While onboarding any individual from South Korea, the employer must know about the Labor laws, employment terms, deductions, and benefits. This section has all the necessary information that employers can use.
Employee Contract
Public and Provincial Holidays
Leave Information
Basic
In South Korea, there are terms and conditions for the employment contract. The contract should mention all the necessary conditions with leaves, working hours, benefits, and allowances to be provided to the employee. Employee contracts must be written in the Korean official language.
Probation Period
Newly hired employees in South Korea are expected to undergo a probationary period of up to 30 days.
13th Month Pay
A 13th-month pay is not mandatory in South Korea.
Employee Benefits
- Pension
- Health Insurance
- Accident Compensation
- Leaves
The payroll cycle is monthly in South Korea.
The minimum wage in South Korea is set at KRW 10,030 won per hour.
Working after 10 pm is paid 200% of the hourly salary, and each additional working hour beyond 40 hours a week or 8 hours a day is paid 150% of the hourly salary. The maximum weekly overtime is 12 hours.
Employer Payroll Cost:
| Scheme |
Contribution |
| National Pension Scheme |
4.5% |
| Employment Insurance |
0.9% |
|
Industrial Accident
Compensation Insurance
|
0.7% to 5.53% |
| National Health Insurance |
3.495% |
Employee Payroll Cost:
| Scheme |
Contribution |
| National Pension Scheme |
4.5% |
| Employment Insurance |
0.9% |
|
Industrial Accident
Compensation Insurance
|
/ |
| National Health Insurance |
3.495% |
Employee Income Tax
| Annual Taxable Income
(KRW, Korean Won)
|
Income Tax Rate |
| 0 to 12,000,000 |
6% |
| 12,000,001 to 46,000,000 |
15% |
| 46,000,001 to 88,000,000 |
24% |
| 88,000,001 to 150,000,000 |
35% |
| 150,000,001 to 300,000,000 |
38% |
| 300,000,001 to 500,000,000 |
40% |
| 500,000,001 to 1,000,000,000 |
42% |
| Above 1,000,000,000 |
45% |
VAT
The standard rate of VAT is 10% in South Korea.
The termination notice should be in writing and include the reasons for the termination.
Employment rules must provide for a particular process for dismissal (e.g., a disciplinary committee hearing). If not followed, the termination may be invalid.
South Korean regular and probationary employees are given up to 30 days of notice period.
Severance pay
Only full-time employees are eligible for severance pay. The employee is provided with severance pay equal to 1 month’s salary if the service of the individual is more than 1 year.
Additionally, the employer can choose to set up a retirement plan based on mutual consent.
There are three categories of work visas that foreign employees can apply for when choosing to work in South Korea:
- Professional Visa,
- Non-Professional Visa,
- Business Visa
Under these categories are more types of visa that specifies the industry and purpose of a foreign employee in the country. To legally work in South Korea, employees must apply for a suitable type of visa.