Money & Work
Take-home pay, taxes, pension refunds, health insurance, severance and work visas — the numbers behind working in Korea as a foreigner.
Latest guides
Money · 12 min readKorean Health Insurance for Foreigners 2026NHIS for foreigners in 2026: employees pay 3.595% + care; others join after 6 months at ₩158,630/month; D-2/D-4 students pay ₩79,320. Estimators, arrears.
Korea Digital Nomad Visa (F-1-D) 2026Korea's workation visa is permanent since June 30, 2026. Income needed: ₩52.4M–104.8M a year by age and region (Seoul area vs outside). Checker, documents. · 5 min read
E-7 Visa Korea 2026Korea's E-7 work visa in 2026: salary floors by subcategory (₩31.12M / ₩25.89M / ₩26M), degree rules, the 20% employer ratio, E-7-4 points. Threshold checker. · 5 min read
E-9 (EPS) Workers in Korea 2026What an E-9 worker takes home in 2026: ₩10,320 minimum wage, overtime, legal housing deductions, insurance, tax — plus departure insurance and pension refund. · 6 min read
Korea's 19% Flat Tax for Foreign WorkersForeigners in Korea can elect a 19% flat income tax (20.9% with local) instead of 6–45%. It only wins above ≈₩160M. Break-even calculator, 21% proposal. · 5 min read
Korean Salary ExplainedKorean payslip deductions in 2026: pension 4.75%, health 3.595%, employment 0.9%, income tax (progressive or the foreigner 19% flat rate). Net-pay calculator. · 5 min read
Leaving Korea: The Money Checklist (2026)Your last month in Korea, in order: pension refund, severance, mid-year tax settlement, IRP withdrawal, NHIS closure, sending money home, deposit, ARC return. · 6 min read
Korea Minimum Wage 2026 for Foreign WorkersKorea's 2026 minimum wage: ₩10,320/hour = ₩2,156,880/month with weekly holiday pay (₩10,700 in 2027). Overtime 1.5×, probation 90%, E-9 housing caps. · 5 min read
National Pension Refund for Foreigners Leaving Korea (2026)Korea refunds National Pension (yours + employer's, 9.5% in 2026) to 24 agreement countries, 26 reciprocity countries and E-8/E-9/H-2 visas. Checker inside. · 7 min read
Severance Pay in Korea for Foreign Workers (2026)Every employee in Korea with 1+ year at 15+ hours a week gets severance: 30 days' average wage per year, paid within 14 days. Calculator incl. retirement tax. · 7 min read
Teaching English in Korea 2026E-2 teacher pay in 2026: EPIK ₩2.2–2.8M + housing, hagwons ₩2.3–2.5M, plus severance, flights and (some nationalities) a pension refund. Contract calculator. · 6 min read
Unemployment Benefits in Korea for Foreigners (2026)F-2/F-5/F-6 holders are insured automatically; E-7 and other E-visas only if enrolled; E-9/H-2 only with the unemployment option. 2026 benefit calculator. · 6 min read
Year-End Tax Settlement (연말정산) for Foreigners in KoreaHow Korea's Jan–Feb year-end tax settlement works for foreign employees: Hometax, the credits you can claim (rent, cards, pension savings) and refund timing. · 5 min read