Weekly Holiday Allowance in Korea: Full Eligibility Guide for Foreign Workers

What Is the Weekly Holiday Allowance?

The weekly holiday allowance (주휴수당) is a paid weekly holiday benefit grounded in Article 55 of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법 제55조). An employer must guarantee one paid day off per week to any worker who has attended all scheduled workdays during that week, and the wage paid for that day is the weekly holiday allowance. It is not simply "extra pay for a day off" — it is a legally mandated payment obligation.

Note for foreign workers: Your employment contract may state terms different from the statutory minimum, but the statutory rules below set the floor that all employers must meet.

3 Requirements to Qualify for the Weekly Holiday Allowance

You must satisfy all three of the following conditions.

1. Scheduled Weekly Working Hours of 15 Hours or More

Article 30 of the Enforcement Decree of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법 시행령 제30조) excludes ultra-short-hour workers — those whose scheduled weekly hours are fewer than 15 — from the weekly holiday entitlement. If your contract is for 14 hours or fewer per week, no weekly holiday allowance arises.

2. Perfect Attendance on All Scheduled Workdays

You must attend every day stipulated in your contract. For example, if you are contracted to work 5 days a week, you must attend all 5 days for the weekly holiday allowance to accrue that week. However, a closure caused by the employer's fault (Article 46 of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법 제46조)) and the use of annual leave (연차유급휴가 — a day on which the duty to work is excused, Article 60 of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법 제60조)) are not treated as absences for the perfect-attendance requirement.

3. Employment Relationship Maintained Through That Week's Weekly Holiday

A change in the Ministry of Employment and Labor's administrative interpretation on 4 August 2021 (임금근로시간과-1736) abolished the former requirement that work be scheduled for the following week. The allowance now arises where you complete every scheduled workday of that week and the employment relationship continues through the weekly holiday. While you remain employed this is met automatically; when you leave, the question is whether the employment relationship ends before that week's weekly holiday. (administrative interpretation — 임금근로시간과-1736)

Weekly Holiday Allowance in the Week You Leave (administrative interpretation; no direct Supreme Court ruling)

Whether the allowance arises in your final week depends on the resignation date recorded, not on your last day at work. The Ministry of Employment and Labor's interpretation (임금근로시간과-1736, 4 August 2021) gives these examples for a Monday-to-Friday worker whose weekly holiday falls on Sunday:

The point most often confused is that the last working day and the resignation date are different concepts. No Supreme Court ruling decides this point directly. That said, Supreme Court 2011다39946 (28 Nov 2013) held that the paid-holiday rule presupposes an "ordinary employment relationship — one in which the worker has been providing work and continued provision of work is expected", and that reasoning is sometimes invoked for resignation cases. The case itself concerned industrial action, and the Ministry of Employment and Labor treats the invoked rulings as arising from different situations such as leave of absence. Administrative interpretations do not bind the courts, so litigation may reach a different result. Seek professional advice if the point is disputed.

How to Calculate the Weekly Holiday Allowance

The weekly holiday allowance is calculated as scheduled daily working hours × hourly wage.

Example: A worker with scheduled hours of 20 per week (4 hours/day, 5 days/week) and an hourly wage of 10,320 won (the 2026 minimum wage):

Weekly holiday allowance = (20 ÷ 40) × 8 × 10,320 = 41,280 won

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Can part-time (arubaito) workers receive the weekly holiday allowance?
Yes. Regardless of employment type — full-time, part-time, or fixed-term — the weekly holiday allowance accrues for any worker who works 15 or more scheduled hours per week and meets the attendance requirement.

Q. My employer says the weekly holiday allowance is already included in my hourly wage. Is that valid?
Under a comprehensive wage arrangement (포괄임금제), the weekly holiday allowance may be incorporated into the hourly rate. However, the total amount actually paid must be at or above the minimum wage inclusive of the weekly holiday allowance. If it falls short, it constitutes a violation of the Minimum Wage Act (최저임금법).

Q. Do tardiness or early departure count as absence?
Tardiness and early departure are not treated as absence. The worker is considered to have attended on the scheduled workday, satisfying the attendance requirement. However, wages may be deducted for the corresponding hours missed.

What to Do If You Have Not Been Paid the Weekly Holiday Allowance

If an employer fails to pay the weekly holiday allowance, they may be subject to imprisonment of up to 2 years or a fine of up to 20 million won under Article 109 of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법 제109조). You may file a complaint with the competent Regional Employment and Labor Office, obtain a wage-arrears confirmation certificate, and pursue a civil claim.

To find out exactly how much weekly holiday allowance you are owed, use the weekly holiday allowance calculator at Workbear (workbear.kr). Simply enter your working hours and hourly wage for an instant calculation, and from there you can also access the AI search and complaint-drafting features.

Related guides cover the same issue from other angles: see Weekly Holiday Allowance in Korea for the criteria, and Weekly Holiday Allowance in Korea for calculation and examples.

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