Match the pre-tax amount and benefit scheme, then compare the same assessment period, wage items and applied daily wage.
Use this guide to reconcile a result
Prepare the contract, employment record, payslips for the assessment period, bonus and unused-leave payment records, and the employer’s settlement statement. This guide helps locate a difference; the difference alone does not prove either payroll or the calculator is wrong.
The examples concern a statutory severance estimate under a 40-hour week and 209 monthly paid hours. The tool does not calculate DC pension investment balances or retirement income tax. All results are estimates for reference, not legal or tax advice.
Match the records first
| Record | Value to compare | Common mix-up |
|---|---|---|
| Employment record | Start date and final employment date | Last day physically at work versus employment ending |
| Payslips | Pre-tax wage total for the assessment period | After-tax bank transfer |
| Bonus and leave records | Included amount and allocation period | New unused-leave pay arising at resignation |
| Settlement statement | Applied daily wage, tenure, gross benefit and tax | Pension-account transfer or net deposit |
Seven checks in order
| Check | What to verify | Evidence to request |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dates | Three-month assessment period, calendar days and tenure | Start/end dates and day count |
| 2. Wages | Included pre-tax base pay and allowances | Itemized amounts for each assessment period |
| 3. Bonuses and leave pay | Eligibility for inclusion, allocation and double counting | Amounts and applicable periods |
| 4. Excluded periods | Assessment exclusions versus tenure exclusions | Reasons, dates and excluded wages |
| 5. Daily wage | Average wage versus ordinary wage | Both calculations and the applied value |
| 6. Scheme and rounding | Statutory pay, DB or DC; intermediate and final rounding | Benefit scheme and rounding at each step |
| 7. Tax and payment | Gross benefit, retirement tax and transfer/net amount | Separate tax and payment records |
The ministry’s calculator uses the day after the final working day as the retirement date. In korWork, the last employment date is the final day of the employment relationship. If paid leave moves only the last day physically at work, check the actual employment end date before entering it.
Worked example: the ordinary-wage comparison
Hypothetical inputs: employment from April 1, 2023 through March 31, 2026; a 40-hour week and eight-hour day; monthly average pre-tax wages of KRW 3,000,000; no separate bonus, leave-pay share or excluded periods. Assume the verified monthly ordinary wage is also KRW 3,000,000.
| Step | Average wage only | With verified ordinary wage |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment | January 1–March 31, 2026: 90 days | Same |
| Tenure | 1,096 days | Same |
| Daily average wage | 9,000,000 ÷ 90 = KRW 100,000 | KRW 100,000 |
| Daily ordinary wage | Not entered | 3,000,000 ÷ 209 × 8 → KRW 114,832 |
| Applied daily wage | KRW 100,000 | KRW 114,832 |
| Pre-tax estimate | KRW 9,008,219 | KRW 10,344,318 |
Example · Check the difference
- Average-only calculation: 100,000 × 30 × 1,096 ÷ 365 → KRW 9,008,219.
- Ordinary-wage calculation: 114,832 × 30 × 1,096 ÷ 365 → KRW 10,344,318.
- Difference after rounding down at the stated stages: KRW 1,336,099.
- Both dates are the same; the applied daily wage explains this difference.
The ministry’s guidance says ordinary wage replaces average wage when the latter is lower. Omitting the ordinary-wage input prevents the tool from making that comparison. The integer daily wage is the tool’s rounding convention, not a determination of the legally payable amount.
Re-enter the inputs within the tool’s limits
- Match the start and final employment dates. Verify the weekly-hours eligibility separately.
- Confirm the actual three-month wage total. The tool multiplies an integer monthly average by three; use a period-by-period calculation when that cannot express the total precisely.
- Do not include a separately entered bonus or qualifying previous-year leave payment twice. Confirm inclusion rather than adding every payment.
- Enter a verified monthly ordinary wage when the 40-hour/209-hour conversion fits. Excluded periods or other schedules require separate review.
- Compare the period, total wages and applied daily wage with payroll. For small differences, check rounding too.
A request you can send to payroll
“My estimate differs from the settlement. Could you provide the assessment dates and day count, included pre-tax wage items, bonus and leave-pay allocation, excluded periods, average/ordinary daily-wage comparison, tenure, taxes and payment amount separately?”
Follow up on the specific item that differs. Remove identification numbers, account numbers and information about other employees before sharing documents externally. Refer an individual dispute to the appropriate authority or qualified adviser.