Hourly Living Wage Raised by 341 Won
Set at 12,136 Won for Next Year
On October 20, the Sejong City Office of Education announced that it had independently set the hourly living wage for its temporary employees at 12,136 won, prior to addressing the overall treatment of its affiliated fixed-term workers.
This amount represents an increase of 341 won from this year’s living wage of 11,795 won per hour, and is 1,816 won higher than the government-announced minimum wage for 2026, which is 10,320 won per hour.
The approved living wage will apply to temporary employees affiliated with the Sejong City Office of Education who work for less than 30 days, as well as to temporary employees at the main office (and directly affiliated institutions) who have been reviewed by the Personnel Management Deliberation Committee.
The living wage is set at a higher level than the minimum wage stipulated by law, in order to ensure a decent standard of living. It is determined by considering factors such as the minimum wage, price levels, and the financial conditions of the Office of Education. Since the enactment of the living wage ordinance last year, the city’s Office of Education has been implementing the living wage system for temporary employees working less than 30 days and for those at the main office (and directly affiliated institutions).
Yeo Jeongsuk, Director of Labor Relations Policy, stated, “We decided to raise the living wage to help stabilize the lives of temporary employees affiliated with the Office of Education,” adding, “We hope that the increase in the living wage will contribute to improving the quality of life for workers who are dedicated to the educational field.”
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