Jong Phil Language Center, Inc.

South Korea Raises Minimum Wage for 2019

SEJONG, July 14 (Yonhap) — South Korea’s minimum wage for next year has been set at 8,350 won (US$ 7.37) per hour, up 10.9 percent from this year, officials decided on Saturday.

The decision was made after the Minimum Wage Council — a panel comprised of representatives from labor, management and the general public — had a 19-hour meeting overnight to meet the deadline.

This is the first time in history that the country’s minimum wage will surpass the 8,000 won-mark. Monthly salary at the minimum wage — based on a 40-hour workweek — will be 1,745,150 won.

Among 27 members, nine representing the management community boycotted the meeting. Five members representing the labor community and nine members from the general public side attended the meeting to vote for the minimum wage for 2019.

With no management members at the table, minimum wage proposals from the labor side (8,680 won) and the general public group (8,350 won) were put up for a vote. The latter earned eight votes and was chosen as the minimum wage for 2019.

This year’s minimum wage stands at 7,530 won per hour, up 16.4 percent from a year ago, the biggest hike in nearly two decades. The minimum wage for next year increased by a smaller amount, and experts are speculating that the council is controlling the level of the hike following criticisms that small business owners are suffering from increased labor costs.

President Moon Jae-in has vowed to increase the threshold to 10,000 won by 2020 to achieve income-led growth. With the latest decision, however, it isn’t likely that this goal can be achieved in time. Assuming that increase rates will be the same for 2019 and 2020, at least a 15.2 percent hike was needed this time.

Both labor and business communities were not satisfied with the decision. The representatives for labor have demanded a 43 percent increase to 10,790 won, while those from the business side have called for a freeze.
Those from the labor side said the result didn’t give hope to low-wage workers, while people from business circles said wage hikes with two-digit increase rates for two consecutive years will further pressure small business owners.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor, which oversees the council, is set to formally announce the minimum wage for 2019 on Aug. 5, but there’s a 20-day objection period for both labor and management. Once it is approved by the labor minister, it will officially take effect from Jan. 1, 2019.

kdon@yna.co.kr

 

84 Comments

  1. Good day po! Do you know anyone willing to work as Korean Speaking Call Center Agent?

    US Healthmark Global Corp is located in Don Juico Ave Angeles City.
    Any interested applicants are advised to send their CV/Resume to aracelis@ushealthmark.com

    Thank you
    Alain Racelis

    1. is this offer still open? my boss would like to know the details of the qualifications you require and perks and salary the agent will receive (if possible)

  2. Ask ko lang po kung kailan ang start ng enrollment next year sa masantol pampanga? For eps-topik classes? To be specific sa masantol elem. school? Meron p po ba classes ng eps-topik for next year?

    1. di pa po namin alam kung magkakaroon next year sa masantol kse kelangan makabuo po muna ng 1 class dun (at least 20 students) before mag-start.

  3. kaylan po ang start ng class sa san fernando for KLT and magkano? meron ba available sa sta ana? and kaylangan ba talaga may passport muna bago matake ang course? Thank you.

    1. NEXT YEAR NA PO ANG NEXT BATCH OF CLASS SA SAN F’DO. NEXT YEAR FOR SURE MAGKAKAROON DIN SA STA. ANA, HINDI LANG KAMI SURE SA EXACT DATE, DEPENDE KSE KUNG KELAN ANG EXAM. MAS MGANDA TALAGA NA MAY PASSPORT NA KSE SA SURVEY PA LANG HINIHINGI NA PO YUNG PASSPORT NO.

  4. Hello po december po finish contract ko hir in abudabhi then ask ko lang po ung naganap na job fair sa Rob. Pamp ds last month … ahm ask ko lang if paano po ang rules ninyo ??.. thankz po !!

  5. Hi po, mag inquire lng po ako kng may sked kau ng classes for this year (2015) sa Angeles Branch. Gsto po kc namin mag enroll. Thank u po 🙂

  6. Gooday po! Tanong ko lang po kung meron kayung branch dito sa cebu?
    I’ll wait for ur reply..thanks.

  7. Good day!! Ask ko lang po kylan po pwede mag schooling yung girls? At pwede ba mag enrol sa Lubao? Thanks Po And God Bless.

    1. pwede naman pong mag-enrol mga girls sa min kaya lang willing to wait dapat sila kung kelan merong uling exam for girls kse as of now wala pa.

  8. kauuwi ko lang po galing riyadh tanung ko po sana kung kelan ang susunod na enrollment? dko po kz naabutan ang june class..willing po kz akong mag enroll.salamat po..

    1. kung sa lubao branch po namin sila mag-aaral, ongoing na po enrollment namin doon. sa san fernando, mga first week of july po ang start ng enrollment.

  9. tanong ko lang po kelan ang enrollment for 2016?? at magkano po lht ng mgagastos? ilang weeks po ang tinatagal ng training?? tnx po

  10. GOOD Evening po…i am currently working for airline dito sa loob ng clark .i have basic knowledge or more about korean language po..but i want to study po kasi para ma kapagcommunicate ng deretso po using hangeul. And i want to take and exam din po para makapagwork po ako sa korea …how much po and pano po scheds nyo…thanks po

  11. Hello..good day..paano po ba mka avail ako nitong EPS TOPIK..wla pa po akong expirience mg abroad..but im willing to…pls help me..tga bohol po ako..male 38

    1. we don’t know yet but we will post here or sa fb namin if ever meron na. for our fb, search jong phil csf

    1. sorry we dont have a branch in dau mabalacat. our nearest branch there is in angeles: 3rd floor Arrcage DC bldg. Mc Arthur Hi-way, beside AUF Sports & Cultural Center

        1. pwede po kung ang purpose nyo lang is for learning the language. pero if u wish po na maka-work sa korea, di na po pwede. 18-38yrs old lang po

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