"62.3% of Workers Want Minimum Wage of 12,000 Won or More Next Year"

Survey of 1,000 people by Jikjanggapjil119... "72.6% agree to apply to special employment, etc."

Minimum Wage Committee Chairman Kwon Soon-won attending the 2nd plenary meeting (Sejong=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Joo-sung = Kwon Soon-won, Chairman of the Minimum Wage Committee, is attending the 2nd plenary meeting held at the Minimum Wage Committee at the Government Sejong Complex on the 26th. 2026.5.26 utzza@yna.co.kr

A survey by a civic group revealed that six out of ten workers believe the minimum wage for next year should be 2.51 million won per month (12,000 won per hour) or more.

Jikjanggapjil119 released the results of a survey on "statutory minimum wage" conducted from February 2 to 8 on 1,000 workers nationwide aged 19 and older, commissioned to the professional polling agency Global Research, on the 31st.

According to the survey, 62.3% of respondents believed that the appropriate minimum wage for 2027 should be 2.51 million won per month or higher. Among them, 30.3% stated that it should be 2.71 million won per month (13,000 won per hour) or higher.

Jikjanggapjil119 stated, "This indicates that the majority of workers are demanding an increase of at least 16% compared to the current minimum wage (10,320 won)."

Regarding whether the current minimum wage guarantees a "decent life" and future plans, 59.5% answered "no." Opinions were divided on whether the minimum wage adequately reflects the inflation rate and economic growth rate, with 52.3% saying "yes" and 47.7% saying "no."

72.6% of the survey respondents answered that the minimum wage should apply to all workers, including those in special employment, platform workers, and freelancers.

Choi Bo-hwa, a labor attorney at Jikjanggapjil119, said, "Many workers perceive that the minimum wage is not keeping pace with prices and economic levels and is insufficient for a decent life." She added, "The minimum wage should be discussed with a focus on guaranteeing workers' right to survival, mitigating inequality, and strengthening the social safety net." (Yonhap News)