Promised Changes To South Korean Labour Law

If he implements his campaign promises, the election last month of President Moon Jae-In will lead to some significant labour law changes in South Korea.

It is not unknown for promises made in election campaigns to go unfulfilled but employers should track developments and anticipate changes nevertheless.

Minimum Wage

President Moon has promised to raise the minimum wage to close to USD 9 per hour by 2020, an increase from today's rate of 55%.

Reducing Working Hours

South Korea is famous for its long hours culture. The new President has promised to address this by:

• Strictly restricting working time, including overtime, to 52 hours per week.
• Requiring employers to keep a record of time worked by each employee.