How to Calculate Your Annual Leave Days in Korea (2026 Guide for Foreign Workers)

Do You Know Exactly How Many Annual Leave Days You Have?

"Annual leave calculator" (연차계산기) is a consistently popular search term on Naver. This reflects how many workers are unsure of their exact number of annual leave (연차유급휴가) days, or want to verify whether their employer's calculation is correct. This article explains, step by step, how to calculate annual leave days based on the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법) as of 2026.

Note for foreign workers: The figures below are statutory minimums. Your employment contract or collective agreement may provide more favorable terms, but cannot fall below these legal standards.

Legal Basis for Annual Paid Leave

Annual paid leave is governed by Article 60 of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법 제60조). An employer must grant 15 days of paid leave to any worker who has attended work for 80% or more of the working days in a year. Violation of this requirement may result in imprisonment of up to 2 years or a fine of up to 20 million won under Article 110 of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법 제110조).

How to Calculate Annual Leave Days by Length of Service

Workers with Less Than 1 Year of Service

Under Article 60, Paragraph 2 of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법 제60조 제2항), a worker who has not yet completed 1 year of employment earns 1 day of paid leave for each full month of perfect attendance. Up to a maximum of 11 days can accumulate.

For example, if you started work on March 1, 2026:
- April 1: 1 day accrues
- May 1: 1 day accrues
- … and so on, 1 day per month

Workers with 1 or More Years of Service

If your attendance rate over the year is 80% or more, you are entitled to 15 days of annual leave (Article 60, Paragraph 1 of the Labor Standards Act / 근로기준법 제60조 제1항). If your attendance rate is below 80%, leave is calculated proportionally to the number of months with perfect attendance.

Long-Service Workers with 3 or More Years of Service

Under Article 60, Paragraph 4 of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법 제60조 제4항), workers with 3 or more years of continuous service earn 1 additional day for every 2 years of service beyond the first year. The statutory maximum is 25 days.

3 Commonly Confused Points

① Leave accrued in the first year and leave for the first full year are separate

The leave earned during the first 11 months of employment (up to 11 days) and the 15 days that arise after completing 1 year of service are calculated separately. However, any leave days used during the sub-one-year period may be deducted from the 15 days for the first full year (Article 60, Paragraph 5 of the Labor Standards Act / 근로기준법 제60조 제5항).

② Points to note when calculating the 80% attendance rate

Periods of absence due to an occupational injury or illness, maternity leave (출산전후휴가), and parental leave (육아휴직) are counted as days attended (Article 60, Paragraph 6 of the Labor Standards Act / 근로기준법 제60조 제6항). Treating these periods as absences is unlawful.

③ No annual leave for workers under 15 hours per week

Ultra-short-hour workers whose scheduled weekly working hours are less than 15 hours are not subject to the annual leave provisions, pursuant to Article 18, Paragraph 3 of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법 제18조 제3항).

Can Unused Annual Leave Be Paid Out as an Allowance?

If you were unable to use your annual leave, you may claim an annual leave allowance (연차수당) based on your ordinary wages. However, if the employer has lawfully carried out the annual leave encouragement procedure (연차 사용 촉진 절차) under Article 61 of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법 제61조) — which involves written notification followed by the employer designating leave dates if the worker fails to do so — the obligation to provide monetary compensation for unused annual leave may be extinguished. Please be aware of this.

Check Your Leave Instantly with the Workbear Annual Leave Calculator

Enter your start date and length of service to automatically calculate your current accrued annual leave days and remaining balance. Whether you want to verify your employer's calculation or find out your unused annual leave allowance before resigning, try the annual leave calculator at Workbear (workbear.kr). In addition to annual leave, calculators for severance pay (퇴직금), unemployment benefits (실업급여), and weekly holiday allowance (주휴수당), as well as an AI labor law search function, are also available.

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