Employment Korea 2026 Update for Foreign Workers

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Employment Korea 2026 Update for Foreign Workers

For foreign workers in Korea, the rules that matter most this year are the same questions that apply every year: which route you work under (the Employment Permit System for E-9 and H-2, or a professional visa such as E-7), what your contract and pay must contain, and which official notices set the current quotas. Two official portals publish the current position: the Employment Permit System site of the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and Study in Korea for students and graduates. This article explains what each says and where to find the numbers that change, such as quotas and the minimum wage.

Two main routes: the Employment Permit System and E-7

The Employment Permit System (EPS) site describes itself as providing online services for foreign workers on E-9 and H-2 visas. Its menus cover workplace change applications, departure reports, insurance enrolment history, contract status, a Korean language test, severance-pay difference support and a career certificate request. For employers, it offers information on the system, permitted industries, hiring quotas by year, the recruitment procedure, and a points system with its evaluation criteria.

Study in Korea covers a different route: students and graduates who change to an employment status such as E-7 (Specific Activities). Its page on the employment system lists the E-7 occupations, including 15 manager occupations and 52 professional occupations. If you do not know which route applies to you, ask your employer or the immigration office, since the documents and rules differ.

Quotas are announced in rounds

The EPS site’s notice board lists, among its latest items, announcements titled as the third and fourth rounds of the new foreign workforce allocation plan for 2026, a notice of decisions made by the 49th Foreign Workforce Policy Committee, and a call for good-practice submissions for the Employment Permit System. The notice titles show that allocations are announced in numbered rounds during the year. The details, such as numbers by industry, are inside each notice, so employers and applicants should read the notice itself rather than a second-hand summary. The EPS site also publishes a table of introduction quotas by year and by industry, which is the place to check before assuming that a sector is open.

Contracts and pay

Study in Korea summarises the main working-condition rules for foreign workers, citing the National Law Information Center:

  • Employers must not treat foreign workers unfairly because they are foreigners, under Article 22 of the Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers.
  • Employers must prepare a standard employment contract when hiring foreign workers, and violations may bring a fine of up to 5 million won.
  • Wages must be paid directly, in full and regularly, at least once a month on a fixed date, under Article 43 of the Labor Standards Act. The portal says violations may result in imprisonment for up to three years or a fine of up to 30 million won.
  • Wages must be at or above the minimum wage. The portal adds that foreign workers’ pay need not match domestic workers’ exactly and can vary with experience and productivity.

The pages read for this article do not state the current minimum wage figure. It is decided through the Minimum Wage Commission process, so check the current figure with the Minimum Wage Commission or the Ministry of Employment and Labor and compare it with your contract’s hourly or monthly pay.

E-7 limits that affect job changes

For professional employment, Study in Korea lists two limits. Additional E-7 hiring is restricted for domestic-focused businesses employing fewer than five nationals, or where E-7 holders exceed 20 percent of the national workforce (up to 50 percent for advanced industrial sectors on the recommendation of the relevant authority). And changes of status are generally restricted if the contract offers less than 60 percent of the average wage of nationals in similar roles, or a monthly wage below 1.5 million won. If you are negotiating an offer, ask whether the employer has checked these conditions.

A checklist before you sign or renew

  1. Confirm which status and route your job falls under.
  2. Check that the contract is in writing, names the duties, pay, working hours and leave, and is in a language you understand.
  3. Check the pay date and that wages are paid directly and in full.
  4. Check the current minimum wage with the Ministry of Employment and Labor.
  5. Confirm insurance enrolment. The EPS site includes an insurance enrolment history service for E-9 and H-2 workers, and Study in Korea’s checklist lists the four major insurances.
  6. Keep copies of your contract and notices.

Common mistakes and what to verify

  • Relying on summaries of quotas. Read the official notice for the round and industry you care about.
  • Not knowing your route. E-9 and H-2 workers use the EPS site, while E-7 changes go through immigration.
  • Accepting a verbal contract. The portal says a standard written contract is required for foreign workers hired under the Act.
  • Assuming pay is correct. Compare your pay with the current minimum wage.
  • Waiting to ask for help. The ministry’s customer line for labour and employment questions is 1350, according to the EPS site.

Rules change: confirm with the official bodies

This is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Quotas, wage levels, visa rules and fines are set by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Ministry of Justice and can change during the year. Confirm your own position with the Employment Permit System site, the Ministry of Employment and Labor (1350), HiKorea or your local immigration office, and consider advice from a qualified labour or immigration professional for your own case.

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