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Working and studying in Korea at a glance
Wages, insurance contributions, severance and student work rules, each from the labour ministry, pension service or the law itself.
The figures below are the headline numbers from each page, copied from that page's summary. Each page has the conditions, exceptions, official sources and any disagreement between sources — check it before you rely on a number.
| Page | Headline figures | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage in Korea 2026: hourly rate, monthly figure, foreign workers and a calculator | ₩10,320 Hourly, 2026 ₩82,560 Daily, 2026 (8 hours) ₩2,156,880 Monthly, 2026 (209 hours) | 2026-10-19 |
| TOPIK fees and 2026 test dates: PBT, IBT and Speaking schedule | ₩40,000 / ₩55,000 PBT TOPIK I / TOPIK II (Korea price) ₩70,000 / ₩95,000 IBT TOPIK I / TOPIK II ₩80,000 Speaking test | 2026-10-19 |
| Part-time work for international students in Korea (D-2 and D-4): weekly hours by Korean level, permission steps and penalties | TOPIK 3 / 4 Bachelor years 1-2 / years 3-4 (Korean standard on the table) 25 h Weekday figure, O row, bachelor 30 h Weekday figure, O row, master/doctoral | 2026-10-19 |
| Severance pay in Korea: who gets it, the 30-days-per-year formula, the 14-day deadline and a calculator for foreign workers | 1 year minimum continuous service 15 hours weekly scheduled hours below which the employer need not set up the system (4-week average) 30 days of average wage per year of service | 2026-10-19 |
| National Pension contributions for foreign workers in Korea: the 2026 rate, employee and employer split, income floor and ceiling | 4.75% employee share of the 2026 rate 4.75% employer share (total 9.5%) KRW 410,000 minimum standard monthly income, July 2026 to June 2027 | 2026-10-19 |
| Employment insurance for foreign workers in Korea: which visas are covered, who must apply, and the employee premium | 1.8% unemployment-benefit premium rate (18/1000), total 0.9% employee half (derived arithmetic) 0.25% employer-only job-stability premium for firms under 150 workers (25/10,000) | 2026-10-19 |
| D-10 job-seeker visa in Korea: eligibility, how long you can stay, documents and where the points fit | 6 months granted per period, per the Study in Korea page (quoting HiKorea) 2 years longest total with extensions, same page KRW 900,000 x 6 months stay-cost proof (about KRW 5.4 million); waived for a first D-2 to D-10 change | 2026-10-19 |
| Global Korea Scholarship (GKS): what it covers, how long it lasts and who can apply | 4 items airfare, language-training fee, tuition, academic allowance 1 year Korean-language training before the degree Under 25 age limit, undergraduate (graduate: under 40) | 2026-10-19 |
| EPS-TOPIK, the Korean test for E-9 workers: fee, format, schedule and who can take it | 28 USD registration fee (Philippines: 24 USD, Korean page) 40 items 20 listening + 20 reading 50 min 25 minutes per section | 2026-10-19 |
| Weekly holiday allowance in Korea: who is entitled, how much, and a calculator from your hourly wage | 1 day paid day off per week, on average 15 hours weekly scheduled hours below which the rule does not apply (4-week average) Full attendance of the scheduled working days in the week | 2026-10-19 |
| Overtime, night and holiday work pay in Korea: the 50% and 100% premiums, the 52-hour week and a calculator | 50% extra for overtime, night work, and holiday work up to 8 hours 100% extra for holiday work beyond 8 hours 40 + 12 weekly normal hours plus agreed overtime limit | 2026-10-19 |
| Annual paid leave in Korea: how many days you get by years of service, the 80% rule and what happens to unused days | 15 days after a year with 80% or more attendance 1 day / month in the first year or with under 80% attendance +1 day / 2 years from 3 years of service, beyond the first year | 2026-10-19 |
| Industrial accident insurance in Korea: who is covered, employer pays, the 70% benefit and how foreign workers claim | 70% of average daily wage as temporary disability benefit 3 days or less of time off or treatment: no benefit Employer pays the industrial accident premium | 2026-10-19 |
| Maternity leave and parental leave pay in Korea: 90 days, 60 paid days, 1 year of leave and the monthly benefit cap | 90 days maternity leave (100 premature, 120 twins or more) 60 days of it paid leave (75 for twins or more) 1 year parental leave, per child | 2026-10-19 |
| Dismissal notice in Korea: 30 days' notice or 30 days' pay in lieu, the written-notice rule, exceptions and a calculator | 30 days notice before dismissal 30 days of ordinary wage if no notice (at least) In writing reason and date, or the dismissal is not effective | 2026-10-19 |
| Unpaid wages in Korea: the 14-day rule, 20% delay interest, how to file a labour office complaint and substitute payment | 14 days to pay wages and other money after leaving 20% a year delay interest rate on late wages 25 days complaint processing period, extendable twice | 2026-10-19 |