Some 2.77 million workers were paid less than the minimum wage of 10,030 won (about US$6.7) per hour last year, accounting for 12.4 percent of the country's 22.42 million wage workers, according to a report released on Tuesday by the Minimum Wage Commission under the Ministry of Employment and Labor.
The number of workers earning below the minimum wage saw slight ups and downs over the past decade, peaking at about 3.2 million in 2021 before falling to about 2.77 million last year.
The proportion was higher at smaller businesses and among those with less stable jobs. About 30 percent of workers at businesses with one to four employees earned below the minimum wage, followed by 17.6 percent at businesses with five to nine employees. By comparison, only 1.8 percent of workers at businesses with 300 or more employees earned below the minimum wage.
It was also much higher among temporary workers and day laborers at 38.5 percent and 32 percent, respectively, compared with just 3.6 percent among regular salaried workers.
By gender, the figure was 9 percent among men and 16.2 percent among women. By age, nearly half of the workers or 49.5 percent were those under 19, while 31.9 percent were those in their 60s or older.
In terms of educational attainment, 22.5 percent had a high school diploma or less, far higher than 5.8 percent who were vocational college graduates and 4.3 percent who were university graduates or had higher levels of education.
Meanwhile, next year's minimum wage was set at 10,700 won per hour, up 380 won from this year's 10,320 won.
AJP Takeaways:
- 2.77 million workers earned below the minimum wage: They accounted for 12.4 percent of South Korea's 22.42 million wage workers in 2025.
- Small businesses had the highest share: About 30 percent of workers at businesses with one to four employees earned below the minimum wage, compared with 1.8 percent at businesses with 300 or more employees.
- Temporary workers and day laborers were most affected: The shares were 38.5 percent among temporary workers and 32 percent among day laborers, compared with 3.6 percent among regular salaried workers.
- Women and younger workers had higher shares: The figure was 16.2 percent among women and 9 percent among men, while 49.5 percent of workers under 19 earned below the minimum wage.
- The 2026 minimum wage is 10,700 won: The rate rose by 380 won from 10,320 won in 2025, equivalent to about US$7.50 per hour.
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