Probationary pay and dismissal rules in Korea

A 90% minimum-wage exception is limited to eligible probationary workers for up to three months. Probation does not erase all dismissal or severance protections.

Checked 2026-09-23 · Estimates and reference information, not legal or tax advice.

When 90% may apply

The employment contract must be for at least one year, the worker must be within the first three months of probation, and the job must not be in the excluded simple-labor group. Otherwise the full minimum wage applies.

2026 example

The ordinary 2026 minimum is KRW 10,320 per hour. Ninety percent, under the source’s rounding rule, is KRW 9,288 per hour. For 209 monthly paid hours that gives KRW 1,941,192, but the employment contract can promise more.

Dismissal and notice

Dismissal notice generally requires 30 days’ advance notice or at least 30 days of ordinary wages, with an exception for less than three months’ continuous service. Rejecting regular employment after probation can still be a dismissal requiring a reasonable, objective basis under case law.

Service and average wage

Probation counts toward continuous service for severance. A qualifying initial probation period within the average-wage reference window may be excluded under the enforcement decree.

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Sources

These Korean-language sources were checked on 2026-09-23. Laws and rates may have changed; consult the originals before an important decision.