Next year's minimum wage will universally apply to all industries as it is currently applied.

At the seventh plenary session of the Minimum Wage Commission on Tuesday, applying differentiated minimum wage by industry was voted down with 15 against, eleven in favor and one invalid vote.

The differentiated application has long been a bone of contention between labor and management, with a majority of commission members representing the public sector speculated to have opposed it.

While the business community is calling to lower the minimum wage in sectors lacking wage payment capability, such as lodging and restaurant businesses, labor groups are against the idea, arguing it goes against the system's objective.

Following Tuesday's decision on wage application, labor and management are expected to put forth their respective first draft in setting the minimum wage at the next meeting.

The labor side is expected to propose minimum wage higher than last year's proposed 12-thousand-210 won, or around eight U.S. dollars and 79 cents per hour, while the management side will likely call to keep the current wage of nine-thousand-860 won per hour.