Paid leave
in South Korea.

SALARY PAYMENT IN South Korean Won (KRW, ₩)

CONTRACT LANGUAGES Korean / English

PAYROLL TAX 16.43% – 34.94%

PAYROLL CYCLE Monthly

TIME TO HIRE 24 hours
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Horizons-owned entity with local country experts in Seoul.

We offer fair, scalable, and transparent pricing on South Korea PEO service. Contact us for a cost breakdown

End service in South Korea with no additional penalties or fees.

Including vision, dental, death & disability, travel, and more.

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South Korea

Annual leave in South Korea (holiday / vacation)

Mandatory paid holidays in South Korea include: weekly holidays (typically Sundays) & Labour Day (May 1st).

The Labor Standards Act (1997) provides for employees’ minimum annual leave. Employees who complete a full year of employment are entitled to 15 days of annual paid leave.

Those employees who have not yet completed a full year of employment, or have an attendance rate that is less than 80% over the course of the year, are entitled to 1 day of annual paid leave for each full month of employment that meets attendance requirements.

The LSA also grants 1 additional day of paid leave to employees with over three years of service for every two years of service following the first full year (up to a maximum of 25 days). South Korean law limits statutory vacation days to 25 days per year.

Parental leave in South Korea

In South Korea, parental leave is available to employees that have been employed with the same company for more than 1 year.

Maternity leave in South Korea

Employees in South Korea are entitled to 90 days of paid maternity leave (or 120 days in case of twins). It’s compulsory for mothers to take 45 consecutive days of leave after childbirth. Of the 90 days maternity leave, at least 60 days (or 75 days in case of twins) is paid by the company; with the remainder paid by the government.

The specific funding mechanism for periods of maternity leave depends on the size of the business, either the employer or Employment Insurance pays for maternity leave. Employment Insurance grants those on maternity leave to 40% of their usual monthly pay.

Employees on maternity leave are considered ‘protected employees’. Employers cannot terminate the contract of an employee on maternity leave, or within the 30 days following, the specified maternity leave.

Paternity leave in South Korea

The paternity leave entitlement in South Korea is 10 days of paid leave. Of these 10 days, 5 days are paid by the company with the other 5 being covered by Employment Insurance.

Sick leave in South Korea

Employers in South Korea are not required to provide paid leave for non-work-related illness. Employees generally use their annual paid leave as personal sick days.

Bereavement and compassionate leave in South Korea

Bereavement or compassionate leave is not covered in South Korean law however many companies offer congratulatory and condolence leave for weddings and funerals. Although these types of arrangements vary from company to company, these forms of leave are granted in addition to annual paid leave.

Hiring in South Korea, Made Easy

Your business can easily hire employees in South Korea without opening a local entity. We handle local employment law, complex tax regulations, and international payroll in 180+ countries worldwide. All you need to do is focus on your business.

FAQs

What is the minimum amount of annual leave per year in South Korea?

15 days for employees who have completed 1 year of employment.

What is the standard amount of paid time off (PTO) in South Korea?

Mandatory paid holidays in South Korea include: Weekly holidays (typically Sunday) & Labour Day (May 1st).

What is the minimum amount of sick leave in South Korea per year?

Employers in South Korea are not required to provide paid leave for non-work-related illness. There is no set amount of sick leave and employees generally use their annual paid leave as sick days.

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Paid leave
in South Korea.

Annual leave in South Korea (holiday / vacation)

Parental leave in South Korea

Maternity leave in South Korea

Paternity leave in South Korea

Sick leave in South Korea

Bereavement and compassionate leave in South Korea

Hiring in South Korea, Made Easy

FAQs

Success stories from businesses we’ve helped enter and grow in new markets.

Client Testimonials

180+

100+

24x5

130+

180+

100+

24x5

130+

The Global Workforce Payment Platform

What to expect when you connect with Horizons

Paid leave in South Korea.

Annual leave in South Korea (holiday / vacation)

Parental leave in South Korea

Maternity leave in South Korea

Paternity leave in South Korea

Sick leave in South Korea

Bereavement and compassionate leave in South Korea

Hiring in South Korea, Made Easy

FAQs

Success stories from businesses we’ve helped enter and grow in new markets.

Client Testimonials

180+

100+

24x5

130+

180+

100+

24x5

130+

The Global Workforce Payment Platform

What to expect when you connect with Horizons

Paid leave
in South Korea.