14 hours a week versus 15 — one hour changed the monthly pay by ₩175,440
At 15 hours a week or more, a paid weekly rest day applies and the worker is paid for a day not worked; at 14 hours there is no such entitlement and only hours worked are paid. At ₩10,320 an hour, 14 hours a week is 61 hours a month and ₩629,520; 15 hours a week adds 3 rest-day hours for 78 hours and ₩804,960. One hour makes a ₩175,440 monthly difference.
Conditions used in the video
- Hourly wage
- ₩10,320 (2026 minimum wage)
- Rest-day pay requires
- 15 or more contractual hours a week · full attendance
- Rest-day hours
- hours worked ÷ 5 · maximum 8
- Monthly conversion
- weekly × 4.345
- Comparison
- 14 hours vs 15 hours a week
- Basis
- Labor Standards Act Article 55 · Article 18(3)
Results
- 14 hours a week
- 61 hours a month · ₩629,520 (no rest-day pay)
- 15 hours a week
- 3 rest-day hours · 78 hours a month · ₩804,960
- Difference
- ₩175,440
- Effective hourly rate at 15 hours
- ₩12,384
- Rest-day cap
- 8 hours (at 40 hours a week or more)
- 15 hours or more with no rest-day pay
- unpaid wages
At a glance
One hour's difference brings 3 rest-day hours and a ₩175,440 gap.
- 14 hours a week (61 hours)₩629,520
- 15 hours + rest day (78 hours)₩804,960
Why it works this way
Take a part-timer on 14 hours a week and another on 15. One hour apart, yet ₩175,440 apart in monthly pay. The reason is the paid weekly rest day.
Labor Standards Act Article 55(1) · Article 18(3).
- 14 hours a weekno rest-day entitlement · hours worked only
- 15 hours a weekpaid for a day not worked → 3 rest-day hours
- Rest-day hourshours worked ÷ 5 · maximum 8
At ₩10,320 an hour, 14 hours a week is 61 hours a month, ₩629,520, with no rest-day pay. At 15 hours a week, 3 rest-day hours are added for 78 hours a month, ₩804,960, an effective hourly rate of ₩12,384.
Engine minimum-wage figures · 4.345 weeks a month.
- 14 hours61 hours × ₩10,320 = ₩629,520
- 15 hours + 3 rest-day hours78 hours × ₩10,320 = ₩804,960
- Difference₩175,440 · effective rate ₩12,384
Fifteen hours or more with no rest-day pay is unpaid wages.
The legal basis
Drawn from government announcements and the statutes themselves as primary sources, covering only the relevant part.
Labor Standards Act Article 55(1) (Holidays)
In force Current (checked 2026-09-05)
An employer shall guarantee workers at least one paid holiday a week on average.
What this means
Pay attaches to a day not worked. This is the root of rest-day pay.
Labor Standards Act Article 18(3) (Part-time workers)
In force Current (checked 2026-09-05)
Article 55 (holidays) and Article 60 (annual leave) do not apply to workers whose contractual hours average fewer than 15 a week over four weeks.
What this means
Fifteen hours is the threshold. Fourteen hours pays only hours worked; from fifteen, the rest day attaches.
Run it on your own numbers
The calculator opens with these conditions already filled in. Change the figures and your own case comes straight out.
Open the Minimum Wage & Weekly Holiday Pay
Frequently asked
How are rest-day hours calculated?
Weekly contractual hours divided by five. At 15 hours a week that is 3 hours; at 40 hours or more the maximum is 8.
What if I miss a day that week?
Rest-day pay requires full attendance that week. A week with an absence carries no rest-day pay.
What if the employer cuts hours to stay under 15?
Fewer than 15 contractual hours a week means no legal rest-day entitlement. It is judged on a four-week average, so check the hours in the employment contract.
Where do I report unpaid rest-day pay?
Fifteen hours or more with no rest-day pay is unpaid wages, and you can file a complaint with the regional labor office.
Results are estimates based on the inputs and on the rules as at the stated date. They may differ from a lender's actual assessment, and the rules change often. Take professional advice before any decision that matters.