๐ย Heads up before you read


If you work in Korea, youโll receive a pay stub every month! But itโs filled with terms you donโt hear in everyday conversations, which can make it a bit confusing. No worriesโIโve got you! Letโs break down the Korean pay stub step by step in this post! ๐
1๏ธโฃย Understanding Korean pay stub
โป pay stub: ๊ธ์ฌ๋ช ์ธ์[geu-byeo-myeong-se-seo]
Standard Format of a Korean Pay Stub
โโโ
๐ The salary amounts listed below are arbitrarily set and differ significantly from actual salaries

Hereโs what a Korean pay stub looks like. The wordsโฆ yeah, theyโre pretty tricky, right? No worriesโIโll break it all down for you, step by step!
Oh, and just a heads-upโeach company structures its pay stubs differently when it comes to payments (์ง๊ธ[ji-geup]) and deductions (๊ณต์ [gong-je]). But no matter where you work, some sections are always the same. Today, Iโll focus on the most basic ones for you! ๐
2๏ธโฃ Understanding Payment Sections
The payment section includes all the amounts you receive from the company. Curious about whatโs in this part? Letโs take a look!

โ Basic Salary (๊ธฐ๋ณธ๊ธ[gi-bon-geup])
This is the fixed amount stated in your employment contract. It forms the core of your monthly salary and does not include any additional allowances.
โ Meal Allowance (์๋[sik-ttae])
A stipend provided to help cover meal expenses. The best part? Meal allowances are tax-free! However, the tax-free limit per person is capped at 200,000 KRW, so the amount allocated for this allowance may vary depending on the company.
โ Bonus (์์ฌ๊ธ[sang-yeo-geum])
An extra payment given by the company based on performance or specific criteria.
โ Position Allowance (์ง์ฑ ์๋น[jik-chaek-su-dang])
Additional pay awarded based on your job title or role, such as a manager or team leader.
3๏ธโฃ Understanding Deduction Sections
The deduction section shows the amounts subtracted from your salary due to legal or other reasons, such as taxes or insurance.

โ Income Tax (์๋์ธ[so-deuk-sse])
A tax imposed by the government on your earned income. Itโs also called ๊ฐ๊ทผ์ธ[gap-geun-sse]. Foreigners are required to pay this as well.
โ Local Income Tax (์ง๋ฐฉ์๋์ธ[ji-bang-so-deuk-sse])
A local tax calculated as a percentage of your income tax. Also known as ์ง๋ฐฉ์ธ [ji-bang-sse]. Foreigners must pay this too.
โ Health Insurance (๊ฑด๊ฐ๋ณดํ[geon-gang-bo-hum])
A mandatory social insurance fee that helps cover medical expenses. Enrollment is required if you qualify for residency.

โ Long-Term Care Insurance (์ฅ๊ธฐ์์[jang-gi-yo-yang])
An additional social insurance fee to support aging or illnesses. Foreigners are not required to pay this.
โ National Pension (๊ตญ๋ฏผ์ฐ๊ธ[gung-min-yeon-geum])
A social insurance fee for retirement planning. Payment depends on reciprocity agreements between Korea and your home country. Check if your country has an agreement to determine whether you need to pay.
๐ก Heads-up! The income standard used to calculate national pension fees will change, and starting July 2025, the maximum monthly fee could increase by 18,000 KRW. Keep this in mind when planning your finances!
โ Employment Insurance (๊ณ ์ฉ๋ณดํ [go-yong-bo-hum])
A social insurance fee that provides financial support in case of unemployment. Enrollment depends on your visa type.
What do you think? Kind of tricky, but not too bad, right? ๐
This post gave you a general overview, but starting next time, weโll break down each part in detail. Stay tuned! ๐
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