Screening to Be Strengthened for Foreigners' National Pension Lump-Sum Retroactive Payments... Only Actual Residency Periods Allowed

Screening will be strengthened for foreigners who work in South Korea for only a short period and make massive retroactive payments for their National Pension premiums.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Pension Service announced that they are improving the retroactive payment system for foreigners, as there have been cases where foreigners received pensions through retroactive contributions despite short subscription periods.

First, the Ministry of Health and Welfare is revising and implementing National Pension Service guidelines to tighten one of the retroactive payment requirements for foreigners from the period of alien registration and status of stay maintenance to the "actual residency period in South Korea."

As a result, retroactive payment applications will no longer be possible for periods during which individuals did not actually reside in the country.

Foreign subscribers applying for retroactive payments must submit a certificate of entry and departure facts in addition to documents proving their marital relationship.

In addition, actual residency periods will only be recognized for months where the domestic residency period is 15 days or more, starting from the month containing the entry date to the month containing the departure date according to the certificate.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare also plans to push for a revision of laws and decrees to apply the principle of reciprocity—which was previously applied only to National Pension subscriptions and the payment of lump-sum refunds—to retroactive payments as well.

Through this, the government plans to allow retroactive payments only to nationals of countries that recognize retroactive contributions for South Korean citizens living abroad.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.