Do foreigners pay the same income tax as Koreans in 2026?

Yes, the same progressive rates from 6% to 45% apply. Foreign workers may instead elect a flat 19% rate (plus 1.9% local tax) under Article 18-2 of the Income Tax Act, but with no deductions at all. On a single-dependent basis the crossover sits at roughly 160 million KRW of annual salary.

Can I get my Korean pension contributions back when I leave?

It depends on your nationality. Citizens of countries with a social security agreement or reciprocity with Korea can claim a lump-sum refund of their own contributions plus interest. The employer half stays in the fund.

How much is health insurance in Korea for a foreign employee?

The 2026 rate is 7.19% of your monthly salary, split evenly with your employer, so your share is 3.595%. Long-term care insurance adds 13.14% of your health insurance share. On a 3 million KRW salary that is about 122,000 KRW a month.

What is the minimum wage in Korea in 2026?

10,320 KRW per hour, which works out to 2,156,880 KRW a month on the standard 209-hour basis. It rises to 10,700 KRW on 1 January 2027. It applies equally to foreign and Korean workers.

🔍

Living in Korea

Guides for Foreigners

Visas, taxes, housing, healthcare and daily life — written for people actually living here.

Written for people who already live here

Most English-language information about Korea is aimed at tourists. These guides are not. They assume you have an address, a contract, a payslip and a set of deadlines, and they try to answer the questions that come up in that situation: how much of your salary disappears before it reaches you, whether you can get your pension back, what a jeonse deposit really commits you to, and which piece of paperwork has to happen first.

Every figure is checked against the source that sets it — the National Tax Service, the National Pension Service, the National Health Insurance Service, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and the Minimum Wage Commission. When a rate changes, the guide and the matching calculator are updated together so they never disagree with each other.

🛬 Arriving and settling in

The paperwork that has a deadline attached. Get these wrong and everything else stalls.

First 90 Days in KoreaA week-by-week checklist: ARC, bank account, phone, health insurance, and the order to do them in.Getting Your ARCAlien Registration Card: documents, the HiKorea booking system, fees, and what happens if you miss the 90-day deadline.Korea Visa Types for WorkersE-7, E-9, D-8, F-2, F-5 and more: who qualifies, how long each lasts, and how to change status.Opening a Bank AccountWhich banks are foreigner-friendly, the documents you need, and the transfer limits that catch people out.Getting a PhoneCarriers versus MVNOs, prepaid options before you have an ARC, and typical monthly costs.

💰 Money, tax and pension

Where foreigners most often overpay — or leave money behind when they go home.

Korea Income Tax GuideProgressive rates versus the 19% flat tax for foreigners, and where the break-even actually sits.Understanding Your PayslipEvery line on a Korean payslip explained, with the 2026 rates so you can check the arithmetic yourself.Year-End Tax Settlement연말정산 explained: what you can deduct, what documents to gather, and the January-February timeline.National Pension for ForeignersContribution rates, the income cap, social security treaties, and how the lump-sum refund works.Pension Refund by NationalityThe full country list: who can claim the lump sum, who cannot, and why your visa can override your passport.Leaving Korea ChecklistThe 90-day timeline: notice periods, the deposit mistake that costs the most, and what order to cancel things in.Tax Refund When Leaving KoreaWhat you can claim on your way out, in what order, and the deadlines that make claims fail.Severance Pay (퇴직금)One year of service makes it mandatory. How it is calculated and how it is taxed.Freelancer Tax Guide3.3% withholding, May filing, and why the foreigner flat tax usually does not apply to freelance income.Sending Money HomeBanks versus fintech services: fees, exchange-rate spreads, annual limits and the paperwork.

🏠 Housing and healthcare

The two areas where a misunderstanding costs the most money.

Jeonse, Wolse and Everything BetweenHow Korean deposits work, why jeonse exists, and how to protect a deposit worth years of savings.Renting an ApartmentFinding listings, agent fees, contract clauses to read twice, and move-in registration.Korean Health Insurance (NHI)Mandatory enrolment, what it costs on your salary, and what it actually covers.Using the Healthcare SystemClinics versus hospitals, when to go where, English-speaking options, and typical out-of-pocket costs.Cost of Living in KoreaRealistic monthly budgets for Seoul and other cities, broken down by category.

🚇 Daily life

The things nobody tells you until you have already done them the hard way.

Subway, Bus, KTX and TaxiT-money, transfer discounts, intercity trains, and the apps that actually work in English.Getting a Driver’s LicenseConverting a foreign license, which countries have agreements, and the tests you cannot skip.Korean Delivery AppsBaemin, Coupang Eats and Yogiyo: signing up without a Korean ID, and minimum order rules.Shopping in KoreaOnline marketplaces, overseas shipping, tax-free shopping and returns.Korean Food GuideOrdering without Korean, typical prices, dishes worth seeking out, and allergy vocabulary.Learning KoreanFree government programs, apps that are worth the time, and a realistic study plan.The Korean Age SystemWhy there were three ages, what the 2023 law changed, and where counting age still applies.Nightlife and 노래방How Korean bars, clubs and karaoke rooms work, including the etiquette and the bill.Dating in KoreaApps people actually use, dating norms, and anniversaries counted in days.Foreign Worker RightsMinimum wage, working hours, overtime pay, and what to do about unpaid wages.

Where to start

Just arrived? Read First 90 Days in Korea first. The ARC has a 90-day deadline and almost everything else — bank account, phone contract, health insurance — depends on having it.
Starting a job? Understanding Your Payslip explains every deduction, and the tax guide covers the flat-tax election you have to make each year.
Looking for a place to live? Jeonse, Wolse and Everything Between is the one to read before you hand over a deposit.
Leaving Korea? Tax Refund When Leaving and the pension guide together cover most of what you can reclaim.

There are also free calculators for most of these topics — salary, pension refund, health insurance, rent, cost of living and more. You can find them on the English calculators page.

A note on accuracy

These guides describe the rules as they generally apply, but immigration, tax and labour matters turn on individual circumstances — your visa type, your nationality, the wording of your contract, and how long you have been in Korea. Nothing here is legal, tax or immigration advice.

For decisions that matter, confirm with the relevant office: Immigration (☎ 1345, multilingual), the National Tax Service (☎ 126), the Ministry of Employment and Labor (☎ 1350), or the National Pension Service (☎ 1355). If you find something out of date or wrong, please let us know — corrections are made and dated.

✓Updated for 2026Last reviewed October 6, 2026See what changed

Written and reviewed by Taeyang Kim · Rates and thresholds are taken directly from the official notices of Korea's National Tax Service, National Pension Service, National Health Insurance Service, Ministry of Employment and Labor, and Minimum Wage Commission. Results are non-binding estimates for reference only and may differ from the actual amount depending on your circumstances. Found a mistake? Tell us through Contact.