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

What Is the Weekly Holiday Allowance (주휴수당)?

The weekly holiday allowance (주휴수당) is a statutory allowance 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 in a given week. The wage paid for that paid holiday is the weekly holiday allowance. It is not simply "extra pay for a day off" — it is a minimum right guaranteed by law.

3 Conditions for the Weekly Holiday Allowance to Apply

All three of the following conditions must be met for the weekly holiday allowance to arise.

1. Scheduled Weekly Working Hours of 15 Hours or More

Under Article 30 of the Enforcement Decree of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법 시행령 제30조), ultra-short-hour workers whose scheduled weekly working hours are less than 15 hours are excluded from the weekly holiday allowance. Accordingly, if you work 14 hours or fewer per week, no weekly holiday allowance arises.

Note: "Scheduled working hours" (소정근로시간) refers to the hours stipulated in the employment contract, not the hours actually worked.

2. Perfect Attendance on All Scheduled Workdays

You must report to work on every scheduled workday in that week. For example, if your contract specifies working Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, you must attend all three days for the weekly holiday allowance to arise. Being late or leaving early is not treated as an absence, so attendance is still recognized as perfect.

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.

For example, if you work 20 hours per week (4 hours a day, 5 days a week) at the 2026 minimum hourly wage of 10,320 won:

Weekly holiday allowance = (20 hours ÷ 5) × 10,320 won = 4 hours × 10,320 won = 41,280 won

Note: Your employment contract may specify terms that differ from this statutory minimum — always check your contract.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Can part-time workers (아르바이트) receive the weekly holiday allowance?
Yes. Regardless of employment type — full-time, fixed-term, or part-time — any worker who meets all three conditions above has the right to receive the weekly holiday allowance.

Q. What happens if an employer does not pay the weekly holiday allowance?
Failure to pay the weekly holiday allowance is a violation of the Labor Standards Act and may result in 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).

Q. My employer says the weekly holiday allowance is already included in my monthly salary — is that correct?
For monthly-salaried workers, the weekly holiday allowance is generally considered to be included in the monthly salary. However, workers paid by the hour or by the day must receive it as a separate payment. Even if the contract states "weekly holiday allowance included," the total pay must still meet or exceed the minimum wage.

Calculate Your Weekly Holiday Allowance

If your work schedule is complex or you are a part-time worker, calculating the weekly holiday allowance can be confusing. Use the weekly holiday allowance calculator at Workbear (workbear.kr) — simply enter your working days and hourly wage to get an automatic calculation. If you have a dispute over the weekly holiday allowance, you can also use the AI search feature to quickly review similar cases and court precedents.

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.