In Korea’s National Pension, “family whose livelihood is maintained” by someone appears in four places — the dependants’ addition, the survivor’s pension, the death lump sum and unpaid benefits. The words are the same; the test is not. The Enforcement Decree leaves all four to a single Table 1, and that table gives each benefit its own row. A parent living apart drops out of the dependants’ addition but can count for a survivor’s pension. This follows Table 1 and the related articles as written.
1. Dependants’ addition — a parent must be “in the same household on the resident register”. A spouse and children are recognised as a rule (Table 1 item 1).
2. Survivor’s pension — for parents it looks at the actual home. Living together counts; living apart counts if there is a reason such as study, work or care, or living costs were sent regularly (item 3).
3. Death lump sum and unpaid benefits — close family recognised as a rule. Only cases such as 1 year registered as residence unknown or reported missing are excluded, and support is tested separately only for collateral relatives within the fourth degree or for siblings (items 2 and 4).
The statute uses the same words
| Benefit | Wording | Where the test is set |
|---|---|---|
| Dependants’ addition | whose livelihood is maintained by the beneficiary (Act art. 52(1)) | Decree art. 38 → Table 1 item 1 |
| Survivor’s pension | whose livelihood was maintained by the deceased at the time of death (Act art. 73(1)) | Decree art. 47 → Table 1 item 3 |
| Death lump sum | not paid where the person has left home or gone missing; collateral relatives within the fourth degree only if supported (Act art. 80(1)) | Decree art. 53 → Table 1 item 4 |
| Unpaid benefits | not paid where the person has left home or gone missing; siblings only if supported (proviso to Act art. 55(1), as worded in Decree art. 39) | Decree art. 39 → Table 1 item 2 |
Dependants’ addition — Table 1 item 1
- Spouse and children — recognised, unless a reason such as leaving home or going missing makes it plain there is no support relationship.
- A child the spouse had before the marriage — only if in the same household on the resident register.
- Parents (including the spouse’s parents) — only if in the same household on the resident register.
- A parent’s spouse — only if in the same household on the resident register.
The test is “household on the resident register”, not where people actually live. Living under one roof with separately registered households reads as falling outside this row (our reading). Amounts and exclusions are in the dependants’ addition.
Survivor’s pension — Table 1 item 3
| Survivor | Living together | Living apart |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse and children | Recognised | Recognised (a spouse is not where leaving home or going missing makes it plain there was no support relationship) |
| Parents (including the spouse’s parents) | Recognised | Only with a reason such as study, work, care, business or housing circumstances, or regular financial support such as living costs |
| Grandchildren | Only where they have no parents, or parents who for special reasons cannot support them | That condition, plus a reason or regular financial support |
| Grandparents (including the spouse’s grandparents) | Only where no child of theirs lives with them, or that child cannot support them | That condition, plus a reason or regular financial support |
The same table lists the evidence: when living apart, documents proving the reason for the separation, such as a certificate of enrolment, employment or care, a business registration certificate or a building register, or documents proving financial support, such as a copy of a bank passbook. Order of survivors and age requirements are in split and survivor pensions.
Death lump sum — Table 1 item 4
- Spouse, children, parents, grandchildren, grandparents and siblings — recognised, except where (1) 1 year has passed since registration as residence unknown, (2) 1 year has passed since the police received a report of leaving home or going missing, or (3) the claim will lapse within 1 year and the Service has confirmed contact has been lost for 1 year or more.
- Collateral relatives within the fourth degree — recognised when living together (except cases 1–3); when living apart, only where the deceased regularly provided living costs or other financial support.
Order and amount are in the death lump sum.
Unpaid benefits — Table 1 item 2
- Spouse, children, parents, grandchildren and grandparents — recognised, except in cases 1–3 as for the death lump sum.
- Siblings — recognised when living together (except cases 1–3); when living apart, only with a reason such as study, work, care, business or housing circumstances, or where the beneficiary regularly provided living costs or other financial support.
The order and deadline for claiming unpaid benefits are in payment dates and unpaid benefits.
Same family, different outcome — our reading
| Situation | Dependants’ addition | Survivor’s pension |
|---|---|---|
| Mother living apart, sent money every month | Different household — outside the test | Can be recognised through regular financial support |
| One home, but separately registered households | Different registered household — outside the test | Recognised if they live together |
| Father in a care home | Outside the test if the household differs | Can count as living apart for care |
The table applies the wording of Table 1 to situations; it is our reading, and actual recognition is decided by the Service on the documents. The age requirement for parents (60 or over, or a disabled state) is in Act arts. 52 and 73, not in the table.
Checklist
- ☐ Which benefit’s “livelihood” test is in question — the four rows differ
- ☐ Dependants’ addition: the same household on the resident register?
- ☐ Survivor’s pension: a reason for living apart, or a record of transfers (passbook copy)?
- ☐ Has a missing-person report or residence-unknown registration passed 1 year?
Questions that remain
Should households be merged to get the dependants’ addition?
Table 1 item 1 recognises parents “only if in the same household on the resident register”. How households are formed is a matter for the Resident Registration Act, which this article does not cover.
When was the table last changed?
The heading of Table 1 says “amended 30 November 2021”. It was read in the version of the Decree in force from 1 January 2026.
Sources
- National Pension Act [in force 17 Jun 2026] [Act No. 21203] — original text. Articles 52(1), 55(1), 73(1) and 80(1).
- Enforcement Decree of the Act [in force 1 Jan 2026] [Presidential Decree No. 35602] — original text (checked 8 October 2026). Articles 38, 39, 47 and 53, and Table 1, persons eligible for the dependants’ addition, unpaid benefits, survivor’s pension and death lump sum (amended 30 November 2021), items 1 to 4.
- Not read. Household formation under the Resident Registration Act, the Service’s actual review criteria, and how item 1(e) (where the relationship to the member differs from that to the beneficiary) is applied.
- Our reading. The three rows of “Same family, different outcome”.
Where to check further
- A National Pension Service branch — the documents for each benefit’s livelihood test.
Written on 12 October 2026. The provisions and table follow the original text at the Korea Law Information Center; the arrangement and application are ours.
