The Minimum Wage Commission will launch a process to determine next year’s minimum wage level. 

Commission chairman Ryu Jang-soo plans to hold a press conference at the government complex in Sejong City on Thursday to announce details about the decision-making process. 

The confirmation of the schedule will begin negotiations between labor and management as to how much the minimum wage will be raised from this year. 

The Ministry of Employment and Labor initially planned to determine next year’s wage level through two separate stages, one for determining the range of a possible hike and the other for finalizing an actual hike. However, the plan to reduce minimum wage hike-related controversies by allowing more deliberation on the matter was foundered as the National Assembly failed to pass a related bill in a timely manner amid bipartisan confrontations. 

Accordingly, decisions on the minimum wage for 2020 will follow the same steps taken in previous years.