That Awkward Moment Your Boss Earns Less Than You

That feeling when you get your paycheck and realize you might be making more than the person who signs it.

The Struggle is Real (in Korea)

Over in South Korea, it turns out this isn't just a paranoid thought. A recent survey found that one in three self-employed people—your local restaurant owner, the person running the corner shop—are earning less than the country's minimum wage.

To be specific, 34% of 500 business owners surveyed said their monthly income doesn't even reach the 2.15 million won (about ¥260,000) that a full-time minimum wage employee would make. So while their staff are getting by, the owners themselves are falling behind. It’s a bit of a plot twist, really.

The Breaking Point

On top of this, labor unions are pushing for a 16.3% raise to the minimum wage next year. For the owners, this is less of a raise and more of a final boss battle they can't win. 🫠

Unsurprisingly, most owners want the wage frozen (44.6%) or even cut (13.0%). The really wild part? A full quarter of them said they are "already at their limit" and considering shutting down for good. Another 15% said even a tiny 1-3% hike would be the last straw. It’s like being asked to pay for a fancy sushi dinner when you can only afford a konbini onigiri.

So... What Happens Now?

This isn't just about wages. More than half the owners said business is worse than last year, especially for restaurants and retail. This means they have zero capacity to hire anyone new, and a lot of them (37.6%) are already planning to raise prices just to stay afloat.

And the owners feel like no one's listening—a massive 86% said their opinions are ignored when wage decisions are made. They're suggesting things like different minimum wages for different industries, but for now, it's just a big, messy situation. Makes you look at your own baito manager a little differently, doesn't it?