Legal information

If you are scheduled to work at least 15 hours a week and you work every scheduled day, you are owed one paid day off each week. That paid day is called weekly holiday pay (주휴수당). Many foreign workers have never heard of it, so it is one of the most common pieces of missing pay.

Who gets it?

You qualify when all three are true:

• you are an employee, not a freelancer or business partner
• your contract schedules you for 15 hours or more per week, averaged over 4 weeks
• you worked every day you were scheduled that week

Coming late or leaving early is not the same as missing a day. Using your paid annual leave on a scheduled day is not treated as an absence either. It applies at small businesses too, even with fewer than 5 workers.

How much is it?

It equals one day of your scheduled working hours at your normal hourly wage.

For part-time work, the rule of thumb is: weekly scheduled hours divided by 40, times 8. If your hourly wage is 12,000 won and you are scheduled 20 hours, that is 4 x 12,000 = 48,000 won a week.

Is it already in my monthly salary?

Often it is. A full-time monthly salary in Korea is usually calculated on 209 hours: 40 working hours plus 8 paid holiday hours each week, over an average month. If your contract or payslip shows 209 hours, the holiday pay is probably included.

If you are paid by the hour or by the day, it is usually not automatic. Look on your payslip (급여명세서) for a separate line called 주휴수당. If there is no such line and your hourly wage is not higher to cover it, ask the employer how it is paid.

Are there jobs where it does not apply?

Yes. Workers in farming, livestock and fishing are excluded from the legal rules on working hours and holidays, so the law does not require a weekly paid holiday for them. Your contract can still promise one. Check the rest day section of your contract.

Very short schedules are also excluded: under 15 hours a week on average.

What if my employer never paid it?

Missing weekly holiday pay is unpaid wages, the same as a missing salary.

1. Write down your schedule: the days and hours you were supposed to work and actually worked. 2. Collect your contract, payslips and bank deposits. 3. Ask the employer in writing (a text message is fine) to pay it. 4. If they refuse, file a wage complaint (진정) with the regional labor office (지방고용노동청) responsible for your workplace.

You can claim back up to three years, counted from each payday. The money you are owed does not depend on your visa type.

Next step

Check your last three payslips for 209 hours or a 주휴수당 line. If neither is there, a short consultation can tell you how much you may be owed. Consultations are paid; when you contact us, a staff member will call you back and explain the fee.

법무법인 대한중앙
1533-7377

Rules applied

Labor Standards Act (근로기준법) Article 55(1) (one paid holiday per week on average), Article 18(3) (not applied under 15 scheduled hours a week), Article 63 (farming, livestock and fishing excluded), Article 49 (3-year limit). Enforcement Decree Article 30(1) (full attendance on scheduled days).

This is general information, not legal advice. Every case is different.