Overview
- Labor and management revised their offers in late-stage talks to 10,820 won and 10,620 won per hour respectively, leaving a 200-won difference as negotiators work to settle the 2027 rate.
- Public interest representatives proposed a bridging range of 10,600 to 10,860 won to guide a compromise or trigger a commission vote if no agreement is reached.
- If the panel does not reach consensus, the nine public-interest, nine labor and nine management members can move the decision to a formal vote under commission rules.
- The current legal hourly minimum wage is 10,320 won, so the latest proposals would raise pay by about 2.9 to 4.8 percent and affect low-wage workers’ take-home pay and employer labor costs.
- The commission must complete its review by mid-July for the labor minister to announce the new rate by Aug. 5, and officials warned talks could extend late into the night if negotiators stay deadlocked.