Korea’s National Pension has an add-on called the “dependants’ pension amount,” paid when the pensioner supports a spouse, young children or elderly parents. The name sounds generous, but the statutory base is 150,000 won a year for a spouse and 100,000 won a year per child or parent, adjusted each year for prices. We read articles 52 and 52-2 of the National Pension Act as written to see who counts and when they drop out.
1. Three groups qualify. A spouse, children under 19 (or disabled) and parents 60 or over (or disabled) whose livelihood is maintained by the pensioner.
2. The statutory amounts are per year. 150,000 won for a spouse and 100,000 won per child or parent, adjusted yearly by the consumer price change. In 2026 that is 306,630 won for a spouse and 204,360 won per child or parent.
3. Family members with their own pension are excluded. Anyone who is a pension recipient or retirement-pension recipient is left out, and no one can be counted for two pensioners.
Who and how much — art. 52(1)
| Dependant | Statutory amount | 2026 (per month) |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse | 150,000 won a year | 306,630 won a year (about 25,552 a month) |
| Children — under 19 or disabled (including a spouse’s children from before the marriage) | 100,000 won a year | 204,360 won a year (17,030 a month) |
| Parents — 60 or over or disabled (including a parent’s spouse and the spouse’s parents) | 100,000 won a year | 204,360 won a year (17,030 a month) |
The statutory amounts are as in the items of article 52(1). Paragraph 2 applies article 51(2) and (3): amounts are raised or lowered by the national consumer price change and the adjusted figure applies from January to December. The 2026 amounts are those our National Pension basics article took from the National Pension Service; the monthly figures are our division by 12.
For a survivor’s pension the reference person differs: it is the deceased member or former member (bracket in para. 1). The test for “livelihood maintained” is set by the Decree.
What “disabled” means — art. 52-2
- National Pension disability grade 1 or 2
- A person with a severe disability under the Welfare of Disabled Persons Act, to the degree set by Decree
A child over 19 or a parent under 60 still qualifies in that state.
Who is left out of the calculation — paras. 3 and 4
- A family member who is a pension recipient (including linked-scheme benefits)
- A retirement pension recipient under the public-sector schemes
- A recipient of a survivor’s pension under the civil service, military or private-school schemes
- Someone already counted for another pensioner — no one may be counted for two or more (para. 4)
So where both spouses draw a National Pension, neither gets the spouse addition (each spouse is a pension recipient), and a child is counted for only one of them (our reading of the article).
When it stops — para. 5
| Who | Excluded when | Item |
|---|---|---|
| Anyone | Death · livelihood support ends | 1 · 2 |
| Spouse | Divorce | 3 |
| Child | Turning 19 (unless disabled) · adopted by another or adoption dissolved · the relationship with a spouse’s earlier child ends by divorce | 4 · 5 · 7 |
| Child or parent | No longer in the disabled state | 6 |
| Parent’s spouse | The relationship ends through the parent’s divorce | 8 |
An example — our arithmetic
An old-age pensioner with a spouse who has no pension and children aged 17 and 15 gets, in 2026, 306,630 + 204,360 × 2 = 715,350 won a year, about 59,612 won a month. When the elder child turns 19, it falls by 204,360 won a year.
A split pension on divorce divides only the old-age pension, leaving this addition out — see split and survivor’s pensions. The deferral bonus and the earnings reduction also treat it separately — see early versus deferred pensions.
Checklist
- ☐ Do your spouse, children under 19 or parents 60+ live on your income?
- ☐ Do they draw no pension of their own (National Pension or public-sector)?
- ☐ Are they not already counted for another pensioner?
- ☐ Tell the Service of changes: a child turning 19, divorce and so on
Questions that remain
Do my spouse’s parents count?
The bracket in paragraph 1 item 3 includes “the spouse of a father or mother, and the spouse’s parents.” If 60 or over (or disabled) and supported by you, they qualify.
What about parents who live apart?
The article asks whether their “livelihood is maintained,” leaving the test to the Decree. We did not reproduce the Decree’s criteria this time, so check with the Service.
Sources
- National Pension Act [in force 17 Jun 2026] [Act No. 21203] — original text (checked 2 October 2026). Article 51(2) and (3) (price adjustment, January to December), article 52 (150,000 and 100,000 won a year; 19; 60; exclusions; no double counting; para. 5 items 1–8) and article 52-2 (disabled state).
- 2026 amounts — 306,630 won for a spouse and 204,360 won per child or parent, as taken from the National Pension Service in our National Pension basics article.
- Our own working. The monthly figures and the 715,350 won example are our arithmetic.
Where to check further
- Claims and changes — a National Pension Service branch or call centre.
- Disability pension — National Pension disability pension.
Written on 2 October 2026. Articles are from the National Law Information Center; the tables and example are ours.
