Before you pick a resignation date in Korea, check when you hit one year
Once you decide to quit, the first thing is picking a date. But if you are close to one year at the company, a few days can change what you are entitled to.
How to calculate tenure
Tenure counts years, months, and days from the hire date. Months differ in length, so dividing days by 365 drifts. Instead, count calendar months first and the leftover days separately. If you were hired on January 31, one month later is February 28 (29 in a leap year), not March 3.
Why one year matters
Korea’s Employee Retirement Benefit Security Act requires at least one year of continuous service, averaging 15 or more hours a week over four weeks, for severance pay. Falling short by a single day can mean no severance.
Annual leave also changes at one year. Under the Labor Standards Act, employees under one year earn one day of leave per month of full attendance, and those who attend at least 80% over a year earn 15 days.
So if you are close to one year, check the anniversary before choosing a date. The calculator’s one-year date is exactly one year after your hire date. If your last day falls near it, confirm the reference date with HR and check the details against Ministry of Employment and Labor guidance.
What else to weigh when picking a date
If three or five years matters for your résumé, use the calculator’s target tenure to see how many days are left. If you have a next job lined up, compare the real hourly wage including commute, not just salary, as in A 10% raise that lowers your real hourly wage by 4%.
Frequently asked questions
Does the calculator show severance pay?
No. It only calculates dates and durations. Severance depends on average wages, so the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s severance calculator is more accurate.
Does a probation period count toward tenure?
It generally counts as continuous service. It can differ by contract type, so check your employment contract.
What if I leave the resignation date blank?
You see your tenure as of today and the days until your one-year anniversary. Enter a date to see tenure and days left as of that day too.
To run your own dates, use the Resignation D-Day calculator.