Leave policy in South Korea

Foreign employers follow the Labor Standards Act (LSA) to frame their leave policy in South Korea. It prescribes 15 to 25 days of paid annual leave based on seniority, 12 days of paid public holidays, and 90 days of paid maternity leave. 

In this article, we discuss statutory leaves in South Korea in detail, along with the holiday calendar. Additionally, we will explore how you can use an Employer of Record (EOR) to manage onboarding, payroll, and time-off in accordance with the leave policy while staying compliant with the Labor Standards Act.

Vacation & annual leave in South Korea

Employees who work at least 80% of the total working days in a year are entitled to 15 days of paid annual leave.

If an employee has worked for more than 3 years, their leave increases over time. They get 1 extra day of leave for every 2 additional years of service.

These extra days are added to the initial 15 days. However, the total annual leave cannot exceed 25 days.

Public holidays in South Korea

South Korean labor law recognizes 12 public holidays in South Korea. The government may announce extra public holidays when needed.

The list of public holidays in South Korea:

• New Year’s Day
• Seollal (3 days)
• March 1st Movement Day
• Children’s Day
• Buddha’s Birthday
• Memorial Day
• Liberation Day
• National Foundation Day
• Chuseok (3 days)
• Hangeul Day
• Christmas Day 

Sick leave in South Korea

There are no statutory sick leaves that employees are entitled to in South Korea. 

The leave laws in South Korea allow paid sick leave for work-related injuries only. However, you can extend sick leave in South Korea for non-work-related illness from their annual leave balance. 

Many employers offer a discretionary sick leave benefit to stay competitive, though it is not legally required.

Further, you are required to cover up to 60% of the employee’s average regular salary for up to three months during the sick leave period. 

The Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance (Sanjaeboheom) scheme takes over for longer-term cases, covering medical costs, rehabilitation, and wage replacement. 

Maternity leave in South Korea

You must offer up to 90 days of maternity leave in South Korea to eligible female employees. For multiple births or complicated pregnancies, the leave increases to 120 days. At least 45 of these days must be taken before and after childbirth. 

Paternity leave in South Korea

You can grant ten days of paid leave to fathers following the birth of a child. Moreover, paternity leave in South Korea is funded by the employer and the government in part. 

While you fund five days at regular pay, the government covers the remaining five days through the Employment Insurance system. Moreover, the leave must be used within 90 days of the child’s birth and can be taken all at once or in two separate blocks. 

Other types of leave in South Korea

You must accommodate the following additional leave entitlements in South Korea:

Childcare leave

Either parent can request up to one year of childcare leave to care for a child under the age of eight. The leave may be taken full-time or split into part-time arrangements, and the request must be submitted at least 30 days in advance. 

Menstrual leave

Female employees are entitled to one day of menstrual leave per month. You must grant it on request and without any medical documentation.

Family-care leave

Employees caring for a sick, injured, or elderly family member (including parents, grandparents, spouse, children, grandchildren, or a spouse’s parent) can take up to 90 days of unpaid leave per year. The leave may be used in blocks of at least 30 days at a time.

Fertility treatment leave

Employees undergoing fertility treatment are entitled to three days of paid time off in South Korea. You are obliged to pay only for the first day, and the remaining two are optional. 

Explore Payoneer Workforce Management in South Korea

Managing leave policy in South Korea is work in itself. For instance, annual leave scales with tenure. Holiday dates shift when they overlap with weekends. Childcare leave routes through Employment Insurance, and maternity leave has its own funding split. Each one needs to be calculated correctly every pay cycle, and every rule change tracked.

That’s where Payoneer Workforce Management can offer expertise and support. 

We act as the Employer of Record (EOR) in South Korea, managing locally compliant contracts, statutory leave calculations, payroll, and tax filings. The platform also offers Agent of Record (AOR) and contractor management services for companies engaging independent workers, with compliance support to reduce misclassification risk.

Before hiring, our employee cost calculator can help estimate total employment costs, including statutory benefits. 

For companies building teams across the region, our Thailand leave policy guide is also a useful companion resource.

Book a demo today.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)