Ministry of Employment and Labor Requests Review of Next Year's Minimum Wage... Park Guicheon Appointed as New Public Interest Member

Chairperson Position Vacant, To Be Elected at Future Meeting

The official procedure for determining the minimum wage for next year began on March 31, 2026.

According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, Minister Kim Younghoon requested the Minimum Wage Commission to review the minimum wage for the following year on this day. The commission plans to confirm the schedule for the first plenary session after consultations among representatives of workers, employers, and public interest members.

The current Minimum Wage Act stipulates that the Minister of Employment and Labor must request a review by March 31 each year, and the commission must complete its deliberations within 90 days of the request. Consequently, the minimum wage for the following year is typically decided around July.

Kim Dongmyung, Chairman of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions, and Yang Kyungsu, Chairman of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, along with union members from the two major labor unions, held a "National Assembly Proclamation Press Conference on the Minimum Wage Discrimination Prohibition Act" on the steps in front of the National Assembly main building on the 3rd. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

There have also been some changes in the composition of the commission. Park Guicheon, a professor at Ewha Womans University, was newly appointed as a public interest member to replace former chairman Lee Injae and will serve until May 2027. The chairperson will be elected again at a future meeting.

Both labor and management have replaced some of their representatives. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions replaced Jeon Jihyun, head of the National Care Service Workers' Union, with Park Junghoon, vice chairman of the Korean Public Service and Transport Workers' Union.

The Korea Federation of SMEs appointed Yang Okseok, the current head of the Human Resources Policy Division, to replace former head Lee Myungro. The Federation of Korean Trade Unions is also reportedly considering replacing Jeong Munju, head of its Central Research Institute, with Yoo Jeongyeop, head of Policy Division 1.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.