Earn money again while drawing a Korean civil service pension and part of the pension stops. Article 50(3) of the Public Officials Pension Act says that if a retirement or early pensioner has business or employment income amounts and their monthly average (monthly income) exceeds last year’s average pension, the excess is used to suspend 30% of it under 500,000 won, then 40%, 50% and 60% in steps, up to 900,000 won + 70% at 2 million won or more. The suspension can’t exceed half the pension. Re-appointment as an official, soldier or teacher, or taking an elected post, suspends the whole pension for that period (para. 1).
1. Excess = monthly income − last year’s average pension. Monthly income = the year’s income amount ÷ months with income.
2. Suspended: under 500,000 → 30% · 500,000–1 million → 150,000 + 40% · 1–1.5 million → 350,000 + 50% · 1.5–2 million → 600,000 + 60% · 2 million+ → 900,000 + 70%.
3. Capped at half the pension. Re-appointment or elected post: all of it.
Calculator
Updates as you type. Monthly income = the year’s income amount (under 10,000 won not counted) ÷ months with income (Decree Art. 47(2)); won fractions dropped by us. The 2.5 million won average pension is our example, not the official figure — enter the published one. The suspension can’t exceed half the pension. Local council members and the 160% rule have special cases (Art. 50(1) proviso).
Partial suspension steps — Act Art. 50(3)
| Excess monthly income | Amount suspended | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Under 500,000 won | 30% of the excess | 150,000 at 500,000 |
| 500,000 to under 1 million | 150,000 + 40% above 500,000 | 350,000 at 1 million |
| 1 million to under 1.5 million | 350,000 + 50% above 1 million | 600,000 at 1.5 million |
| 1.5 million to under 2 million | 600,000 + 60% above 1.5 million | 900,000 at 2 million |
| 2 million or more | 900,000 + 70% above 2 million | — |
| Cap (second sentence) | The suspension may not exceed half the retirement or early pension | Half always remains |
The steps join up at each boundary (500,000 → 150,000, 1 million → 350,000, 1.5 million → 600,000, 2 million → 900,000) (our sums). The Act defines the average pension as “retirement and survivor retirement pensions combined, divided by the number of recipients”, but the year’s actual figure isn’t in it, so the calculator holds our example of 2.5 million won.
When the whole pension stops — Art. 50(1)
| Type | What the source says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Item 1 | Appointed as an official, soldier or private school teacher under this Act, the Military or Teachers’ Pension Act | All suspended during that service |
| Item 2 | Takes an elected public office | A local council member earning less than the pension has only that amount suspended (proviso) |
| Items 3–5 | Hired by a public body, local public enterprise or local funded body wholly funded by the state or a local government | Under 160% of last year’s average official base income, para. 3 applies instead (proviso) |
| Designation | The Minister of Personnel Management designates them and publishes by 25 January each year in the Official Gazette (Decree Art. 46(5)) | Judged on the last 3 years’ average funding share |
How monthly income is set — Decree Art. 47
| Type | What the source says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly income (2) | The year’s income amount from 1 January to 31 December (under 10,000 won not counted) divided by the months income arose | The tax-law “income amount”, not gross pay |
| Provisional (3) | If it exceeds the average pension, a provisional suspension is set using last year’s average pension | — |
| Data (4) | Based on data from state bodies; if not available, the previous year or the one before | — |
| Settlement (5) | After the final income tax return the year’s suspension is fixed and the difference adjusted in later payments; an early adjustment can be requested with evidence | Settled after the May return, in effect (our gloss) |
Three sums — our examples (average pension assumed 2.5 million won)
| Example (ours) | Excess | Suspension (our sums) |
|---|---|---|
| Pension 2.5 million, employment income amount 48 million a year (12 months) | 4 million − 2.5 million = 1.5 million | 600,000 + 0 = 600,000 a month; 1.9 million paid |
| Pension 2 million, 33 million (12 months) | 2.75 million − 2.5 million = 250,000 | 250,000 × 30% = 75,000 a month; 1,925,000 paid |
| Pension 1.8 million, 96 million (12 months) | 8 million − 2.5 million = 5.5 million | 900,000 + 3.5 million × 70% = 3.35 million → cap 900,000; 900,000 paid |
The National Pension stopped reducing pensions for an excess under 2 million won from 17 June 2026 (against its own A value), but civil service Art. 50(3) applies 30% from the first won of excess. The National Pension side is in National Pension reduction for working pensioners 2026.
Checklist
- ☐ Is the new job an official, military or teaching post, or a wholly funded body?
- ☐ The year’s business/employment income amount (after expenses or the employment deduction)
- ☐ The average pension figure the Service uses that year
- ☐ Report re-appointment or leaving within 10 days (Decree Art. 47(1))
- ☐ A settlement difference may follow the income tax return
Questions that remain
Do pension, interest or rental income count?
Para. 3 names only the business income amount (Income Tax Act Art. 19(2)) and employment income amount (Art. 20(2)). Other kinds aren’t in this provision.
Where is the pension age?
The 60–65 table by retirement year and early pension rates are in civil service pension age calculator.
Sources
- Korea Law Information Center — Public Officials Pension Act Art. 50 — source (current text, effective 2 October 2026, Act No. 21857; checked 3 November 2026). Para. 1 items 1–5 and the proviso (council members, 160%), para. 2, para. 3 five steps, the half cap and the average pension definition, para. 4, the 30 June 2023 amendment note (constitutional nonconformity).
- Not read. The month suspension starts; suspension rules for survivor and disability pensions.
- What we added. The “worth noting” column and the Korean everyday gloss.
Sources
- Korea Law Information Center — Public Officials Pension Act Enforcement Decree Arts. 46, 47 — source (current text, effective 2 October 2026, Decree No. 36728; checked 3 November 2026). Wholly funded test (3-year average) and the 25 January notice, 10-day report, monthly income (under 10,000 won dropped ÷ months), provisional suspension, data and prior-year basis, settlement after the return and early adjustment.
- Not read. Art. 47(6) onward; the year’s published average pension and average official base income.
- What we added. The “worth noting” column and the Korean everyday gloss.
Where to check further
- Government Employees Pension Service — that year’s average pension, your suspension and settlement (we did not read its guidance pages).
- Official Gazette — the list of wholly funded bodies (each January).
Written on 3 November 2026. The content is from the source; the glosses are ours.
