Average wage South Korea 2010-2021

In 2021, the average salary of South Korean employees, which includes fixed salary and overtime pay, amounted to around 2.97 million South Korean won, a slight increase from the previous year. Average salary levels in South Korea have risen steadily over the past decade.

Working conditions in South Korea

The working conditions in South Korea have also generally improved in recent years. For example, the average number of hours worked by employees has steadily declined, while more and more wage and salary workers have taken advantage of flexible work arrangements such as flextime or working from home. However, there is still room for improvement in some areas – working hours are still very long compared with the international average, and working from home is not yet as widespread in small and medium-sized enterprises as it is in large companies.

COVID-19 and working from home

The COVID-19 pandemic has led many companies in South Korea to adopt remote and flexible work models. As a result, the number of employees working from home has increased dramatically – from 2019 to 2021 alone, the number of home office workers increased 12-fold. Both employers and employees found this form of work productive, yet it remains to be seen to what extent this trend will continue even after the pandemic.