South Korea's central bank said Tuesday that more than 3 million people are likely to get paid below minimum wage next year.

The Bank of Korea said in a report that the number of workers, whose pay is below the minimum wage, could reach 3.13 million people in 2017, up from 2.06 million in 2010.

The report also showed that the ratio of workers, who are paid less than the minimum wage, could account for 16.3 percent of total workers next year, compared with 12.4 percent in 2010.

The bank said agriculture, fishery as well as food and lodging sectors have a high ratio of underpaid workers.

The labor ministry announced last week that South Korea's minimum wage was set at 6,470 won ($5.90) per hour for next year, up 57.4 percent from 4,110 won in 2010.

The upward trend in the number of underpaid workers is blamed on comprehensive exceptional clauses in the law governing minimum wage and a flexible labor inspection, according to the central bank. (Yonhap)