If you are a regional (self-paying) member of Korea’s National Pension and your income is low, the state can pay half your premium. National Pension Act Article 100-4 lets the state support part of the premium for a Korean national regional member who meets the property, comprehensive income and income tests, and says the support may not exceed 12 months. The Ministry of Health and Welfare notice in force from 1 January 2026 sets the tests at standard monthly income under ₩800,000, property tax base under ₩600 million and comprehensive income other than business and wage income under ₩16.8 million, and the support at 50/100 of the premium (under 10 won dropped). Enter your standard monthly income to see the premium, the support and the 12-month total.
1. Standard monthly income under ₩800,000, property tax base under ₩600 million, other comprehensive income under ₩16.8 million.
2. Support = 50% of the regional member’s premium, under 10 won dropped — up to 12 months.
3. People already supported before the end of 2025 keep the old rule — half the premium on up to ₩1,030,000.
Calculator
Updates as you type. Premium = standard monthly income × the year’s rate (whole won; our rounding). Support = half, under 10 won dropped (notice Art. 3). The property and income tests are not checked here.
The Act and the notice
| Type | What the source says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Act Art. 100-4(1) | The state may support part of the premium for a Korean national regional member meeting all the items; the support period may not exceed 12 months. | “May” — you apply (see the Decree) |
| Items | Item 1 deleted (2 Apr 2025). 2: property and comprehensive income under the Decree’s standard. 3: income under the Decree’s amount. 4: not receiving other premium support such as the unemployment credit (Art. 19-2(3)) | No doubling up with unemployment-credit support |
| Decree Art. 73-4 | Property = land, buildings, housing, aircraft and ships under Local Tax Act Art. 105; the standards and the income amount are set by ministerial notice | The numbers are all in the notice |
| Decree Art. 73-5 | Support up to the member’s premium, set by notice. You apply to the NPS; it bills the premium less the support and pays the support once your share is paid | Pay your share first |
| Notice Art. 2 | Property tax base total under ₩600 million; comprehensive income other than items (c) and (d) (business, wages) under ₩16.8 million; income amount ₩800,000 of standard monthly income | Interest, dividends, pensions and other income together (our reading of Income Tax Act Art. 4) |
| Notice Art. 3 | Support = 50/100 of the premium the regional member pays (under 10 won dropped) | — |
The support is therefore 50% of the premium due. Notice Article 1 covers regional members, excluding workplace and voluntary members, so voluntary members with no income are outside it. The test is “under ₩800,000”, so exactly ₩800,000 does not qualify.
The rate rises every year — Addendum Art. 4
Regional members pay the whole premium. Article 88(4) sets it at 130/1,000 of standard monthly income, but Addendum Article 4(2) of the 2 April 2025 amendment (Act No. 20903) sets a rate for each year from 2026 to 2032. At ₩700,000 (premium and support are our sums):
| Year | Rate (Addendum Art. 4(2)) | At ₩700,000: premium · support (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 95/1,000 (9.5%) | 66,500 · 33,250 won |
| 2027 | 100/1,000 (10%) | 70,000 · 35,000 won |
| 2028 | 105/1,000 (10.5%) | 73,500 · 36,750 won |
| 2029 | 110/1,000 (11%) | 77,000 · 38,500 won |
| 2030 | 115/1,000 (11.5%) | 80,500 · 40,250 won |
| 2031 | 120/1,000 (12%) | 84,000 · 42,000 won |
| 2032 | 125/1,000 (12.5%) | 87,500 · 43,750 won |
| 2033 on | Art. 88(4) 130/1,000 (13%) | 91,000 · 45,500 won |
The income floor and ceiling and the wider premium picture are in national pension calculator. Dropping the premium’s fractions of a won is our rounding.
Three sums — our examples (2026)
| Case (ours) | Premium · support | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| ₩700,000, new rule | 66,500 · 33,250 won | 12 months of support: 399,000 won |
| ₩790,000 | 75,050 · 37,520 won | Half is 37,525; under 10 won dropped → you pay 37,530 |
| ₩800,000 | 76,000 · 0 won | Not “under ₩800,000” |
| Supported since before 2026, ₩1,500,000 | 142,500 · 48,920 won | Half of 1,030,000 × 9.5% = 97,850 is 48,925 → 48,920; you pay 93,580 |
Supported before 2026 — transition
Notice addendum (No. 2025-235) Arts. 2–3 keep the old rules for regional members supported since on or before 31 December 2025: half the premium if standard monthly income is ₩1,030,000 or less, or half the premium on ₩1,030,000 if it is more (under 10 won dropped). Act No. 20903 Addendum Art. 6 lets someone supported under the old rule be supported again if they meet the new test, but old and new periods together may not exceed 12 months.
Checklist
- ☐ A regional member (voluntary members are out)
- ☐ Standard monthly income under ₩800,000
- ☐ Property tax base under ₩600 million; other comprehensive income under ₩16.8 million
- ☐ No other premium support, such as the unemployment credit
- ☐ Apply to the NPS and pay your billed share first
- ☐ 12 months in total
Questions that remain
Do supported months count in full?
Decree Art. 73-5 pays the month’s support after your share is paid, which reads as the month’s premium being met in full (our gloss). Check with the NPS.
Can I apply again after 12 months?
The Act only says the support may not exceed 12 months; we found no re-application rule in the articles we read.
What if I can’t pay at all?
Filling missed periods later is covered in national pension catch-up payments.
Sources
- Korean law database (law.go.kr) — National Pension Act Arts. 88, 100-4 and Addendum (Act No. 20903) — source (current text, effective 20 October 2026, Act No. 22096; checked 27 October 2026). Art. 88 rate 130/1,000; Art. 100-4 support (12 months); Addendum Art. 4 rates 2026–2032; Art. 6 transition.
- Korean law database — Enforcement Decree Arts. 73-4, 73-5 — source (current text, effective 1 January 2026, Decree No. 35602; checked 27 October 2026). Property, delegation to notice, application, billing and payment.
- Korean law database — Notice on premium support for low-income regional members — source (effective 1 January 2026, MOHW Notice No. 2025-235; checked 27 October 2026). ₩600 million, ₩16.8 million, ₩800,000, 50/100, transition (₩1,030,000).
- Korean law database — Income Tax Act Art. 4 — items (a)–(f) of comprehensive income.
- Not read. The two addenda named in Art. 100-4(1)4(b)–(c) (Acts No. 8541 and 11143, Art. 7), the ministry’s application form, the income floor/ceiling notice.
- What we added. The “worth noting” column and the Korean everyday gloss.
Where to check further
- National Pension Service branch — applying and the property/income tests.
Written on 27 October 2026. The content is from the source; the glosses are ours.
