Weekly Holiday Allowance in Korea: Eligibility, Conditions & Calculation Guide for Foreign Workers

What Is the Weekly Holiday Allowance (주휴수당)?

The weekly holiday allowance (주휴수당) is a statutory benefit based on Article 55 of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법 제55조). An employer must grant one paid weekly holiday (주휴일) to any worker who has attended all scheduled workdays during a given week. The wage paid for that paid holiday is the weekly holiday allowance. The key point is that it is not simply a day off — it is a day on which you receive pay even though you do not work.

3 Conditions for Eligibility

To receive the weekly holiday allowance, all three of the following conditions must be met.

  1. Scheduled weekly working hours of 15 hours or more – The weekly hours specified in your employment contract must be at least 15 hours.
  2. Perfect attendance on all scheduled workdays – You must have shown up on every agreed workday without any absence. Being late or leaving early is, in principle, not treated as an absence.
  3. Employment relationship maintained through that week's weekly holiday – the former "work scheduled for the following week" requirement was abolished by the administrative interpretation change of 4 August 2021 (임금근로시간과-1736). While employed this is met automatically; on resignation, the issue is whether employment ends before the weekly holiday falls. (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.

Regardless of employment type — part-time (아르바이트), short-hour, fixed-term contract, etc. — you are entitled to the weekly holiday allowance if you satisfy the conditions above.

Note for foreign workers: Your employment contract may specify terms that differ from the statutory minimum, but the statutory entitlement cannot be waived below the legal floor.

How to Calculate the Weekly Holiday Allowance

Full-time workers (40 hours per week): The calculation is straightforward.

Weekly holiday allowance = 1 day's ordinary wage (통상임금)

For example, if you work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week at an hourly wage of 10,320 won (the 2026 minimum wage), the weekly holiday allowance is 10,320 won × 8 hours = 82,560 won.

Short-hour workers (15 hours or more but less than 40 hours per week): A proportional calculation applies.

Weekly holiday allowance = (Scheduled weekly hours ÷ 40 hours) × 8 hours × hourly wage

For example, if you work 20 hours per week at an hourly wage of 10,320 won:
- (20 ÷ 40) × 8 × 10,320 = 41,280 won

This formula follows the statutory basis — Article 18 of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법 제18조) and Article 9(1) and attached Table 2 of the Enforcement Decree of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법 시행령 제9조 제1항·별표 2).

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Can the weekly holiday allowance be included in the hourly wage?
Including it in the hourly wage is not illegal in itself, but it must be clearly stated in the employment contract. If the effective hourly wage after inclusion falls below the minimum wage, it is unlawful. Arrangements that merely state "included" without a specific breakdown are unlikely to stand: the agreement must be clear, and the converted real hourly wage must still meet the minimum wage (Article 6 of the Minimum Wage Act (최저임금법 제6조), Article 5(1) of the Enforcement Decree of the Minimum Wage Act (최저임금법 시행령 제5조 제1항); Supreme Court Decision 2006다64245).

Q. If I am absent for just one day, do I lose the entire weekly holiday allowance?
Yes. If you are absent even one day out of your scheduled workdays, the weekly holiday allowance does not accrue for that week. However, an absence caused by the employer's fault is treated as attendance.

Q. What about ultra-short-hour workers working less than 15 hours per week?
Under Article 18 of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법 제18조), the weekly holiday allowance provisions do not apply to workers whose scheduled hours are less than 15 hours per week.

What to Do If the Weekly Holiday Allowance Is Not Paid

If an employer fails to pay the weekly holiday allowance, they may be subject to imprisonment of up to 3 years or a fine of up to 30 million won under Article 109 of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법 제109조). Workers can file a complaint (진정) with the competent Regional Employment and Labor Office (고용노동청), or obtain a wage-arrears confirmation certificate and pursue a civil lawsuit. Claims can be made up to 3 years after leaving employment (the statute of limitations for wage claims (임금채권 소멸시효) is 3 years).

Calculate Your Allowance with Workbear

If calculating your weekly holiday allowance feels complicated, use the Workbear Weekly Holiday Allowance Calculator at workbear.kr. Simply enter your hourly wage and weekly working hours, and it automatically handles the proportional calculation for short-hour workers. The result can help you communicate clearly with your employer or determine the amount of any unpaid wages.

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.