South Korea's Wage Earners Fall for the First Time in 6 Years as High Pay Grows

For the first time on record, more than half of South Korea's wage earners make at least 3 million won a month in the first half of the year. But the total number of wage earners fell for the first time in six years, and the share of very low earners edged up as well.

The data come from the first-half 2026 regional employment survey released by Statistics Korea's successor agency, the National Data Office, which tracks jobs by industry and occupation.

A Wider Pay Gap

Among all wage earners, 51.9 percent earned a monthly average of 3 million won or more. By bracket, 22.8 percent earned between 3 million and 4 million won, 11.5 percent earned between 4 million and 5 million won, and 17.6 percent earned 5 million won or more. That top group rose 1.2 percentage points from a year earlier, the highest first-half figure since the statistic began in 2013.

At the other end, the share of workers earning under 1 million won a month rose from 9.6 percent to 9.8 percent, meaning roughly one in ten wage earners falls below that line. The report points to stagnant income at the bottom, including among part-time workers, while the top climbs, widening the gap between income groups.

Overall employment shrank, too. In April, South Korea had 22.373 million wage earners, down 43,000 from the same month last year. It is the first year-on-year decline in the first-half wage earner count since 2020, when the COVID-19 shock hit the labor market.

Why It Matters

Rising average pay can mask a labor market that is shrinking and splitting apart. A growing high-wage group alongside more low earners and fewer jobs suggests the gains are not being shared evenly.

Read the original article in Korean: K trendy NEWS