekly)Base pay=Hourly wage×Hours a day×Days a week
Weekly holiday allowanceWeekly holiday allowance=(Contracted hours a week÷40×8)×Hourly wage
ItemRateWhen it applies
Weekly holiday allowanceOne paid day a week15+ hours a week, no absences
Overtime1.5xHours past 8 a day or 40 a week
Night workExtra 0.5x10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Holiday work1.5x2x for hours past 8

Overtime, night and holiday premiums only apply at workplaces with 5 or more employees. The weekly holiday allowance applies at any size, and turning up late is not an absence.

Minimum wage figures come from the Minimum Wage Commission. Holiday and premium pay follow Articles 55 and 56 of the Labor Standards Act.

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The 15-hour line, and what it decides

Under 15 hours a week15 hours or more
Weekly holiday allowanceNoneOne extra paid day a week
Severance pay after a full yearNoneYes, part-time or not
National Pension and health insuranceOff your payslip below 60 hours a monthEnrolled
Minimum wage and paid hoursSame as everyone elseSame as everyone else

The 15 hours is a four-week average, so one quiet week does not wipe it out.

What comes out of your pay

What your payslip showsWhat it meansWho it fits
The four major public insurancesNational Pension, health insurance, long-term care and employment insuranceRegular part-time work with set hours
3.3% withholdingYou are being paid as a contractor, not an employeeTutoring, and some cafe or delivery work
Daily-worker taxCharged per day, on the part above a tax-free daily amountWork paid by the day
Nothing at allNo deduction taken before paydayShort or casual work

Had 3.3% taken? You can claim the difference back in the May income tax filing, and most part-timers get a refund.

Student visas: what sets your hour cap

What changes your capWhy it matters
Your visaD-2 degree students and D-4-1 language students are treated differently
Term or vacationVacation caps are higher than term-time caps
Your degree levelUndergraduate and postgraduate students get different caps
Your Korean levelA TOPIK certificate or a language program can raise the cap

You also need permission for activities outside your visa status before your first paid shift.

We do not print an hours number here on purpose. Government guidance and school notices have carried different figures, and the caps have changed more than once. Confirm yours on HiKorea or with your school's international office. Working beyond what you were granted is an immigration matter and can affect your status.

Probation: when a lower wage is legal

ConditionWhat it means
A contract of a year or moreOn a shorter contract the full minimum wage applies from day one
Within the first three monthsAfter three months the full rate comes back, probation or not
Not simple manual workJobs on the ministry's simple-labor list are excluded entirely

All three have to be true at the same time. If one fails, the full minimum wage applies.

FAQ ❓

It is the weekly holiday allowance, and it has no equivalent in most countries. If you average 15 hours or more a week and work every shift you were scheduled for, your employer owes you one extra paid day at your normal rate. It applies at any workplace, even one with two staff, and turning up late does not cancel it - missing a whole shift does.
The full minimum wage and payment for every hour you work, the same as anyone else. What you do not get is the weekly holiday allowance, which needs a 15-hour average. National Pension and health insurance also stay off your payslip until you pass 60 hours a month.
There is a cap, but no single number covers everyone. It moves with your visa type, whether you are in term or on vacation, your degree level, and your Korean language certificate - and the published figures have changed more than once. Check your own cap on HiKorea or with your school's international office rather than trusting a number you read online.
Yes, if you are on a student visa. A D-2 or D-4-1 holder has to be granted permission for activities outside their visa status before starting paid work, and D-4-1 students also have to wait out a period after arriving. Working beyond what you were granted is an immigration matter and can affect your status.
It is common, and it means you are being paid as an independent contractor rather than an employee. You can claim the difference back in the income tax filing every May, and most part-timers earn little enough to get a refund. If you work set hours under someone else's direction, though, you are an employee in substance regardless of what the contract calls you.
Yes, on the same terms as anyone else: an average of 15 hours or more a week, and a full year of continuous service. Part-time status changes nothing, and neither does the size of the workplace. Average 14 hours and a full year still gets you nothing.
Unpaid wages, the weekly holiday allowance included, can be reported to the Ministry of Employment and Labor. You can file online through the labor portal or call the counselling line, and it costs nothing. Keep your contract, your shift records and your bank transfers - they are what the case rests on.

Sources 🌐