Moving to South Korea
South Korea country facts, largest cities, hub labels and reports.
Across 198 passports, 111 passports enter visa-free and 87 passports need a visa for South Korea. Check your passport below.
- Visa-free
- 111
- Visa required
- 87
Visa and entry rules
Sources checked through 5 Sept 2026.
Work and income
What is the unemployment rate in South Korea?
The national unemployment rate was about 2.7 % in 2025.
This is the World Bank / ILO modelled estimate series used as the canonical national answer. Other published definitions exist and are shown in the table below.
- National unemployment rate: 2.68 % · Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate), 202528
What is the median gross salary in South Korea?
The median gross salary was about 1,911 EUR/month in 2024-12.
Half of employees earn less than this. Mean gross and national-accounts averages use different definitions and are shown in the table below. national-accounts average — shown in the table below.
What is the minimum wage in South Korea?
The statutory minimum wage is about 5.97 EUR/hour, gross (as of 2026). Source: Republic of Korea 2026 statutory minimum wage22
National statutory floor, gross, before tax and social contributions.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross salary, monthly | 1,911 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | 2024 wage-worker job income (remuneration) results1Official · national figure |
| National unemployment rate | 2.68 % | 31 Dec 2025 | Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate), 202528Official · national figure |
| Minimum gross hourly wage | 5.97 EUR/hour | 1 Jan 2026 | Republic of Korea 2026 statutory minimum wage22Official · national figure |
Typical city (median): about 2.7%
Unemployment rate (%)
Typical city (median): about 16.0 µg/m³
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
Public employment service in South Korea
Official job-search, registration, counselling and training routes. Private recruitment agencies are not included.
Work24 public employment service — Public employment service
A national service does not prove that an office exists in every city. City pages show an office only after an exact address is linked to that city. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Taxes in South Korea
National rates and comparable published scenarios. Personal tax depends on income, household and residence circumstances.
Benefits newcomers may qualify for in South Korea
Public schemes where an official source defines an eligible migration or residence status. Amounts and conditions are kept in their native terms.
| Programme | Published amount | Source and application |
|---|---|---|
주거급여(맞춤형 급여) — Housing support | Amount set per household by formula / Monthly | |
Eligibility and amount detailsCurrent 2026 formula: eligible rental households receive actual monthly rent plus converted deposit costs up to region-and-household standard-rent ceilings; self-owned households receive statutory repair support. The 2026 income-recognition threshold is 48% of median household income, including KRW 1,230,834/month for one person. The current Ministry of Health and Welfare personal-scope exception states that a person registered as a foreigner under Immigration Control Act Article 31 may qualify where the person is: ‘대한민국 국민과 혼인 중인 사람으로서 본인 또는 대한민국 국적의 배우자가 임신 중인 사람’; ‘대한민국 국민과 혼인 중인 사람으로서 대한민국 국적의 미성년 자녀를 양육하고 있는 사람’; ‘배우자의 대한민국 국적인 직계존속과 생계나 주거를 같이하는 사람’; or ‘대한민국 국민인 배우자와 이혼하거나 그 배우자가 사망한 사람으로서 대한민국 국적의 미성년 자녀를 양육하고 있는 사람 또는 사망한 배우자의 태아를 임신하고 있는 사람’. The same official page states that the exception includes ‘난민법 제2조에 따라 법무부 장관이 난민으로 인정한 사람’. , foreign_registered_spouse_raising_korean_national_minor_child, foreign_registered_person_living_with_korean_spouse_parent_in_law, foreign_registered_divorced_or_widowed_parent_of_korean_minor_child and refugee_recognized_by_korean_minister_of_justice_for_basic_livelihood_benefits. It does not publish a generic foreigner or lawful-resident chip; the 2026 housing-benefit income, household, lease and other conditions also apply. | ||
난민신청자 생계비 지원 — Arrival and reception support | 583,400–1,807,300 KRW / Monthly | |
Eligibility and amount detailsThe Ministry of Justice 2026 table gives monthly household amounts of KRW 583,400 for one person, KRW 978,000 for two, KRW 1,258,400 for three, KRW 1,536,300 for four and KRW 1,807,300 for five; centre residents receive 50% and five persons is the cap for larger households. The Ministry of Justice states that livelihood support is provided to refugee applicants for up to six months from the date of the refugee-recognition application, with priority for applicants who need support because of household and living circumstances. | ||
실업급여 — Unemployment support | Percentage-based / Daily | |
Eligibility and amount detailsThe current Work24 formula pays 60% of the calculated basic daily amount; where the basic daily amount is calculated using the statutory minimum basic daily amount, the daily job-seeking benefit is 80% of that basic amount. The payable amount varies with the insured worker’s earnings and statutory benefit-day rules. The official Work24 employment-insurance coverage page states: ‘외국인근로자의 경우 고용보험 적용제외 대상이나, 일부 체류자격의 경우 당연, 임의, 상호주의로 구분 적용’ (foreign workers are generally excluded from employment-insurance coverage, but some stay-status categories are covered as mandatory, voluntary or reciprocal cases). it does not generalize eligibility to every foreign worker. The ordinary unemployment-benefit insurance, involuntary-separation, insured-period, availability and active job-search conditions also apply. | ||
부모급여 지원 — Family and child support | 500,000–1,000,000 KRW / Monthly | |
Eligibility and amount detailsCurrent 2026 age-based cash amounts: 0세 아동을 가정 양육하는 경우 월 100만원 (KRW 1,000,000) and 1세 아동을 가정 양육하는 경우 월 50만원 (KRW 500,000). The official MOHW page separately confirms 0-year-old KRW 1,000,000/month and 1-year-old KRW 500,000/month, with cash or voucher delivery depending on care setting. The current Bokjiro service for 2026 states that the qualifying child must be a child holding Korean nationality (‘대한민국 국적을 보유한 아동’). It expressly includes a child who is a recognized refugee under the Refugee Act (‘「난민법」에 따른 난민인정자 포함’), while excluding a case where the refugee-recognition application is still under review (‘난민인정 신청에 대한 심사 진행 중인 경우 등은 제외’). It also includes a child who is a special contributor under the Act on the Treatment of Foreigners in Korea (‘「재한외국인처우기본법」에 따른 특별기여자 포함’). and special_contributor_child_under_foreigners_treatment_act_in_korea_eligible_for_parent_benefit; it does not publish a generic foreign-child, refugee or lawful-resident chip. The child’s age, registration-number and other source-defined conditions also apply. | ||
생계급여(맞춤형 급여) — Minimum-income support | Amount set per household by formula / Monthly | |
Eligibility and amount detailsCurrent 2026 formula: the livelihood benefit is the household livelihood-benefit selection standard minus recognised household income; the 32% median-income thresholds range from KRW 820,556/month for one person to KRW 2,737,905/month for six people, and the payable amount varies with the means test and household size. The current Ministry of Health and Welfare personal-scope exception states that a person registered as a foreigner under Immigration Control Act Article 31 may qualify where the person is: ‘대한민국 국민과 혼인 중인 사람으로서 본인 또는 대한민국 국적의 배우자가 임신 중인 사람’; ‘대한민국 국민과 혼인 중인 사람으로서 대한민국 국적의 미성년 자녀를 양육하고 있는 사람’; ‘배우자의 대한민국 국적인 직계존속과 생계나 주거를 같이하는 사람’; or ‘대한민국 국민인 배우자와 이혼하거나 그 배우자가 사망한 사람으로서 대한민국 국적의 미성년 자녀를 양육하고 있는 사람 또는 사망한 배우자의 태아를 임신하고 있는 사람’. The same official page states that the exception includes ‘난민법 제2조에 따라 법무부 장관이 난민으로 인정한 사람’. , foreign_registered_spouse_raising_korean_national_minor_child, foreign_registered_person_living_with_korean_spouse_parent_in_law, foreign_registered_divorced_or_widowed_parent_of_korean_minor_child and refugee_recognized_by_korean_minister_of_justice_for_basic_livelihood_benefits. It does not publish a generic foreigner or lawful-resident chip; the 2026 livelihood-benefit income, household, means-test and other conditions also apply. | ||
ImmigrationDB shows published rules; it does not decide personal eligibility. Confirm your status, contribution record and household circumstances with the responsible authority before applying. Sources checked through 12 Aug 2026.
Can migrants receive medical care in South Korea?
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in South Korea under the published coverage rules.
Language courses and integration in South Korea
Government programmes, public integration services and exact provider records. The section expands only from fields present in the source; missing prices, refunds or contacts are not replaced with estimates.
Early Adaptation Program — Newcomer Adaptation
Ministry of Justice / Korea Immigration Service
For newly arrived foreign residents, international students, workers, marriage migrants.
Social Integration Program (KIIP) — Integration course
Ministry of Justice / Korea Immigration Service
For foreign residents in Korea, people within three years of naturalization.
BGCF Korean Language Course — Municipal language course
Busan Global City Foundation / Busan Metropolitan City
For long-stay visa foreign residents in Busan.
Busan Hangul Institution — State Language Course
Busan Global City Foundation / Busan Metropolitan City
For foreign residents and Korean-language learners in Busan.
Busan International Students Support Center Korean and Adaptation Services — Welcome Program
Busan Metropolitan City / Busan Global City Foundation
For international students in Busan.
Daegu Foreign-Resident Korean Education — Municipal language course
Daegu Metropolitan City Comprehensive Welfare Hall
For foreign residents, foreign workers, marriage immigrants, children who entered Korea mid-schooling.
Living and moving context for South Korea
Life expectancy was 83.6 years in 2024, and the annual average temperature was 13.7°C in 2025. The top income-tax rate was 45% in 2024. Average gross salary was €2,648 per month in 2025, while median net income was €2,141 per month in 2022. The 2026 gross hourly minimum wage was €5.97. Life expectancy was 83.6 years in 2024, with 2.61 doctors per 1,000 people in 2022.
South Korea cities by population
The largest published cities appear first. Population is taken from the reusable official city layer; hub labels come from the existing city taxonomy.
All published cities in South Korea
Reports with this country
Accepted report pages with a row for this country.
South Korea facts
Current source-backed observations, grouped the way the city pages are, with geographic scope and observation periods.
Population and profile
How many people live in South Korea?
The published population was 51,751,065 people in 2024. Source: World Bank31
National, resident population scope. Foreign-resident and migration-background figures are separate metrics in the table below.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 51,751,065 people | 31 Dec 2024 | World Bank31Official · national figure |
Legal, tax and other context
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public healthcare access for foreign residents | Yes | 3 Aug 2026 | NHIS — National Health Insurance Service (Korea)13Official · national figure |
| Annual mean temperature | 13.7 °C | 31 Dec 2025 | KMA 2025 annual climate characteristics7Official · national figure |
| Area | 100,450 km² | 31 Dec 2023 | World Bank32Official · national figure |
| Gross-to-net pay for a sample household | single person no children — 56,749,797 gross → 47,366,292 net a year (2025, national currency) | 31 Dec 2025 | Taxing Wages 2026 — labour taxation decomposition27Official · country household scenario |
| Population by year | 51,751,065 people (2024) | 1 Jul 2024 | Population, total (SP.POP.TOTL)21Official · country annual series |
| Religious affiliation of residents | Without religion — 56.1 % (2015) | 1 Nov 2015 | Results of the 2015 Population and Housing Census; KOSIS bulk table DT_1PM150223Official · country religion category |
| Salary by profession | Managers — 8,764 EUR/month (2022) | 31 Dec 2022 | ILOSTAT — Average monthly earnings of employees by sex, occupation and currency (annual)6Official · country occupation |
| Doctors per 1,000 residents | 2.61 per 1,000 | 31 Dec 2022 | World Bank indicator SH.MED.PHYS.ZS35Official · national figure |
| Employed women | 12,825,600 people | 2025 | mods.go.kr11Official · national figure |
| Employed men | 15,943,300 people | 2025 | mods.go.kr11Official · national figure |
| People employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing | 1,513,083 people | 2023 | sdmx.oecd.org25Official · national figure |
| People employed in mining and quarrying | 7,833 people | 2023 | sdmx.oecd.org25Official · national figure |
| People employed in manufacturing | 4,460,583 people | 2023 | sdmx.oecd.org25Official · national figure |
| People employed in electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning | 88,750 people | 2023 | sdmx.oecd.org25Official · national figure |
| People employed in water supply, sewerage and waste management | 146,833 people | 2023 | sdmx.oecd.org25Official · national figure |
| People employed in construction | 2,113,833 people | 2023 | sdmx.oecd.org25Official · national figure |
| People employed in wholesale and retail trade; motor vehicle and motorcycle repair | 3,275,500 people | 2023 | sdmx.oecd.org25Official · national figure |
| People employed in transportation and storage | 1,644,333 people | 2023 | sdmx.oecd.org25Official · national figure |
| People employed in accommodation and food services | 2,296,250 people | 2023 | sdmx.oecd.org25Official · national figure |
| People employed in information and communication | 1,037,500 people | 2023 | sdmx.oecd.org25Official · national figure |
| People employed in finance and insurance | 750,417 people | 2023 | sdmx.oecd.org25Official · national figure |
| People employed in real estate | 534,083 people | 2023 | sdmx.oecd.org25Official · national figure |
| People employed in professional, scientific and technical services | 1,357,500 people | 2023 | sdmx.oecd.org25Official · national figure |
| People employed in administrative and support services | 1,431,000 people | 2023 | sdmx.oecd.org25Official · national figure |
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
What is the unemployment rate in South Korea?
The national unemployment rate was about 2.7 % in 2025. Source: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate), 2025.
How many people live in South Korea?
The published population was 51,751,065 people in 2024. Source: World Bank.
What is the median gross salary in South Korea?
The median gross salary was about 1,911 EUR/month in 2024-12. Source: 2024 wage-worker job income (remuneration) results.
What is the minimum wage in South Korea?
The statutory minimum wage is about 5.97 EUR/hour, gross (as of 2026). Source: Republic of Korea 2026 statutory minimum wage.
Cite this page
Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.
APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 12). Moving to South Korea: salary, jobs, safety [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/countries/south-korea/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_moving-to-south-korea-salary-jobs-safety_5626334b28da,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Moving to South Korea: salary, jobs, safety},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-09-12},
version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/countries/south-korea/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Moving to South Korea: salary, jobs, safety](https://immigrationdb.com/countries/south-korea/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.
Sources
Every number above comes from one of these records. Open the original source for its geographic scope and publication date.
- 2024 wage-worker job income (remuneration) results mods.go.kr · checked 2026-09-11
- Average annual wages stats.oecd.org · checked 2026-07-26
- EF EPI ef.com · checked 2026-08-03
- Globalization and World Cities (GaWC), Loughborough University gawc.lboro.ac.uk · checked 2026-08-03
- Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) data.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-13
- ILOSTAT — Average monthly earnings of employees by sex, occupation and currency (annual) ILOSTAT · rplumber.ilo.org · checked 2026-07-30
- KMA 2025 annual climate characteristics kma.go.kr · checked 2026-07-22
- Korean National Police Agency / Seoul Metropolitan Police / Statistics Korea — 2024 registered crime and population Korean National Police Agency / Seoul Metropolitan Police / Statistics Korea · index.go.kr · checked 2026-07-29
- KOSIS Korea in the World / UNODC kosis.kr · checked 2026-09-05
- MIPEX mirovni-institut.si · checked 2026-08-03
Show 30 more sources
- mods.go.kr mods.go.kr · checked 2026-08-12
- National Tax Service, Republic of Korea nts.go.kr · checked 2026-08-03
- NHIS — National Health Insurance Service (Korea) NHIS · nhis.or.kr · checked 2026-08-03
- OECD Centre for Tax Policy and Administration sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-03
- OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-07
- OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-07
- OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-07
- OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-05
- OECD Income Distribution Database: median equivalised disposable household income sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-07-26
- Physicians (per 1,000 people) data.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-13
- Population, total (SP.POP.TOTL) api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-07-29
- Republic of Korea 2026 statutory minimum wage moel.go.kr · checked 2026-07-22
- Results of the 2015 Population and Housing Census; KOSIS bulk table DT_1PM1502 sri.kostat.go.kr · checked 2026-07-30
- Revenue Statistics in Asia and the Pacific 2025 — Table 2.1 Revenue Statistics in Asia and the Pacific 2025 · oecd.org · checked 2026-07-22
- sdmx.oecd.org sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-12
- Seoul Metropolitan Government Legal Information legal.seoul.go.kr · checked 2026-08-02
- Taxing Wages 2026 — labour taxation decomposition Taxing Wages 2026 · sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-07-29
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate), 2025 api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-09-11
- WHO GHO RS_196/RS_198 ghoapi.azureedge.net · checked 2026-09-05
- WHO GHO RS_196/RS_198 ghoapi.azureedge.net · checked 2026-09-05
- World Bank api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-02
- World Bank api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-02
- World Bank api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-02
- World Bank indicator NY.GDP.PCAP.CD api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-07-14
- World Bank indicator SH.MED.PHYS.ZS api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-07-14
- World Bank indicator SP.DYN.LE00.IN api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-07-14
- World Bank Open Data api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-07
- World Bank Open Data api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-07
- World Bank SP.POP.TOTL api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-09-05
- World Bank SP.POP.TOTL api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-09-05