Article 3 (Scope of Application),
Article 4 (Criteria for Determination and Classification of Minimum Wage),
Article 8 (Determination of Minimum Wage), Minimum Wage Act, as last amended by Act No. 11278, Feb. 1, 2012

Yes, in Korea there is a minimum wage.
In 2018, the minimum wage is 7,530 won an hour.

The Minister of Employment and Labor shall determine the minimum wage by August 5 of every year. In making a determination, the Minister of Employment and Labor shall request deliberation by the Minimum Wage Council. The minimum wage shall be determined taking into account the cost of living of workers, the wages of similar workers, the labor productivity and the distribution of income, etc.

Minimum wage is applicable the same regardless of the industries.


*Minimum Wage Act

Article 3 (Scope of Application)(1) This Act shall apply to all kinds of businesses or workplaces which employ workers (hereinafter referred to as "business"): Provided, That this Act shall not apply to businesses which only employs relatives living together with the employer and to persons employed for housekeeping.

(2) This Act shall not apply to seamen subject to the Seafarers Act and to ship owners employing such seamen.

[This Article Wholly Amended by Act No. 8964, Mar. 21, 2008]

Article 4 (Criteria for Determination and Classification of Minimum Wage)(1) The minimum wage shall be determined taking into account the cost of living of workers, the wages of similar workers, the labor productivity and the distribution of income, etc. In such cases, the minimum wage may be determined by type of business.

(2) The classification by type of business under paragraph (1) shall be determined by the Minister of Employment and Labor subject to the deliberation by the Minimum Wage Council under Article 12.

[This Article Wholly Amended by Act No. 8964, Mar. 21, 2008]

Article 8 (Determination of Minimum Wage)(1) The Minister of Employment and Labor shall determine the minimum wage by August 5 of every year. In making a determination, the Minister of Employment and Labor shall request deliberation by the Minimum Wage Council under Article 12 (hereinafter referred to as the "Council") as prescribed by Presidential Decree, and shall determine the minimum wage according to the minimum wage proposal which has been deliberated and decided by the Minimum Wage Council.

(2) The Council shall deliberate on the minimum wage and submit a minimum wage proposal to the Minister of Employment and Labor within 90 days after receiving a request thereof from the Minister of Employment and Labor under the latter part of paragraph (1).

(3) If the Minister of Employment and Labor deems it difficult to determine a minimum wage according to the minimum wage proposal which is deliberated and submitted by the Council under paragraph (2), the Minister of Employment and Labor may request, within 20 days, the Council to redeliberate on the proposal for a period of ten days or more, indicating the reasons for such request.

(4) The Council shall, upon receiving a redeliberation request under paragraph (3), redeliberate on the proposal and submit the result thereof to the Minister of Employment and Labor within the prescribed period.

(5) If the Council redecides, in making a redeliberation under paragraph (4), the initial minimum wage proposal in paragraph (2) with attendance of a majority of all members and by a concurrent vote of 2/3 of the members present, the Minister of Employment and Labor shall decide the minimum wage according to the proposal.

[This Article Wholly Amended by Act No. 8964, Mar. 21, 2008]