Monthly pay reaches 2.50 million won based on 209-hour work month, up 6.5% from 2026

Gwangju set its 2027 living wage at 11,970 won per hour after its Living Wage Deliberation Committee convened Tuesday.

The new rate marks a 730-won, or 6.5 percent, increase from this year's living wage of 11,240 won per hour — the largest single-year rise in the city's living wage history.

Based on a 40-hour workweek and 209 hours of monthly work, the monthly pay for workers covered by the living wage will rise to 2.50 million won next year, up 152,570 won from this year. That figure equals about 111.9 percent of the monthly pay derived from the government's announced 2027 minimum wage of 10,700 won per hour.

The rate was set after a comprehensive review of projected consumer prices, the city's fiscal conditions, workers' actual living standards and the broader impact on the local economy.

The living wage system supplements the statutory minimum wage to support workers' financial stability. The newly set rate takes effect Jan. 1, 2027, and applies to city employees as well as workers at city-affiliated institutions and companies that have entered into construction or service contracts with the city.

"We expect this living wage increase to contribute not only to workers' financial stability and quality of life, but also to the sound development of Gwangju's economy," Mayor Park Gwan-yeol said. "We will continue working to improve conditions for non-regular workers and to deliver high-quality public services."


pjh@heraldcorp.com