When a Korean National Pension member or pensioner dies and there is no survivor who can receive a survivor pension (a spouse, a child under 25, a parent aged 60+ and so on, Art. 73), a wider circle of family receives a death lump sum. Article 80 of the National Pension Act sets it at the refund-equivalent amount, but no more than 4 times the larger of the last insured monthly income (in present value) and the average insured monthly income over the membership. If the person who died was receiving an old-age pension or a grade 1–3 disability pension, it is the amount worked out the same way minus the pension already received. Enter the amounts and the number of recipients and the calculator shows the 4-times cap and the amount per person.
1. The refund-equivalent amount, capped at 4 times — for a member or former member, the refund-equivalent amount, no more than 4 times the larger of the last insured monthly income (in present value for the year before the death) and the average insured monthly income over the membership (Art. 80(2)1).
2. For a pensioner, the difference — for a recipient of an old-age pension or a grade 3-or-higher disability pension, the difference when the pension received is less than the item 1 amount (Art. 80(2)2).
3. Order of recipients — spouse, children, parents, grandchildren, grandparents, siblings, then collateral relatives up to the fourth degree. Equal ranks share equally (Art. 80(4)).
4. Our example — a refund-equivalent amount of ₩30,000,000, last income ₩3,000,000 and average ₩2,500,000 give a cap of ₩12,000,000, so the death lump sum is ₩12,000,000. Two siblings get ₩6,000,000 each.
Calculator
Results update as you type. The refund-equivalent amount (contributions paid plus interest set by Presidential Decree, Art. 77(2)) and the present-value incomes are worked out by the NPS, so they are fields you fill in. The amount per person for equal ranks is an equal split with fractions of a won dropped — our arithmetic; Decree Art. 54 applies Art. 40 when two or more people share a rank: a claim by one of them counts as a claim for that person’s own share, and the people of that rank or their legal representatives may choose a representative who claims for all or some of them. Under Act Art. 117 amounts below 10 won follow the National Treasury Management Act, whose Art. 47(1) leaves them out, but the text does not say at which step, so the calculator shows whole-won amounts (our reading).
The provisions — as written
| Provision | What the text says | Points to note (our reading) |
|---|---|---|
| Act Art. 73(1) | Survivors who can receive a survivor pension are those who depended for their living on the person at the death — 1. spouse; 2. children (under 25 or disabled); 3. parents, including the spouse’s parents (60 or over or disabled); 4. grandchildren (under 19 or disabled); 5. grandparents, including the spouse’s (60 or over or disabled) | If anyone fits one of these five, it is a survivor pension case, not a death lump sum |
| Act Art. 80(1) | When any of the following dies and there is no survivor under Art. 73, a death lump sum is paid to the spouse, children, parents, grandchildren, grandparents, siblings or collateral relatives up to the fourth degree. It is not paid to people in cases such as running away or disappearance set by Presidential Decree, and collateral relatives up to the fourth degree receive it only if they depended for their living on the person at the death. — 1. a member or former member; 2. an old-age pensioner; 3. a disability pensioner of grade 3 or higher | The “survivors” for a survivor pension and the “family” for a death lump sum are different circles |
| Act Art. 80(2)1 | For (1)1: an amount equivalent to the refund lump sum of the member or former member, but not more than 4 times the larger of the last insured monthly income converted by the yearly revaluation rates to present value for the year before the year of death and the average insured monthly income over the membership worked out the same way. | Cap = 4 × max(last, average). The larger of the two sets it |
| Act Art. 80(2)2 | For (1)2 or 3: where the pension received up to the death is less than the amount worked out under item 1 applied with necessary changes, the difference | After a long time on pension it can be zero |
| Act Art. 80(3) | Where both items 1 and 2 of paragraph 2 apply, item 2 applies. | A pensioner who was also a member: the difference method |
| Act Art. 80(4) | The order is spouse, children, parents, grandchildren, grandparents, siblings and collateral relatives up to the fourth degree. Two or more of the same rank share equally; the method of payment is set by Presidential Decree. | The calculator’s “recipients of the same rank” field |
| Act Art. 77(1), (2) | A refund lump sum is available 1. when a person with under 10 years of membership turns 60, 2. when a member or former member dies (unless a survivor pension is paid under Art. 72), 3. on losing nationality or emigrating. The amount is the contributions paid (for workplace members, including the employer’s share) plus interest set by Presidential Decree | The starting point of item 1 of the death lump sum |
| Act Art. 81 | For survivor pensioners under Art. 73(1)2 and 4 (children, grandchildren), if the survivor pension received until the entitlement ends is less than the death lump sum under Art. 80(2), the difference is paid as a lump sum. | A top-up when a child’s survivor pension ends early |
| Act Art. 56(2)2 | Where the benefit not chosen is a refund lump sum (except where the chosen benefit is a disability pension and the refund comes from one’s own contributions): an amount equivalent to Art. 80(2) is added to the chosen benefit | A survivor already on another pension gets this amount added instead of the refund |
| Act Art. 115(1) | The right to receive benefits (other than the refund lump sum) lapses after 5 years, and the right to the refund lump sum under Art. 77(1)1 after 10 years, if not exercised. | We read the death lump sum as falling under the 5 years (our reading) |
Four calculations — our examples
| Case (our example) | Death lump sum | How (our arithmetic) |
|---|---|---|
| Member dies · refund-equivalent ₩30,000,000 · last ₩3,000,000 · average ₩2,500,000 | ₩12,000,000 | Cap 3,000,000 × 4 = 12,000,000 < 30,000,000 → the cap |
| Same, two siblings receive it | ₩6,000,000 each | 12,000,000 ÷ 2 (Art. 80(4)) |
| Member dies · refund-equivalent ₩8,000,000 · same incomes | ₩8,000,000 | Below the ₩12,000,000 cap, so the refund-equivalent amount itself |
| Old-age pensioner · item 1 amount ₩12,000,000 · pension received ₩9,000,000 | ₩3,000,000 | 12,000,000 − 9,000,000 (Art. 80(2)2). If ₩12,000,000 or more was received, ₩0 |
As in the first row, the longer someone paid contributions, the larger the refund-equivalent amount and the more likely the 4-times cap bites. With a short membership, as in the third row, the contributions are small and the refund-equivalent amount below the cap becomes the death lump sum as it is (our reading). The cap uses the larger of the last and average incomes, so for someone whose income fell just before retiring, the average sets the cap.
The fourth row is item 2. For someone who died while receiving an old-age pension, the death lump sum is the item 1 amount less “the pension received up to the death”. The longer the pension was paid, the closer this gets to zero.
The first fork — is there a survivor?
The death lump sum is the benefit for “when there is no survivor under Art. 73”. If there is a survivor who can receive a survivor pension, the survivor pension (Art. 72) is paid; if there is a survivor but the survivor-pension conditions are not met, that survivor claims the refund lump sum (Art. 77(1)2). So the calculator asks about Art. 73 survivors first and, if you choose “Yes”, does not work out a death lump sum. The survivor circle is set out provision by provision on our National Pension death lump sum page.
Collateral relatives up to the fourth degree (cousins and so on) receive it only if they depended on the person for their living at the death (Art. 80(1) proviso). Decree Art. 53 sets the standard in item 4 of Appendix 1: a relative living in the same home counts; one living elsewhere counts only if the member regularly paid living costs or other financial support (sub-item b). Spouses, children, parents, grandchildren, grandparents and siblings are also not recognised if (1) a year has passed since the local government registered them as of unknown residence, (2) a year has passed since the police took a report of them running away or going missing, or (3) the claim will lapse within a year and the NPS confirms contact has been lost for a year or more (sub-item a); the same three cases apply to the relatives.
The interest added to the refund-equivalent amount is set by Decree Art. 50: from the month after each contribution (including late-payment contributions) was paid to the month the payment event happened, at the 3-year time-deposit rate for the period (where it changes or differs by bank, the average rate on 1 January each year of nationwide banks). The NPS holds the yearly rates, so the calculator keeps this amount as a field you fill in. The Service’s “lump-sum refund” page (checked 13 November 2026) gives the 2026 3-year time-deposit rate as 2.2% and does not list earlier years’ 3-year rates.
Read next
- Who counts as a survivor, and in what order — National Pension death lump sum.
- Survivor pension amounts — National Pension survivor pension calculator.
- Refund lump sum conditions and interest — National Pension refund lump sum.
- If the person was on a disability pension — National Pension disability pension calculator.
Checklist
- ☐ Whether there is an Art. 73 survivor (spouse, child under 25, parent 60+ etc.)
- ☐ Whether the person was a member, or receiving a pension (including a grade 1–3 disability pension)
- ☐ The refund-equivalent amount and insured monthly incomes (present value, average) from the NPS
- ☐ For a pensioner, the total pension received
- ☐ How many family members share the same rank
Questions that remain
How is the refund lump sum different from the death lump sum?
The refund lump sum (Art. 77) goes to a survivor when there is one but no survivor pension is paid. The death lump sum (Art. 80) goes to a wider family, out to siblings and cousins, when there is no Art. 73 survivor at all. It starts from the refund-equivalent amount but carries the 4-times cap.
Which year is the income for the 4-times cap?
The last insured monthly income is converted with the yearly revaluation rates to present value for the year before the year of death. For a death in 2026 that is 2025 present value (our reading). We did not read the revaluation table.
By when must it be claimed?
Art. 115(1) says the right to benefits lapses after 5 years and gives 10 years only for the Art. 77(1)1 refund at age 60. We read the death lump sum as 5 years (our reading).
Sources
- Korean Law Information Center — National Pension Act Arts. 56, 73, 77, 80, 81 and 115 — original text (current version, in force 20 October 2026, Act No. 22096; checked 12 November 2026). The survivor circle, who receives the death lump sum and how much (the 4-times cap, the difference), the order, the refund lump sum, the link between survivor pension and death lump sum, the addition when benefits overlap, and the limitation period.
- Korean Law Information Center — Enforcement Decree of the National Pension Act Arts. 40, 50, 53 and 54 and Appendix 1 item 4, National Pension Act Art. 117, National Treasury Management Act Art. 47(1) — Decree text (current version, in force 1 January 2026, Presidential Decree No. 35602) · Appendix 1 (amended 30 November 2021) · Treasury Act text (current version, in force 2 January 2026, Act No. 21065); checked 12 November 2026. Refund interest (3-year time-deposit rate), when the death lump sum is not paid and the dependency standard for fourth-degree relatives, how equal ranks claim, amounts below 10 won.
- National Pension Service — “lump-sum refund” page — page (checked 13 November 2026). The 2026 3-year time-deposit rate of 2.2%, averaged from nationwide banks as at 1 January each year.
- Not read. The actual yearly average 3-year time-deposit rates before 2026, the Art. 51(1)2 yearly revaluation table, Art. 52-2 (the disability standard), the Presidential Decree standard for dependency under Art. 73(1), the claim form and NPS processing times, and at which step the NPS drops the remainder (practice).
- What we added. Writing the cap as “4 × the larger of the two”, the four examples (₩30,000,000, ₩8,000,000, the ₩3,000,000 difference), dropping fractions of a won per person, the 5-year reading, and 2025 as the example of “present value for the year before”.
We checked the calculator script against a separate Python version of the same arithmetic in 2,880 cases for each of the Korean and English pages, with no mismatches.
Where to check further
- National Pension Service — the deceased member’s refund-equivalent amount, insured monthly incomes and pension received.
Written on 12 November 2026. The provisions are quoted from the original; the readings and arithmetic are ours.
