How to read a Korean payslip (급여명세서)
Since November 2021, every employer in Korea must give you a payslip (임금명세서) with your pay (Labor Standards Act, Article 48). It must show the amount of each item and also the hours and calculation method for overtime, night and holiday work. With the hours, you can check the math yourself.
A payslip has payments (지급 항목) — money you receive — and deductions (공제 항목) — money taken out. Payments minus deductions is your take-home pay (실수령액).
Payments (지급 항목)
| Korean | English | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| 기본급 | Base pay | Contract hours (usually 209 a month). Hourly rate × hours must be at least the minimum wage |
| 주휴수당 | Weekly holiday pay | One paid day per week of full attendance. Often included in base pay for monthly salaries |
| 연장근로수당 (잔업수당, 시간외수당) | Overtime pay | Hours over 8 a day or 40 a week. Ordinary hourly wage × 1.5 × hours |
| 야간근로수당 (심야수당) | Night work pay | 10 pm – 6 am. Ordinary hourly wage × 0.5 × hours, on top of normal pay |
| 휴일근로수당 (특근수당) | Holiday work pay | Work on public or weekly holidays. 1.5× up to 8 hours, 2× beyond |
| 유급휴일수당 | Paid public holiday | Pay for public holidays off (workplaces with 5+ employees), shown separately for hourly workers |
| 연차수당 | Annual leave pay | Money for unused annual leave, usually settled once a year |
| 교대수당, 직책수당, 근속수당 | Shift, position, long-service allowance | Fixed monthly allowances count in the ordinary wage → higher overtime pay |
| 상여금 | Bonus | Regular bonuses can count in the ordinary wage |
| 식대 | Meal allowance | Tax-free up to 200,000 KRW a month |
The ordinary hourly wage (통상시급) is the rate used for overtime, night and holiday pay: your base hourly wage plus fixed monthly allowances. See How we calculate.
Deductions (공제 항목) – 2026
| Korean | English | Your share | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 국민연금 | National pension | 4.75% | Half of the 9.5% rate |
| 건강보험 | Health insurance | 3.595% | Half of the 7.19% rate |
| 장기요양보험 | Long-term care insurance | About 13% of the health insurance premium (your half) | Collected with health insurance |
| 고용보험 | Employment insurance | 0.9% | Unemployment benefits etc. |
| 소득세 | Income tax | Simplified tax table | Depends on pay and number of dependents |
| 지방소득세 | Local income tax | 10% of income tax | Collected with income tax |
| 기숙사비·식비 | Dormitory / meal deduction | Varies | Must match your employment contract |
Social insurance is calculated on your pay minus tax-free items (such as meal allowance). You can check exact amounts with the 4 social insurances calculator (Korean).
Foreign workers (E-9 and others)
- National pension (국민연금): depending on your nationality, you may not be enrolled (it depends on agreements between countries). If you are, many nationalities can get it back as a lump-sum refund (반환일시금) when leaving Korea. Ask the National Pension Service (☎ 1355).
- Employment insurance (고용보험): became mandatory for E-9 and H-2 workers step by step from 2021, and applies to all workplaces since 2023.
- Severance pay: your employer buys departure guarantee insurance (출국만기보험) for you. It usually does not appear on the payslip. → Departure guarantee insurance guide
Example: 4 crews 2 shifts, 10,320 KRW per hour (November 2026)
| Item | Hours | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 기본급 Base pay | 128h | 128 × 10,320 | 1,320,960 KRW |
| 주휴수당 Weekly holiday | 28.8h | 28.8 × 10,320 | 297,216 KRW |
| 연장근로수당 Overtime | 48h | 48 × 1.5 × 10,320 | 743,040 KRW |
| 야간근로수당 Night | 56h | 56 × 0.5 × 10,320 | 288,960 KRW |
| 지급 합계 Total (before tax) | 2,650,176 KRW |
Even with the same hourly wage, overtime and night hours depend on your schedule. Calculate with your own schedule and compare with your payslip:
If your payslip looks wrong
- Check the hours first: do the overtime, night and holiday hours match your working records?
- Check the hourly rate: was overtime calculated with the ordinary hourly wage including fixed allowances?
- Check deductions: do dormitory and meal deductions match your contract?
- If it is still different, ask your payroll staff how it was calculated, and if needed call the Ministry of Employment and Labor ☎ 1350 (foreign languages available).
Last updated: 2026-10-22