Six out of 10 Korean office workers believe the minimum wage in 2027 should be at least 12,000 won per hour, with nearly half saying the current rate fails to adequately reflect inflation and economic growth.
According to a survey released Friday by civic group Workplace Gapjil 119, 62.3% of respondents cited 12,000 won or more per hour as the appropriate minimum wage level for 2027. The poll, conducted by Global Research, surveyed 1,000 office workers nationwide aged 19 or older.
Dissatisfaction with the current statutory minimum wage was also significant. Some 47.7% of respondents said the current minimum wage does not sufficiently reflect inflation or economic growth rates.
The response was relatively higher among non-regular workers, non-union members, office workers, employees at workplaces with five to 29 staff, rank-and-file employees, and those earning less than 3 million won per month.
The financial strain felt by workers was also reflected in their perception of quality of life. Some 59.5% of respondents said the current minimum wage of 10,320 won per hour makes it difficult to maintain a decent standard of living or plan for the future.
Calls to expand the scope of minimum wage application were also strong. More than seven out of 10 office workers said the statutory minimum wage should apply to all workers, including specially employed workers, platform workers and freelancers. The item recorded an agreement rate of more than 70% regardless of employment type.
"For the non-regular workers I meet during consultations, the minimum wage is not a starting point for negotiations but a last line of defense for survival," said Choi Bo-hwa, a labor attorney. "If that last line falls short of prices and the actual living wage, then the system has become a mere formality."
She added, "Minimum wage deliberations should be conducted based on the dignity of working people, not on the logic of corporate burden."
