Busan Sets 2025 Living Wage at 11,917 Won, Up 5% from Previous Year

Currently the Highest Increase Rate Among All Metropolitan Cities and Provinces, Monthly 2,490,653 Won
Applicable to About 3,100 Workers in City, Public Institutions, and Private Consignment Offices

On the 23rd, Busan City finalized the 2025 living wage at 11,917 won per hour after deliberation by the City Living Wage Committee.

On the 23rd, the city held the Living Wage Committee meeting and comprehensively reviewed various factors, including the 2023 consumer price inflation rate, living wage increase rates in major metropolitan cities such as Seoul and Incheon, and the actual household expenditure levels of workers, before making the final decision on next year’s living wage.

The hourly wage is 11,917 won, and the monthly wage is 2,490,653 won.

This amount represents a 5% increase compared to the previous year and, as of September 24, is the highest increase rate among the 17 metropolitan governments nationwide.

As of September, nine local governments, including Seoul, Gyeonggi, Gwangju, and Chungnam, have set their living wages among the 17 metropolitan cities and provinces nationwide. While their increase rates range from 1% to 3% compared to the previous year, Busan decided on a 5% increase, achieving the highest rate so far.

The city believes that the improvement of the Living Wage Committee’s review process this year and Mayor Park’s strong commitment to gathering on-site workers’ opinions have contributed to the 5% increase for next year’s living wage.

Unlike last year, the city held a preliminary meeting of Living Wage Committee members on September 12 before the official committee meeting, allowing members to coordinate their opinions and engage in in-depth discussions on the wage proposal, thereby improving the review process.

Additionally, at 11 a.m. on the 19th, Mayor Park held a meeting with representatives of the Busan Metro Operation Service Union, a subsidiary of Busan Transportation Corporation that applies the living wage, to listen to the difficult economic conditions of workers and practical issues related to the living wage, demonstrating a strong commitment to gathering on-site feedback.

The 2025 living wage will be applied starting January 1 next year, and the city plans to announce the decided amount on its official website in September.

The 2025 living wage will apply to a total of 3,107 people, including city and public institution employees and workers performing outsourced tasks. The additional budget required is expected to be about 5.47 billion won, an increase of approximately 2 billion won compared to the previous year.

Mayor Park Hyungjun stated, “The living wage for next year was determined after intense consideration and discussion, taking into account both appropriate living wage standards to ensure a decent life for workers and the difficulties in workers’ household finances. Our city will continue to make greater efforts to improve the quality of life for workers.”

Busan City Hall.

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