Check a job ID (Baca halaman ini dalam bahasa Indonesia)

Working in South Korea through legal routes

Written by KarirAman editorial team Approved by Kaiser Khan (editor), Updated

The legal route for Indonesians to work in South Korea is EPS G to G via KP2MI (E-9 visa): age 18 to 39 and an EPS-TOPIK pass. Pay and red flags.

Summary

  • Factory, farm and fishery work in South Korea uses the Employment Permit System (EPS) with the E-9 visa.
  • In Indonesia, KP2MI runs EPS as its G to G South Korea programme; its notices are on the KP2MI website.
  • Passing EPS-TOPIK only puts you in the job-seeker pool; nobody can guarantee that an employer will choose you.
  • South Korea's minimum wage applies to all businesses and rises again from 1 January 2027.
  • Under Indonesia's Law 18/2017 Article 30(1), Indonesian migrant workers may not be charged placement costs.
Show the full summaryShow less
On this page
  1. Which legal work routes exist for South Korea?
  2. Which legal route is available to South Korea?
  3. What is the minimum wage in South Korea?
  4. How can you check that a job offer in Korea is legal?
  5. Where can Indonesian workers in South Korea get help?

Factory, farm and fishery work in South Korea for Indonesians runs through the Employment Permit System (EPS) of Korea's Ministry of Employment and Labor, with the E-9 visa. In Indonesia, KP2MI runs EPS as a G to G programme, and all its notices are on the KP2MI website. Test requirements, official costs, documents and steps are on the page on the G to G route to Korea.

What is the minimum wage in South Korea?

South Korea sets one national minimum wage that applies equally to all businesses. For 2027, Korea's Ministry of Employment and Labor set it in notice No. 2026-60 of 5 August 2026. The monthly figures in the table are the official conversion for 209 hours a month, not offered wages, and are before tax and insurance.

South Korea minimum wage, 2026 and 2027
Area or group Official floor Approximate rupiah value
South Korea Applies to: All businesses in South Korea KRW 10,320 per hour In force from about IDR 137,875 rate as of 8 October 2026
South Korea Applies to: All businesses in South Korea KRW 10,700 per hour KRW 10,320 still applies before 1 January 2027 In force from about IDR 142,952 rate as of 8 October 2026
South Korea Applies to: All businesses in South Korea KRW 2,156,880 per month, a calculation, not an offered wage In force from about IDR 28,815,917 rate as of 8 October 2026
South Korea Applies to: All businesses in South Korea KRW 2,236,300 per month, a calculation, not an offered wage KRW 2,156,880 still applies before 1 January 2027 In force from about IDR 29,876,968 rate as of 8 October 2026

Minimum Wage Commission, Republic of Korea (최저임금위원회) Ministry of Employment and Labor, Republic of Korea (고용노동부)

For the E-9 visa under EPS, check that the stage the recruiter mentions appears in the G to G South Korea notices on the KP2MI website. Nobody can guarantee that an employer will choose you, because passing EPS-TOPIK only puts you in the job-seeker pool. Paste the offer text into Check a job to see common warning signs.

Where can Indonesian workers in South Korea get help?

For help as an Indonesian citizen, including when wages go unpaid or documents are held, contact Kemlu through Peduli WNI or KP2MI through the official channels below.

Which official channels can you contact?

Frequently asked questions

Are there routes to South Korea other than EPS?

This page covers EPS with the E-9 visa, the main route for factory, farm and fishery work. Routes for professionals use other visas with different rules that we have not yet verified. Do not pay anyone for a route you cannot find on an official Korean government or KP2MI website.

Where are EPS-TOPIK announcements for Indonesia published?

Announcements of tests, results, the Skill Test, contract issuance and departure dates for Indonesia are on the G to G South Korea page of the KP2MI website. Results can also be checked on the official EPS website.

What is the age limit for working in South Korea?

Age limits differ by legal route: Employment Permit System (EPS) G to G, E-9 visa: 18 to 39 years. Check the route page again before you apply.

Which language tests do you need to work in South Korea?

The language tests the legal routes to South Korea ask for: Employment Permit System (EPS) G to G, E-9 visa: EPS-TOPIK (25 listening and 25 reading questions, 70 minutes): Above 80 out of 200, then passed in order of score up to the quota.

Which visa do you need to work in South Korea?

The legal routes to South Korea use these visas or permits: Employment Permit System (EPS) G to G, E-9 visa: 비전문직 취업 (E-9), Non-Professional Employment. Apply only through the destination government's official website or its mission.

What is the minimum wage for working in South Korea?

The official pay floor for the Employment Permit System (EPS) G to G, E-9 visa route in South Korea is KRW 10,320 per hour, in force from 1 January 2026 (Minimum Wage Commission, Republic of Korea (최저임금위원회)). This is the legal minimum in South Korea, not an offered wage.

Who wrote and reviewed this page?

Written by KarirAman editorial team Published Updated

Prepared with AI assistance. Checked against official sources and approved for publication by Kaiser Khan (editor). Approval date: .

Sources

The facts on this page come from these sources. Dates show when we opened them.

  1. Undang-Undang Nomor 18 Tahun 2017 tentang Pelindungan Pekerja Migran Indonesia Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · UU 18/2017 · accessed
  2. Ujian Bahasa Korea EPS-TOPIK (EPS, halaman bahasa Indonesia) Ministry of Employment and Labor, Republic of Korea (EPS) · accessed
  3. Employment Permit System: beranda bahasa Indonesia Ministry of Employment and Labor, Republic of Korea (EPS) · accessed
  4. Korea Visa Portal: Non-Professional (E-9) visa types Ministry of Justice, Republic of Korea (Korea Visa Portal) · accessed
  5. G to G Korea Selatan: Pengumuman (KP2MI) Kementerian Pelindungan Pekerja Migran Indonesia (KP2MI) · accessed
  6. 최저임금위원회: 2026년 적용 최저임금 Minimum Wage Commission, Republic of Korea (최저임금위원회) · accessed
  7. 2027년 적용 최저임금 고시 (고용노동부 고시 제2026-60호) Ministry of Employment and Labor, Republic of Korea (고용노동부) · 고용노동부 고시 제2026-60호 · accessed
  8. SISKOP2MI: Daftar Lowongan KP2MI/BP2MI (SISKOP2MI) · accessed
How to cite

KarirAman (2026). Working in South Korea through legal routes. Updated 8 October 2026. https://kariraman.com/en/work-abroad/south-korea/

Save this page

Report a fake job Report a data problem How we handle corrections

CariTalent and PanduanHewan are Kode Nirlaba projects; Panduan Warga and The Cast Index are independent publications with the same founder. CourseToJob is a study-guide site with the same owner, run by Elite Digital AI Solutions Ltd.

Change log
  • : This page is now the country overview: routes, the minimum wage and help channels. EPS requirements, costs and steps are on the route page.