South Korea Sets 2027 Minimum Wage at KRW 10,700: What It Means for International Student Part-Time Work

On August 5, 2026, the Ministry of Employment and Labor finalized and announced the minimum hourly wage for 2027 at KRW 10,700. This is KRW 380, or 3.7%, higher than the 2026 rate of KRW 10,320. The monthly equivalent based on 209 hours is KRW 2,236,300. According to the ministry’s final press release, none of the objections filed by July 27 were accepted, and the same minimum-wage standard applies to all workplaces.

How four weeks of pay changes when weekly hours stay the same

The figures below are simple pre-tax calculations for four weeks based on the weekly hours that were authorized and actually worked. They exclude paid weekly rest allowances, taxes, insurance and break time, and they do not represent an individual student’s permitted maximum hours.

The minimum level of pay for the same working hours will rise in 2027. But the numbers in the table do not mean that a student may simply work more hours. The minimum wage applies to workplaces with at least one employee and covers foreign and part-time workers, but part-time employment by international students is subject to a separate permission process and conditions.

Minimum wage and immigration permission are separate questions

Study in Korea explains the part-time employment process for international students in this order: prepare an employment contract, obtain university confirmation, apply online or in person, and receive approval or denial. Pay can be calculated using the minimum hourly wage only after the permitted hours, workplace and scope of duties have been determined. Finalization of the 2027 minimum wage does not automatically change the permission conditions or hour limits for D-2 and D-4 status holders.

The sequence students need to follow is straightforward. Check that the hourly wage in the contract is at least the announced minimum wage, compare the hours actually worked with the permitted range, and review paid weekly rest allowances, taxes and insurance separately on the pay statement.

Sources and scope of verification

The minimum wage, monthly equivalent, handling of objections and application to all workplaces were checked in the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s final press release. The legal notice was checked on the ministry’s page for Public Notice No. 2026-60, and the part-time employment procedure was checked on Study in Korea, all on August 5, 2026.