How it’s calculated
Weekly holiday pay grows with your contract hours. At 40 hours or more a week you get 8 hours’ pay; with fewer hours you get the same share.
Hours above 40 count as 40. Amounts are rounded to the nearest won.
Examples (2026 minimum wage ₩10,320)
| Contract hours | Paid holiday hours | Holiday pay |
|---|---|---|
| 15 h / week | 3 h | ₩30,960 |
| 20 h / week | 4 h | ₩41,280 |
| 30 h / week | 6 h | ₩61,920 |
| 40 h / week | 8 h | ₩82,560 |
Who is eligible
- 15 or more contract hours a week, averaged over 4 weeks (Labor Standards Act, Art. 18(3))
- You worked every scheduled day that week (Enforcement Decree, Art. 30(1))
- Employment must continue throughout the seven-day week. If you worked every scheduled day, work on day eight is not required. For a Monday–Friday schedule with Sunday as the weekly holiday: remaining employed through Sunday and leaving Monday qualifies; ending employment after Friday and leaving Saturday does not
- The same rules apply to full-time and part-time workers, Korean or foreign
2027 minimum wage
From January 1, 2027, the minimum wage is ₩10,700 an hour. The calculator starts with the minimum wage for the current year on your device; use the buttons above to try another year.
Korean terms
- 주휴수당 (juhyu-sudang): weekly holiday pay
- 주휴일 (juhyu-il): the paid weekly day off
- 소정근로시간 (sojeong geullo sigan): contract working hours
FAQ
Do foreign workers get weekly holiday pay?
Yes. The Labor Standards Act applies regardless of nationality (Art. 6, equal treatment).
I work part-time. Am I covered?
Yes, as long as you meet the conditions above, including 15 or more contract hours a week.
My workplace has fewer than 5 employees.
You are still covered. Article 55(1), which sets the weekly paid holiday, also applies to workplaces with 4 or fewer employees.
Is it already in my monthly salary?
Usually, yes. The standard 209 hours a month for a 40-hour week already includes the weekly holiday hours.
Where can I get help?
For labor questions, call 1350 in Korea (charges apply). For multilingual help, check the Foreign Workers Counseling Center at 1577-0071 and its supported languages before calling.
Is there weekly holiday pay in the U.S.?
No. The federal Fair Labor Standards Act does not require pay for days off or holidays. In the U.S. the key rule is overtime: 1.5× pay for hours over 40 in a workweek.
Sources
- HRDK: Foreign Workers Counseling Center and languages
- MOEL: employment end date and final-week holiday pay (2026-08-31)
- Labor Standards Act (Korean Law Information Center)
- Enforcement Decree of the Labor Standards Act
- Minimum Wage Commission
- Ministry of Employment and Labor