Korea Unemployment Benefits 2027: ₩68,480 Daily Minimum, 6-Day Payment Reform, Monthly Amount and Eligibility
At a glance
- 2027 daily minimum
- ₩68,480 per day (leaving job in 2027, based on 8 hours per day)
- 2026 daily minimum
- ₩66,048 per day — the minimum wage on the day you quit is the benchmark
- Daily maximum
- Current ₩68,100 → reform plan: 103% of the daily minimum
- Payment method reform plan
- 7 days per week → 6 days per week; total amount and benefit days unchanged
- Monthly amount (reform plan, 2027)
- ₩1.76 million for daily-minimum recipients · ₩1.81 million for daily-maximum recipients
- Receiving period
- 120–270 days (by age and enrollment period)
- Eligibility
- 180 days or more of insured days within the 18 months before quitting
- Premium (reform plan)
- Unemployment-benefit premium rate 1.8% → 2.0%; worker's share 0.9% → 1.0%
For people leaving their job in 2027, the unemployment benefit daily minimum is ₩68,480 per day (based on the 2027 minimum wage). On 1 September 2026 the government deliberated a reform plan to pay unemployment benefits on a 6-day-per-week basis instead of 7 days per week. The total amount and the number of days (120–270 days) stay the same, but the monthly amount drops to ₩1.76 million for daily-minimum recipients, while the receiving period gets longer. The daily maximum will be tied to 103% of the daily minimum, and the unemployment-benefit premium rate rises from 1.8% to 2.0%. The 6-day payment requires an amendment to the law and has not yet taken effect. This article covers the eligibility conditions, benefit days, and calculation method.
Korea unemployment benefits 2027 daily minimum: ₩68,480 per day — up ₩2,432 from 2026
For people leaving their job in 2027, the unemployment benefit daily minimum is ₩68,480 per day. That is ₩2,432 more than the 2026 daily minimum of ₩66,048.
The daily minimum is not a separately set amount; it comes automatically from the minimum wage. The Employment Insurance Act sets the daily minimum at 80% of the amount obtained by multiplying the minimum wage "in effect on the day you leave the job" by your contractual daily working hours before leaving (Articles 45(4) and 46). 80% of ₩85,600 — the 2027 minimum wage of ₩10,700 multiplied by 8 hours — is ₩68,480.
The benchmark is the day you quit. If you quit in December 2026, the 2026 minimum wage applies and the daily minimum is ₩66,048; if you quit on or after 1 January 2027, it is ₩68,480. If you worked 4 hours a day, your contractual daily working hours are 4 hours, so the 2027 daily minimum is ₩34,240 for you.
| Category | Leaving job in 2026 | Leaving job in 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Daily minimum | ₩66,048 | ₩68,480 |
| Daily maximum | ₩68,100 | Reform plan: 103% of the daily minimum (₩70,534.4) |
| Calculation | ₩10,320 × 8 × 80% | ₩10,700 × 8 × 80% |
Korea unemployment benefits 6-day payment reform: monthly amount ₩1.76 million, receiving period gets longer
On 1 September 2026 the government deliberated a reform plan at the Employment Insurance Committee to change how unemployment benefits are paid, from 7 days per week to 6 days per week. Currently 7 days' worth is paid every week, including the paid weekly holiday and unpaid days off when you are not working; going forward, one unpaid day off is removed and only 6 days' worth per week is paid.
The total amount and the number of days stay the same. The Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) stated that "the total payment amount and total benefit days (120–270 days) remain identical to the current system." The money received per month decreases, but in return the same total is paid out over a longer period. Someone receiving 150 days of benefits would receive over 5 months what will now be spread across 5.8 months.
According to MOEL data, reflecting the 2027 minimum wage, the monthly amount is ₩1.76 million for people receiving the daily minimum and ₩1.81 million for those receiving the daily maximum. Compared using 2026 amounts, daily-minimum recipients drop from ₩1.98 million to ₩1.70 million per month, and daily-maximum recipients from ₩2.04 million to ₩1.75 million.
The reason the government gave is the inversion where someone earning the minimum wage earns more on unemployment benefits than while working. MOEL explains that a worker at the minimum-wage level receives ₩1.93 million per month after tax while working, but ₩1.98 million per month on unemployment benefits.
| Recipient | Current (2026 amounts) | Reform plan (2026 amounts) | Reform plan (reflecting 2027 minimum wage) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily-minimum recipient | ₩1.98 million | ₩1.70 million | ₩1.76 million |
| Daily-maximum recipient | ₩2.04 million | ₩1.75 million | ₩1.81 million |
| Receiving period (150 days) | 5 months | 5.8 months | 5.8 months |
Korea unemployment benefits daily maximum: changed to 103% of the daily minimum
The current unemployment benefit daily maximum is ₩68,100 per day. This is the amount that results from recognizing the base daily wage only up to ₩113,500 and paying 60% of it (Article 68(1) of the Enforcement Decree of the Employment Insurance Act).
The problem is that every time the minimum wage rises, the daily minimum catches up with the daily maximum. The 2027 daily minimum of ₩68,480 is higher than the current daily maximum of ₩68,100. So the government put forward a reform plan that ties the daily maximum to 103% of the daily minimum rather than fixing it as a set amount. The 103% is a ratio reflecting the 3.1% gap between the 2026 daily maximum and daily minimum.
Under this method, the 2027 daily maximum becomes ₩70,534.4, which is 103% of ₩68,480. The method for setting the daily maximum is a matter that changes only when the Enforcement Decree is amended.
Korea unemployment benefits calculation: 60% of average wage; below ₩3,424,000 a month means the daily minimum
The total unemployment benefit is the daily benefit amount multiplied by the number of receiving days (benefit days). The daily benefit amount is 60% of the average wage before leaving the job (Articles 45 and 46 of the Employment Insurance Act).
However, if the value calculated at 60% is less than the daily minimum, the daily minimum is paid. Dividing the 2027 daily minimum of ₩68,480 by 60% gives an average wage of ₩114,133 per day, or ₩3,424,000 per month on a 30-day basis. This means everyone whose average wage before leaving is lower than this receives the daily minimum. Conversely, if the value calculated at 60% exceeds the daily maximum, only up to the daily maximum is paid.
In practice, most people receive the daily minimum. In MOEL data, of the 1.72 million unemployment benefit recipients in 2025, 63.4% received the daily minimum and 32.2% the daily maximum, while 4.4% received exactly 60% of their average wage.
Korea unemployment benefits eligibility and benefit days: 180 days within 18 months, from 120 to 270 days
To receive unemployment benefits (job-seeking benefit), you must have 180 days or more in total of employment-insurance-covered days on which you were enrolled in employment insurance and received wages during the 18 months before leaving your job. Your reason for leaving the job must also not fall under the grounds for disqualification in Article 58 of the Employment Insurance Act (Article 40(1)).
The number of days you receive is set by your age on the day you leave the job and your employment insurance enrollment period: at shortest 120 days, at longest 270 days. These days must all be used within 12 months from the day after you leave the job (Article 48(1)). The 6-day payment reform plan does not change these day counts.
| Employment insurance enrollment period | Under 50 | 50 or older and disabled |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 120 days | 120 days |
| 1 year or more but less than 3 years | 150 days | 180 days |
| 3 years or more but less than 5 years | 180 days | 210 days |
| 5 years or more but less than 10 years | 210 days | 240 days |
| 10 years or more | 240 days | 270 days |
2027 employment insurance rate increase: a monthly wage of ₩3 million means ₩3,000 more per month
The reform plan also includes a premium increase. The unemployment-benefit premium rate rises from 1.8% in 2026 to 2.0% in 2027, with the worker and the employer each paying an additional 0.1 percentage points. The worker's share goes from 0.9% to 1.0% of the monthly wage. On a monthly wage of ₩3 million, the unemployment-benefit premium increases by ₩3,000, from ₩27,000 to ₩30,000.
The eligibility scope for the early re-employment allowance also narrows. The early re-employment allowance is a system that pays half of the remaining unemployment benefits if you find a new job within one half of your remaining benefit days and stay employed for 12 months or more. Currently only people who take a job paying ₩5.74 million or more per month are excluded; the reform plan lowers this threshold to ₩3 million or more per month.
Both are matters changed by amending subordinate regulations (enforcement decrees). Separately from this, government data states that from 2027 the basis for calculating unemployment benefits changes from the average wage over the 3 months before quitting to the average monthly wages over 1 year. The legal basis for this change was established through the March 2026 amendment to the Employment Insurance Act.
Unemployment benefits for foreign workers in Korea: E-9 must apply separately to receive them
Foreign workers on an E-9 visa are enrolled in employment insurance automatically, but unemployment benefits do not apply automatically. The Ministry of Government Legislation explains that for E-9 workers, unemployment benefits and parental leave and prenatal/postnatal leave benefits apply only when applied for separately.
So if you are an E-9 worker, you must first check whether you have applied for unemployment benefits separately. How foreign workers enroll in Korea's 4 major social insurances is covered separately in the article on Korea's 4 major social insurances.
Korea unemployment benefits 2027 reform timing: before the law is amended (as of 11 September 2026)
The reform plan went through Employment Insurance Committee deliberation, but not everything is finalized yet. MOEL distinguished between what requires amending the law and what can be done by amending subordinate regulations (enforcement decrees).
What requires a legislative amendment is the payment method switching from 7 days to 6 days per week. It must pass the National Assembly. What is changed through subordinate regulations is the premium rate increase (1.8%→2.0%), the method of tying the daily maximum to 103% of the daily minimum, and the early re-employment allowance exclusion threshold (₩5.74 million→₩3 million per month). The government stated it "aims to amend the law and subordinate regulations within the year."
By contrast, the 2027 daily minimum of ₩68,480 is an amount set by the current law's formula and the 2027 minimum wage, regardless of the reform plan. If the law changes, this article's monthly amounts and effective dates will be updated.
FAQ
How much is the 2027 unemployment benefit daily minimum?
If you quit on or after 1 January 2027, it is ₩68,480 per day. That is 80% of the 2027 minimum wage of ₩10,700 multiplied by 8 hours. If you quit in 2026, the daily minimum is ₩66,048. Someone who worked 4 hours a day gets ₩34,240.
If unemployment benefits switch to 6-day payment, do I receive less?
The money received per month decreases, but the total amount and the number of days are the same. According to MOEL data, reflecting the 2027 minimum wage, the monthly amount is ₩1.76 million for daily-minimum recipients and ₩1.81 million for daily-maximum recipients. Someone receiving 150 days of benefits receives the amount previously paid over 5 months spread across 5.8 months.
When does the 6-day payment of unemployment benefits start?
Because it requires amending the law, it takes effect only after passing the National Assembly. As of 11 September 2026 the law has not yet changed, and the government stated it aims to amend it within the year. The effective date is set when the law is amended.
How many months can I receive unemployment benefits?
From 120 to 270 days depending on your age on the day you quit and your employment insurance enrollment period. If you are under 50: 120 days with an enrollment period of less than 1 year, 150 days for 1 year or more but less than 3 years, 180 days for 3 years or more but less than 5 years, 210 days for 5 years or more but less than 10 years, and 240 days for 10 years or more. People 50 or older and disabled people get 30 more days from an enrollment period of 1 year or more.
How long do I have to have worked to receive unemployment benefits?
You must have 180 days or more in total of days on which you were enrolled in employment insurance and received wages during the 18 months before quitting. Your reason for leaving the job must also not fall under the Employment Insurance Act's grounds for disqualification.
Can foreign workers also receive unemployment benefits?
E-9 workers are enrolled in employment insurance automatically, but the Ministry of Government Legislation explains that unemployment benefits apply only when applied for separately.