Gap narrows to 990 won in 6th round of minimum wage talks, but no deal reached; negotiations to resume Thursday

Negotiations over next year's minimum wage have stretched into a sixth round of revised proposals, but the two sides have yet to reach a final agreement.

Labor and management narrowed the gap in their hourly wage proposals to 990 won but failed to resolve their differences, pushing talks to the 13th plenary session scheduled for Thursday.

The Minimum Wage Commission held its 12th plenary session Tuesday at the Government Complex Sejong to deliberate on the minimum wage level to apply in 2027.

Labor submitted its sixth revised proposal of 11,450 won per hour — 550 won below its initial demand of 12,000 won and 10.9 percent above this year's minimum wage of 10,320 won.

Management countered with a revised offer of 10,460 won per hour, up 140 won from its initial proposal and a 1.4 percent increase from this year's rate.

The gap between the two sides narrowed by 70 won, from 1,060 won after the fifth round to 990 won. When Tuesday's session began, the gap stood at 1,290 won based on the fourth-round proposals; the fifth and sixth rounds together trimmed it by a combined 300 won.

Labor maintained that a meaningful wage increase is necessary to address rising prices, ease the cost-of-living burden on low-wage workers and support a domestic consumption recovery. Management pushed back, arguing that the increase should be kept to a minimum given sluggish economic conditions and the limited ability of small businesses and self-employed operators to absorb higher labor costs.

The commission's public interest members again said they would respect the autonomy of labor and management in the bargaining process. Commission Chairman Kwon Sun-won said in his opening remarks that the public interest members intended to "wait, and wait again, until the very last moment, for the gap between the two sides to narrow," urging both parties to continue seeking a compromise.

With no agreement reached, the commission adjourned and scheduled the 13th plenary session for Thursday to continue negotiations.

With the gap still at 990 won and the statutory deliberation deadline already passed, further revised proposals are expected at the next session. If labor and management ultimately cannot find common ground, the public interest members may step in to propose a recommended range to accelerate the process — though they maintained Tuesday that they would allow autonomous bargaining for as long as possible.

Taking into account the notification procedures required of the minister of employment and labor, a minimum wage decision for next year must be finalized by mid-July.