How to Read a Korean Payslip — Every Line Explained in English
A line-by-line English guide to the Korean payslip (geupyeo myeongsereo): base pay, allowances, non-taxable items, the four social insurances, income tax and local income tax.
Korean employers must give you a payslip (급여명세서, geupyeo myeongseseo) every payday, either on paper or by email or app. It is usually only in Korean. This guide translates every common line so you can check that your pay is right.
Top half: what you earn (지급 항목)
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 기본급 | gibongeup | Base salary |
| 식대 | sikdae | Meal allowance (tax-free up to ₩200,000 a month) |
| 차량유지비 | charyang yujibi | Car allowance (tax-free up to ₩200,000 if you use your own car for work) |
| 연장근로수당 | yeonjang geunro sudang | Overtime pay |
| 야간근로수당 | yagan geunro sudang | Night work pay (10 pm–6 am) |
| 휴일근로수당 | hyuil geunro sudang | Holiday work pay |
| 주휴수당 | juhyu sudang | Weekly holiday pay (hourly workers) |
| 상여금 | sangyeogeum | Bonus |
| 연차수당 | yeoncha sudang | Payment for unused annual leave |
| 지급액 계 | jigeupaek gye | Total gross pay |
Bottom half: what is deducted (공제 항목)
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning | 2026 rate (your share) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 국민연금 | gungmin yeongeum | National pension | 4.75% |
| 건강보험 | geongang boheom | Health insurance | 3.595% |
| 장기요양보험 | janggi yoyang boheom | Long-term care insurance | 13.14% of health premium |
| 고용보험 | goyong boheom | Employment insurance | 0.9% |
| 소득세 | sodeukse | Income tax | withholding table or 19% flat |
| 지방소득세 | jibang sodeukse | Local income tax | 10% of income tax |
| 공제액 계 | gongjeaek gye | Total deductions | |
| 실지급액 / 차인지급액 | siljigeubaek | Net pay (take-home) |
How to check your payslip
- Insurance is charged on taxable pay. Take total gross pay, subtract tax-free items such as the meal allowance, then apply the rates above. Small differences of a few hundred won are normal, because insurance is based on the monthly income your employer reported to the insurance agencies, which may lag behind a pay rise.
- National pension has a ceiling. From July 2026 it is charged on at most ₩6,590,000 a month, so the maximum is ₩313,020 or so.
- Income tax depends on your family and choices. The standard amount comes from the official withholding table and depends on how many dependents you registered. Some people choose to have 80% or 120% of the table withheld.
- Missing lines can be normal. If you are not covered by national pension (some nationalities) or employment insurance (many work visas are opt-in), those lines will be zero or missing.
Health insurance year-end adjustment
Every April, the health insurance service recalculates last year's premium based on your actual pay. If you got a raise, an extra amount (건강보험 정산, jeongsan) appears on your April payslip. If your pay fell, you may get money back. This is normal and not a mistake.
Want to check your own numbers? The take-home pay calculator shows every deduction line by line, and the social insurance calculator shows your share and your employer's.
This guide reflects Korean laws and official notices as of 2026-10-08. Rules change, so confirm with the relevant agency before making important decisions.