Discussions on Minimum Wage for 2025 to Begin Tuesday

Discussions on the minimum wage for next year will begin in earnest on Tuesday. 

The Minimum Wage Commission, a tripartite commission representing businesses, labor and the general public, will convene its first plenary session on Tuesday morning at the government complex in Sejong to discuss next year’s rate.

The 27-member commission, composed of nine representatives each from the three sectors, plans to elect its chief who will lead future discussions. 

The legal deadline for the minimum wage decision is June 27, but the commission is likely to miss the deadline as the addition of new commission members has affected the schedule. The panel also missed the deadline last year, setting the minimum wage on July 19.

Last year, the minimum wage for 2024 was set at nine-thousand-860 won per hour, up two-point-five percent from the previous year, the second lowest hike. 

Attention is focused on whether the minimum wage will surpass ten-thousand won per hour and whether it will differ according to industry.