Move a few times and switch jobs in Korea, and a tax refund you're owed can sit undelivered — the account or address on file went stale. And in the other direction, there are government subsidies you qualify for but never claimed simply because you didn't know.
The short answer: both are mostly solved in one place — Gov24 (gov.kr). Use its refund lookup for dormant refunds, and "Bojogeum24" for subsidies you're eligible for. Both are free.
① Find dormant refunds — Gov24 refund lookup
Search "미환급금" (unpaid refund) on Gov24 (gov.kr) to check, in one place:
- Overpaid national and local taxes
- Health-insurance refunds, overpaid national-pension contributions
- Court deposits/fees, telecom and paid-TV refunds, and more
National-tax refunds can also be checked and claimed on Hometax (hometax.go.kr) or the Sontax app. Refunds cluster right after the May global-income-tax season. The statute of limitations on national-tax refunds is 5 years, so start with the oldest.
② Find unclaimed subsidies — Bojogeum24
Log in to Gov24, open "Bojogeum24", and consent to data linkage to get a personalized list of central- and local-government benefits matched to your situation (income, household, age).
- A one-time consent is all it takes
- With consent, you can also see benefits your parents or children in other regions qualify for
- Easy-to-miss items like the earned-income/child tax credit and culture vouchers surface here too
FAQ
Is there a fee?
No. Lookups and claims on Gov24 and Hometax are free. Any text or link asking for a fee is a scam.
When does a refund arrive?
Local-tax refunds via Gov24 usually within 14 days; national-tax refunds deposit automatically once you register an account. Timing varies by agency.
Is it too old to claim?
National-tax refunds are checkable and claimable for 5 years from the decision date; after that they revert to the treasury — so check now.
Often the money isn't gone — it's just unclaimed. If you've moved or changed jobs a lot, spend five minutes checking both today.
This is general 2026 guidance; eligibility, amounts and procedures depend on your situation and agency policy.
