🌿 Essential words you must know when working part-time in Korea

Are you nervous about looking for your first part-time job or starting work in Korea? 😢

Even if you can speak some Korean, many people worry about making mistakes because they get confused by contract terms or short words used at stores.

We will easily organize the basic words you must know before working at a cafe or restaurant! ✨

📄 Most important contract word: hourly wage

Have you ever been confused by difficult words in the contract? If you do not write a work contract in writing, the owner can be fined up to 5 million KRW, so you must write it.

• Hourly wage: The money you earn for one hour of work.

• As of 2026, the minimum hourly wage in Korea is 10,320 KRW per hour! (It increased 2.9% from 10,030 KRW in 2025)

• Please make sure to check hourly wage, workdays, start time, payday, etc. in your contract.

👉 The first step to protecting your rights is checking your contract!

⏰ Easily confused words: working hours and break time

International students who wondered, 'Why is my pay different even though I worked 6 hours?' please pay attention! It is important to distinguish between total stay time and actual working hours.

• Working hours (agreed working hours): The time you have agreed to work in the store.

• Break time: Free time to rest while working. It is usually not included in wage calculation.

• According to labor law, if you work 4 hours you must take at least a 30-minute break, and if you work 8 hours you must take at least 1 hour off during work.

👉 Understanding what break time means makes wage calculation much easier!

🧹 Store work words: open and close

You often see 'open' or 'close' on job ads, right? They're not official labor law terms but are used daily at convenience stores and restaurants.

• Open: Preparing the store before opening, such as restocking and cleaning.

• Close: Tidying up and cleaning the store after business hours.

• Practical example: "Please clean up carefully after closing today!"

👉 If you understand these workplace words, the owner will praise you!

🏃‍♀️ Word for busy times: peak time

If you're a beginner, you might get flustered when work suddenly piles up. According to cafe part-timers, this usually happens during these times.

• Peak time: The busiest period when many customers come at once. (Lunch, dinner, weekend afternoons, etc.)

• At first, the work may feel tough, but you'll adapt quickly.

• Time to eat at a restaurant or take a break with the store closed is usually called break time.

👉 If you get through peak time, you'll become a part-time pro in no time!

In conclusion

✔️ Check the 2026 minimum hourly wage of 10,320 KRW and all the mandatory items of the work contract!

✔️ Remember that the 30-minute break for 4 hours of work is not included in your pay!

✔️ Learn the meaning of commonly used open, close, and peak time terms in advance!

Everything may seem unfamiliar and hard at first, but just knowing the meaning of the words in advance will help you work with much more confidence. We sincerely support your first part-time job in Korea! Fighting! 💖

💡 VIVISA will help you.

VIVISA organizes the following information in an easy-to-understand way.

• Foreigner & international student visa information

• Part-time job & labor rules

• Essential administrative guides for life in Korea

Now, don't worry about studying and working part-time in Korea and start comfortably with VIVISA! ✨