How to Read a Korean Payslip

how to read a Korean payslip: To learn how to read a Korean payslip, identify the pay period first, then trace gross-pay items and calculation units, deductions and the final net amount in that order.

how to read a Korean payslip: This episode explains the fields and Korean questions needed to read the statement. Episode 17 handles a payday or bank-deposit mismatch; Episode 18 checks overtime, night and holiday hours in detail.

how to read a Korean payslip: What you will finish

You will identify the pay date and period, basic and gross pay, wage system, hours and days, premium-pay lines, allowances, deductions, net pay and the stored calculation record.

Preview the official blank form, download the official PDF, then open its source

Use MOEL’s live blank wage-statement builder as the preview. Download the separate five-page official PDF that explains the program and the legal delivery duty, then retain its MOEL source page.

1. Official blank wage-statement preview
   • Open the official blank wage-statement builder
2. Official original PDF download

   MOEL official wage-statement program guide and press release PDF · 5 pages · 427,538 bytes

3. Official source page

   MOEL official source page for the guide

Verified on 25 August 2026: the live MOEL form and source page were reachable. The official PDF was 5 pages, 427,538 bytes and matched its PDF signature and recorded SHA-256. BSKorean links directly and does not mirror it.

Eight sections of a Korean payslip

1. 1. Receive the statement and identify its period
2. 2. Check basic pay and total gross pay
3. 3. Check hours, hourly rate and workdays
4. 4. Find overtime, night and holiday premiums
5. 5. Identify meal, bonus and other allowances
6. 6. Read tax and social-insurance deductions
7. 7. Reconcile total deductions and net pay
8. 8. Save the calculation and know where to ask

24 Korean questions for reading a payslip

Use the learner-friendly pronunciation first and RR only as a reference. Confirm difficult sounds with Korean audio or a speaker.

1. Receive the statement and identify its period

The employer must provide a wage statement when wages are paid. Confirm the worker identity, pay date and pay period without exposing the document publicly.

#	Korean	How to say it	Natural meaning
1	임금명세서를 받을 수 있나요?	eem-geum-myuhng-seh-suh-reul bah-deul soo een-nah-yoh? RR: Imgeummyeongseseoreul badeul su innayo?	May I receive my wage statement?
2	지급일이 언제예요?	jee-geu-bee-ree uhn-jeh-yeh-yoh? RR: Jigeubiri eonjeyeyo?	When is the pay date?
3	이 명세서는 어느 달 급여예요?	ee myuhng-seh-suh-neun uh-neu dahl geu-byuh-yeh-yoh? RR: I myeongseseoneun eoneu dal geubyeoyeyo?	Which month’s pay is this statement for?

2. Check basic pay and total gross pay

Basic pay is one component; total gross pay is the sum of all payment items before deductions. Confirm whether the contract is monthly, daily or hourly.

#	Korean	How to say it	Natural meaning
4	기본급이 얼마예요?	gee-bohn-geu-bee uhl-mah-yeh-yoh? RR: Gibongeubi eolmayeyo?	How much is the basic pay?
5	지급액 계가 맞나요?	jee-geu-behk gyeh-gah mahn-nah-yoh? RR: Jigeubaek gyega mannayo?	Is the total gross pay correct?
6	월급제인가요, 시급제인가요?	wuhl-geup-jjeh-een-gah-yoh, see-geup-jjeh-een-gah-yoh? RR: Wolgeupjjeingayo, sigeupjjeingayo?	Is this monthly pay or hourly pay?

3. Check hours, hourly rate and workdays

Hours, hourly rate and workdays are calculation inputs. Compare them with your own attendance record, but leave a dispute about a different result for Episode 17.

#	Korean	How to say it	Natural meaning
7	근로시간은 몇 시간으로 계산했어요?	geun-roh-see-gah-neun myuht see-gah-neu-roh gyeh-sahn-heh-ssuh-yoh? RR: Geunrosiganeun myeot siganeuro gyesanhaesseoyo?	How many work hours were used in the calculation?
8	시급은 얼마로 계산했어요?	see-geu-beun uhl-mah-roh gyeh-sahn-heh-ssuh-yoh? RR: Sigeubeun eolmaro gyesanhaesseoyo?	What hourly rate was used?
9	근로일수는 며칠이에요?	geun-roh-eel-soo-neun myuh-chee-ree-eh-yoh? RR: Geunroilsuneun myeochirieyo?	How many workdays are listed?

4. Find overtime, night and holiday premiums

Locate each premium line and its calculation. MOEL’s form explains that variable premiums should show actual hours, ordinary hourly wage and the applicable rate.

#	Korean	How to say it	Natural meaning
10	연장근로수당이 어디에 있어요?	yuhn-jahng-geun-roh-soo-dahng-ee uh-dee-eh ee-ssuh-yoh? RR: Yeonjanggeunrosudangi eodie isseoyo?	Where is the overtime premium?
11	야간근로수당은 어떻게 계산했어요?	yah-gahn-geun-roh-soo-dahng-eun uh-ttuh-keh gyeh-sahn-heh-ssuh-yoh? RR: Yagangeunrosudangeun eotteoke gyesanhaesseoyo?	How was the night-work premium calculated?
12	휴일근로수당의 시간 수를 알려 주세요.	hyoo-eel-geun-roh-soo-dahng-ui see-gahn soo-reul ahl-ryuh joo-seh-yoh. RR: Hyuilgeunrosudangui sigan sureul alryeo juseyo.	Please tell me the hours used for holiday-work premium.

5. Identify meal, bonus and other allowances

Fixed and variable allowances may appear separately. Ask what ‘other allowance’ means instead of assuming it is a bonus or reimbursement.

#	Korean	How to say it	Natural meaning
13	식대가 포함되어 있나요?	seek-tteh-gah poh-hahm-dweh-uh een-nah-yoh? RR: Sikttaega pohamdoeeo innayo?	Is the meal allowance included?
14	상여금은 어느 항목이에요?	sahng-yuh-geu-meun uh-neu hahng-moh-gee-eh-yoh? RR: Sangyeogeumeun eoneu hangmogieyo?	Which line is the bonus?
15	기타수당은 무슨 수당이에요?	gee-tah-soo-dahng-eun moo-seun soo-dahng-ee-eh-yoh? RR: Gitasudangeun museun sudangieyo?	What does the other allowance mean?

6. Read tax and social-insurance deductions

Read every deduction label and amount. Tax and social-insurance entries are not the same as an unexplained company deduction.

#	Korean	How to say it	Natural meaning
16	소득세는 얼마 공제됐어요?	soh-deuk-sseh-neun uhl-mah gohng-jeh-dweh-ssuh-yoh? RR: Sodeuksseneun eolma gongjedwaesseoyo?	How much income tax was deducted?
17	국민연금과 건강보험 내역을 보여 주세요.	goong-mee-nyuhn-geum-gwah guhn-gahng-boh-huhm neh-yuh-geul boh-yuh joo-seh-yoh. RR: Gungminyeongeumgwa geongangboheom naeyeogeul boyeo juseyo.	Please show the pension and health-insurance details.
18	이 공제는 어떤 근거예요?	ee gohng-jeh-neun uh-ttuhn geun-guh-yeh-yoh? RR: I gongjeneun eotteon geungeoyeyo?	What is the basis for this deduction?

7. Reconcile total deductions and net pay

Net pay should equal gross pay minus total deductions. Compare the label and arithmetic now; Episode 17 handles a bank deposit that actually differs.

#	Korean	How to say it	Natural meaning
19	공제액 계가 맞나요?	gohng-jeh-ehk gyeh-gah mahn-nah-yoh? RR: Gongjeaek gyega mannayo?	Is the total deduction correct?
20	실지급액은 얼마예요?	seel-jee-geu-beh-geun uhl-mah-yeh-yoh? RR: Siljigeubaegeun eolmayeyo?	What is the net pay?
21	통장에 입금되는 금액과 같나요?	tohng-jahng-eh eep-kkeum-dweh-neun geu-mehk-kkwah gahn-nah-yoh? RR: Tongjange ipkkeumdoeneun geumaekkkwa gannayo?	Is it the same amount that will be deposited in my bank account?

8. Save the calculation and know where to ask

Save the original statement and your attendance record. Ask the payroll contact for an explanation while preserving the unedited file or message.

#	Korean	How to say it	Natural meaning
22	계산 방법을 적어 주세요.	gyeh-sahn bahng-buh-beul juh-guh joo-seh-yoh. RR: Gyesan bangbeobeul jeogeo juseyo.	Please write the calculation method.
23	이 명세서를 저장해도 되나요?	ee myuhng-seh-suh-reul juh-jahng-heh-doh dweh-nah-yoh? RR: I myeongseseoreul jeojanghaedo doenayo?	May I save this statement?
24	잘못된 항목은 누구에게 문의해요?	jahl-moht-ttwehn hahng-moh-geun noo-goo-eh-geh moo-nui-heh-yoh? RR: Jalmotttoen hangmogeun nuguege munuihaeyo?	Who should I ask about an incorrect item?

20 words to recognize

Replies you may hear

• 급여일에 전자문서로 보내 드려요. – We send it electronically on payday.
• 이번 달 기본급은 이 금액입니다. – This is this month’s basic pay.
• 근로시간표를 기준으로 계산했어요. – It was calculated from the attendance record.
• 연장근로 16시간을 반영했습니다. – Sixteen overtime hours were included.
• 식대는 매월 고정으로 지급합니다. – The meal allowance is paid as a fixed monthly amount.
• 세금과 사회보험료가 공제됐어요. – Tax and social-insurance premiums were deducted.
• 지급액 계에서 공제액 계를 뺀 금액입니다. – It is gross pay minus total deductions.
• 급여 담당자에게 수정 요청을 해 주세요. – Please ask the payroll officer to correct it.

Two payslip-checking dialogues

1

근로자: 이 명세서는 어느 달 급여예요?

담당자: 8월 급여예요.

근로자: 근로시간은 몇 시간으로 계산했어요?

담당자: 근로시간표와 연장근로 16시간을 반영했어요.

근로자: 연장근로수당 계산 방법도 적어 주세요.

The worker identifies the pay month and calculation hours, then asks for the overtime formula.

2

근로자: 소득세는 얼마 공제됐어요?

담당자: 여기 공제내역에 표시되어 있어요.

근로자: 공제액 계와 실지급액이 맞나요?

담당자: 지급액 계에서 공제액 계를 뺀 금액이에요.

근로자: 명세서를 저장하고 통장 입금액과 확인하겠습니다.

The worker reads tax, total deductions and net pay, saves the statement and prepares to compare the deposit.

Before you finish checking the payslip

• Worker name or identifier is mine
• Pay date and pay period are clear
• Basic pay and gross total are separate
• Wage system matches the contract
• Hours, rate and days are visible
• Each premium line has a calculation
• Allowances are named
• Every deduction has a label and amount
• Net pay arithmetic is correct
• Original statement is saved privately

What to check in the next episode

• Episode 17 handles an actual payment mismatch
• Episode 18 audits premium hours and rates
• This page cannot determine taxes or insurance from a screenshot alone
• Do not edit the original statement before preserving it
• A missing or unexplained item should be confirmed with payroll or an official labor-advice channel

A payslip contains identity, pay and deduction information. Do not upload the full image to a public forum or send it to an unknown person; redact the name, birth date, employee number, bank details and any authentication data before seeking help.

Prepared by BSKorean Content Studio for foreign workers and new residents. MOEL’s current blank form, 2026 card news, official five-page PDF and current Labor Standards Act Article 48 were reviewed on 25 August 2026.

Official sources checked

• MOEL — official blank wage-statement builder
• MOEL — wage-statement program official PDF
• MOEL — official source page
• MOEL — 2026 wage-statement duty card news
• Korean Law Information Center — Labor Standards Act Article 48

Five-minute practice

Point to the pay period, gross-pay items, calculation units, premiums, deductions and net pay, then save the statement before comparing it with your bank deposit.

Practise these phrases in the BSKorean app →

View all 30 episodes