End of 'According to Company Policy' Era

The South Korean government is pushing forward with a system to provide industry-standard wage information in job postings. After President Lee Jae-myung raised concerns about companies' non-disclosure of wages at a labor policy forum hosted by the Economic, Social and Labor Council at the Blue House on the 19th, Employment and Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon immediately proposed improvement measures.

Currently, the majority of companies in South Korea's job market list wages as "according to company policy" or "negotiable after interview" in their job postings. While this is not legally problematic, it has served as a barrier preventing job seekers from making rational employment decisions.

Han Da-seul, chairperson of the International Medical Foundation Labor Union who attended the forum, pointed out that "wage information is undisclosed in numerous job postings, creating a structure where applicants cannot easily access it." She noted that "this non-disclosure of information results in the entrenchment of low wages for young people," and suggested that legal amendments are needed to mandate wage disclosure in job postings.

Introduction of European-Style Industry-Standard Wage System

President Lee responded, "It's really problematic that companies don't tell you how much they'll pay when hiring," adding that "disclosure seems necessary, at least showing an average that doesn't deviate more than 10% up or down." He suggested that "recruiting companies also have their pride, so they won't want to advertise minimum wage positions, which should encourage them to raise wages," and ordered Minister Kim to take swift action.

Minister Kim presented specific measures, stating that "the most important thing is 'equal pay for work of equal value'—ensuring people doing similar work aren't discriminated against." He revealed that "the government plans to collect wage information and provide standard wage information by industry, using this as a basis to facilitate labor-management negotiations."

In Europe, if someone wants to work as an automotive technician, a certain level of wages is publicly posted by industry regardless of the company, making it easy for job seekers to obtain information. Referencing this European model, Minister Kim stated, "We will establish a benchmark so young people can think, 'If I work here, I'll receive at least this much compensation.'"

First Step Toward Realizing Equal Pay for Equal Work

The Ministry of Employment and Labor had already announced in its December work report that it would prepare a roadmap by the first half of 2026 that includes legislating the principle of equal pay for work of equal value, strengthening wage information provision, and activating multi-employer bargaining. This forum also marked the official resumption of tripartite social dialogue between labor, management, and government, which had been suspended due to the December 3 insurrection incident.

While acknowledging the limitations of the current system, Minister Kim stated, "Our country negotiates by company, and there are issues related to corporate trade secrets," but clearly expressed his determination to realize equal pay for work of equal value—a constitutional value—through the provision of industry-standard wage information.

If this system is implemented, job seekers will be able to identify the industry average wage for positions they're applying to in advance, enabling more rational employment decisions and wage negotiations. It is also expected that as companies adjust their wage levels to match market averages, this will contribute to resolving the issue of low wages for young people.