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In Korea, the minimum level of wages for workers is guaranteed in order to stabilize workers’ life and the quality of the labor force. In 2018, the minimum wage is 7,530 won, and in 2019 it will be increased by 10.9% to 8,350 won. Meanwhile, Seoul Special Metropolitan City, Gyeonggi Province and other local governments are implementing the living wage policy separately from the minimum wage, which is regulated by the municipal ordinance of the local governments. More specifically, 100 local governments nationwide enacted the regulations on living wages. Besides 5 metropolitan local governments – Daegu Metropolitan City, Ulsan Metropolitan City, Gyeongbuk Province, Gyeongnam Province, Chungbuk Province - 12 out of 17 metropolitan local governments enacted living wage regulations. In 2018, the metropolitan local government with the highest living wage is Jeonnam Province (9,370 won) and the lowest metropolitan local government is Sejong Special Self-Government City (7,920 won). In this regard, it is disputable whether it is illegal to regulate living wages as ordinances. In this paper, I focus on the following points. First, since local governments can enact ordinances on ‘their affairs’, it is questionable whether matters concerning living wages belong to the affairs of local governments. Second, local governments can enact ordinances within the scope of statutes, so it is disputable whether the enactment of living wage regulations by local governments violates the Minimum Wage Act. Third, local governments must have the authority delegated by Acts in order to enact ordinances on matters concerning the restriction of rights or imposition of duties on residents. Therefore, in order to enact ordinances on living wages, it is questionable whether the delegation by Act is required. Fourth, the living wage ordinance of Seongnam City stipulates that a portion of wages can be paid with a local gift card, which is disputable if it is in violation of Article 43 of the Labor Standards Act, which requires wages to be paid with currency.