OFWs in South Korea receive wage hike — DMW

Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in South Korea are set to receive increases in their daily wages after the Korean government approved a pay hike for 2026.

In a statement, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said the mandatory hourly minimum wage was bumped to KRW 10,230 (about P409), up from last year's rate of KRW 10,030 (about P401).

The Migrant Workers Department said this brings the average monthly wage to KRW 2,156,880 (about P86,252) for 209 working hours per month or a standard 40-hour workweek.

The Korean Minimum Wage Commission adopted a consensus resolution for the rate adjustment during its plenary meeting in July 2025. 

With the approval, the new minimum hourly wage rate took effect on January 1.

"The minimum wage applies to all industries, including workers under the Employment Permit System (EPS) from manufacturing and caregiving sectors, in line with the principle of equal treatment," the DMW said in a statement on Friday.

Data from the DMW indicate 25,606 Filipino minimum wage earners under the Employment Permit System setup, who stand to gain from the updated wage rate.

The Korean government reviews minimum wages annually to align the needs of workers with the business sector. Factors such as cost of living, wage levels, labor productivity, income distribution, and industry type are taken into consideration. — VDV, GMA Integrated News