While you claim jobseeker’s benefit (unemployment benefit) in Korea, you can keep your National Pension record growing. This is the unemployment credit in Article 19-2 of the National Pension Act. If someone receiving jobseeker’s benefit applies to the National Pension Service, that period is added to their membership — but not more than 1 year. You have to pay contributions, but the state supports them within three-quarters (Decree Art. 25-5). You can’t apply after the 15th of the month following the month in which the benefit ends. Enter the benefit days, the end date and the daily wage to see the months added and the deadlines.
1. One month for every 30 cumulative days of benefit, up to 1 year (Art. 19-2(1), Decree Art. 25-3(2)).
2. Credited income is half the daily wage used for the benefit, converted to a month — cap and floor by Ministry notice.
3. Apply by the 15th of the month after the end date; if your share is still unpaid 3 months after the end date, the application is treated as withdrawn.
Calculator
Updates as you type. One month per 30 cumulative days of benefit (sickness benefit days excluded), up to 1 year. Converting the daily wage to a month as ×30, the 9.5% rate and the 75% support are our inputs to try — the actual cap, floor and support rate are set by Ministry notice, which we didn’t read. Amounts are rounded down to the won (our method).
The article — Art. 19-2
| Type | What the source says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Conditions (para. 1) | Receiving jobseeker’s benefit under Employment Insurance Act Art. 37(1) and applying to the NPS; (1) aged 18 to under 60 and a current or former member; (2) property or income set by Decree at or below the Ministry’s notified threshold. The added period may not exceed 1 year | You must apply — unlike the childbirth and military credits |
| Credited income (para. 2) | Treated as contributing on half the daily wage used for the benefit, converted to a monthly amount. Cap and floor set by Ministry notice | Amended 17 Mar 2026: from 1 Jan 2028 “daily wage” becomes “daily remuneration” |
| Contributions (para. 3) | Contributions must be paid on the credited income. The state may support all or part from the general account, the pension fund and the employment insurance fund | — |
| Benefits (para. 4) | Old-age pension: reflected in the basic pension amount. Disability pension: not reflected. Survivor’s pension: not reflected, except for the periods in Art. 74 | It works toward the old-age pension |
The Decree — property, applying, notice, support
| Type | What the source says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Property and income (Art. 25-2) | Land, buildings, housing, aircraft and ships under Local Tax Act Art. 105; global income under Income Tax Act Art. 4(1)1 other than items (c) and (d) | We read (c) and (d) as business and employment income (we didn’t check the Income Tax Act on screen). The thresholds are in a notice we didn’t read |
| Deadline (Art. 25-3(1)) | Apply to the NPS (or the employment office handling it). No application after the 15th of the month following the month of the last benefit day. With extended benefits, the end of the benefit period is the end date | Applications made with the unemployment report or attendance are received by the employment office (Art. 25-6) |
| Notice (Art. 25-3(2)) | Each month in which benefit days (excluding sickness benefit days) reach a cumulative 30, the NPS notifies your share and the due date | That month is a “contribution-bearing benefit month” |
| Withdrawal (Art. 25-3(3)) | If your notified share is still unpaid 3 months after the end date, the application is treated as withdrawn | — |
| Support (Art. 25-5) | Support is set by Ministry notice within three-quarters of the contribution; the split between funds is agreed by two ministers | The actual rate is in the notice — your share is at least a quarter (our sum) |
| Pension amount (Art. 25-4) | Apply before the benefit month and pay on time: calculated on the year of that benefit month; pay late or apply afterward: on the year you paid | Applying early and paying on time fixes the base year (our note) |
Someone on 180 days — our example
| Item (our example) | Value | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| 180 days of benefit, last day 20 Dec 2026 | 6 months added | 180 ÷ 30 = 6 |
| Application deadline | 15 Jan 2027 | 15th of the month after December |
| Treated as withdrawn | If unpaid after 20 Mar 2027 | 3 months from the end date — our date sum |
| Daily wage 80,000 won → credited income | 1,200,000 won a month | 80,000 × 30 ÷ 2 — the ×30 is our assumption; no notice cap applied |
| 9.5% rate, 75% support | Contribution 114,000 · support 85,500 · you pay 28,500 won | 171,000 won over 6 months (our sum) |
The 9.5% in the table is the 95 per 1,000 that Addendum Art. 4(2) of Act No. 20903 sets for regional, voluntary and voluntarily continued members in 2026, used here to try a figure. The articles we read don’t give the rate for the unemployment credit or the cap and floor in numbers, so the calculator lets you change them.
How to claim the benefit is in claiming unemployment benefit; the daily amount is in unemployment benefit calculator.
Checklist
- ☐ Aged 18 to under 60, a current or former member
- ☐ Property and income at or below the notified threshold
- ☐ Apply with your unemployment report at the employment office
- ☐ Apply before the 15th of the month after the end date
- ☐ Pay your notified share on time
Questions that remain
Is 270 days of benefit 9 months?
One month per 30 cumulative days, so 270 days give 9 months (our sum). Even with extended benefits the Act caps the credit at 1 year.
Do sickness benefit days count?
Decree Art. 25-3(2) leaves sickness benefit days under Employment Insurance Act Art. 63 out of the cumulative 30.
What if I was credited without meeting the conditions?
The NPS cancels the credit and refunds your share with interest at the national tax refund rate (Art. 25-3(4)).
Sources
- Korean law database (law.go.kr) — National Pension Act Art. 19-2 and addenda — source (current text, effective 20 October 2026, Act No. 22096; checked 22 October 2026). Art. 19-2(1)–(6), including the “daily remuneration” wording in force 1 Jan 2028; Addendum Art. 4(2) of Act No. 20903, 95/1,000 for 2026.
- Korean law database — National Pension Act Enforcement Decree Arts. 25-2 to 25-6 — source (current text, effective 1 January 2026, Presidential Decree No. 35602; checked 22 October 2026). Property and income, deadline (15th of the next month), cumulative 30-day notice, 3-month withdrawal, refunds with interest, base year for the pension amount, support within three-quarters, delegation to employment offices.
- Not read. The Ministry notices on the income cap and floor, property and income thresholds and support rate; the Ministry ordinance’s application form.
- What we added. The “worth noting” column and the Korean everyday gloss.
Where to check further
- National Pension Service or your employment office — this year’s income cap and floor, property and income thresholds, and the actual support rate.
Written on 22 October 2026. The content is from the source; the glosses are ours.
