OVERSEAS Filipino workers (OFWs) in South Korea will get a wage increase this year, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) announced Friday.
The Migrant Workers Office in South Korea reported the mandatory hourly minimum wage is now set at 10,230 Korean won ($7.40), an increase from last year’s 10,030 won.
For OFWs, this translates to an average monthly wage of 2,156,880 won, or approximately P87,395, based on a standard 40-hour workweek consisting of 209 hours per month.
The adjusted rate applies to all industries, including the manufacturing and caregiving sectors under the Employment Permit System (EPS). In a statement, the DMW noted the adjustment aligns with the "principle of equal treatment." "The new minimum hourly wage rate took effect Jan. 1, 2026, following the consensus resolution adopted by the Korean Minimum Wage Commission during its 12th plenary meeting held in July 2025 at the Sejong Government Complex," the DMW said.
Agency data shows 25,606 EPS workers in South Korea are currently minimum wage earners and will benefit from the adjustment.
