How to read a Korean payslip

Follow a payslip from gross pay through tax-free items and social insurance deductions to take-home pay, using a 2026 sample.

Source baseline 2026-10-06 · Estimates and reference information, not legal or tax advice.

Content updated 2026-10-27; source dates remain as stated.

Written and maintained by korWork · Report a correction

Prepare a comparison

Collect two payslips, the contract, work-hour records and the reported insurance bases. The interactive sample assumes a 40-hour week, 209 monthly paid hours, base salary as ordinary wage and a qualifying tax-free meal allowance. Insurance is estimated from taxable pay; actual reported bases and reconciliation can differ.

Same gross pay, different take-home pay

In a hypothetical comparison, gross pay stays at KRW 3,000,000 while deductions rise from KRW 300,000 to KRW 420,000. Take-home pay falls from KRW 2,700,000 to KRW 2,580,000. An assumed extra reconciliation item of KRW 120,000 explains the difference; it is not a contribution calculated from an official rate. Compare each deduction and separate regular contributions from adjustments.

What to ask payroll

Check which deduction changed, by how much, for which period and on which reported base. Income tax also depends on the simplified table’s conditions and the chosen 80%, 100% or 120% withholding ratio. The sample’s tax amount is illustrative, and monthly withholding is different from the final yearly liability.

The payslip requirement

Employers must provide a wage statement with the information required by the Labor Standards Act. It should let the worker identify pay items, deductions and the method of calculation where required.

The flow of money

Add base salary and allowances to get gross pay. Subtract eligible tax-free items to find taxable pay for the relevant calculations. Social insurance contributions and withholding taxes are then deducted. Take-home pay = gross pay − total deductions.

A sample, not your own payroll

The linked interactive sample uses a KRW 2,800,000 base salary, five overtime hours and a KRW 200,000 meal allowance under 2026 rates. Its income-tax withholding is illustrative because the official simplified table depends on taxable pay and dependents.

What to check

Insurance can be based on reported remuneration that differs from this month’s pay. Rounding and allowance definitions also vary. Ask payroll to explain any item that does not match your contract.

Try the calculator

Understand a Korean payslip →

Sources

The source baseline for this guide is 2026-10-06; individually rechecked sources show their own dates above. Laws and rates may have changed. Consult the originals before an important decision.