9.9% Higher Than the Government Minimum Wage of 10,320 Won
To Be Applied Starting January 1 Next Year
Goyang Special City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Lee Donghwan) has decided to raise next year's living wage by 2.9%, from the current 11,020 won to 11,340 won, in order to improve the quality of life for workers.
The 'living wage' refers to the wage level that enables workers to support their families and maintain human dignity in areas such as education and culture, allowing for a decent standard of living. It is determined by taking into account the minimum wage and other relevant factors.
On August 26, the city held the second 2025 Labor-Management-Civil-Government Council meeting to decide next year's living wage, reviewing factors such as the minimum wage, inflation rate, average household expenditure of workers, and the city's financial conditions for the coming year before deliberating and finalizing the living wage.
The living wage in Goyang City (11,340 won) has been set 9.9% higher than next year's government minimum wage of 10,320 won. When converted to a monthly salary (209 hours), this amounts to 2,370,060 won. The city explained that, despite a low fiscal independence ratio of 32.27%, it set the living wage while considering the burden on citizens caused by rising prices.
The living wage applies to workers directly employed by the city and by city-funded or city-invested institutions, as well as indirectly employed workers such as those working under contracts or service agreements. Among local governments that implement the living wage system, Goyang City is known for its broad application. The newly decided living wage will be applied to about 1,200 people starting January 1 next year.
A city official stated, "We hope that the living wage will contribute to the stable lives and improved quality of life of workers, as well as help revitalize the local economy."
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