How to Check Your Annual Leave Days in Korea: A Complete Guide for Foreign Workers

Not Sure How Many Annual Leave Days You Have?

Every employee in Korea has probably wondered at some point: "How many annual leave (연차유급휴가) days do I actually have?" Because the number varies depending on your hire date, length of service, and attendance rate, simply memorizing "15 days per year" can easily lead to mistakes. It is important to understand the exact accrual principles set out in Article 60 of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법 제60조).

Annual Leave Accrual Principles Under the Labor Standards Act

1. Less Than 1 Year of Service: 1 Day Per Month

Employees who have been with a company for less than one year earn 1 day of paid leave for each full month of perfect attendance (Article 60, Paragraph 2 of the Labor Standards Act / 근로기준법 제60조 제2항). In other words, from the date of hire up to 11 months, you can accrue up to a maximum of 11 days at the rate of 1 day per month.

These monthly-accrued leave days are calculated separately from the 15 days that arise upon completing one full year of service. However, according to the Ministry of Employment and Labor's administrative interpretation, some workplaces deduct the number of leave days used during the first year from the 15 days that vest at the one-year mark — so you should always check your company's internal rules.

Note for foreign workers: Your employment contract may specify different procedures for tracking or granting leave, but the statutory minimums above cannot be waived.

2. 1 Year or More of Service: Base 15 Days

An employee who has maintained an attendance rate of 80% or more over one year is entitled to 15 days of paid leave (Article 60, Paragraph 1 / 제60조 제1항). If the attendance rate falls below 80%, no annual leave is generated for that year.

3. 3 or More Years of Continuous Service: 1 Extra Day Every 2 Years

For employees with 3 or more years of continuous service, 1 additional day is added for every 2 years beyond the first year (Article 60, Paragraph 4 / 제60조 제4항). The maximum cap including all additional days is 25 days.

Common Mistakes When Calculating Annual Leave

① Confusing the Hire-Date Basis vs. the Fiscal-Year Basis

Annual leave is in principle calculated based on the employee's hire date. However, many companies grant leave on a uniform fiscal-year basis (e.g., January 1) for administrative convenience. In such cases, the result must not be less favorable to the employee than the hire-date basis would be (see the intent of Supreme Court Decision 2013다4969 / 대법원 2013다4969 판결).

② Treatment of Parental Leave Periods for Attendance Purposes

The period of parental leave (육아휴직) is deemed to count as time worked (Article 19, Paragraph 4 of the Act on Equal Employment and Support for Work-Family Reconciliation / 남녀고용평등법 제19조 제4항). Therefore, returning from parental leave does not disadvantage you in the calculation of annual leave.

③ Expiration of Annual Leave

Annual leave that is not used within 1 year of the date it accrues expires. However, if the employer has not taken the prescribed leave-encouragement measures (사용 촉진 조치), the employee retains the right to claim an unused-leave allowance (미사용 연차수당) (Article 61 / 제61조).

Having Trouble Calculating Your Leave Days Yourself?

Manually plugging in your hire date, years of service, and attendance rate is tedious. Using the annual leave calculator at Bylaw (workbylaw.com), you can instantly check the number of annual leave days you have accrued and your remaining balance simply by entering your hire date. The calculator supports both the fiscal-year basis and the hire-date basis, so choose the one that matches your company's policy to get an accurate result.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific cases, consult a certified labor attorney (노무사) or lawyer.