Can you get unemployment benefit from a job you start after 65 in Korea? Article 10(2) of the Employment Insurance Act says Chapters 4 (unemployment benefit) and 5 (parental-leave benefits etc.) don’t apply to anyone hired or starting self-employment after 65, except those insured since before 65 and kept on continuously past 65. So for two 66-year-olds, when the job started decides it. From 1 January 2027 the same rule moves to Article 10(3). A checker is included.
1. Newly hired or self-employed after 65 → Chapters 4–5 don’t apply.
2. Insured since before 65 and kept on → they apply (the exception).
3. From 1 January 2027, Art. 10(3) — same wording; the coverage test moves from hours to earnings.
Checker
Updates as you type. Chapter 4 is unemployment benefit, Chapter 5 parental leave and maternity benefits. From 1 January 2027 the same rule moves to Art. 10(3).
The article — EIA Art. 10 (current)
| Type | What the source says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| (1) item 2 | Workers whose contractual hours are below a Decree threshold are excluded | Current in 2026 |
| (1) items 3–5 | Public officials (some may opt into Ch. 4), private-school pension members, others by Decree | — |
| (2) | Chapters 4 and 5 don’t apply to those hired after 65 (except those insured before 65 and kept on) or starting self-employment after 65 | Added 15 Jan 2019 |
From 1 January 2027 — amended Art. 10
The 17 March 2026 amendment (effective 1 January 2027) changes the exclusion from contractual hours to earnings, and a new para. 2 covers day labourers, those working 3+ months continuously, and those combining earnings from several jobs on application. The 65 rule moves to para. 3 unchanged.
Three results — our example
| Case (our example) | Chapters 4–5 | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Hired at 63, working to 67 | Apply | Insured before 65, kept on |
| Joins a new company at 66 | Don’t apply | Hired after 65 |
| Opens a shop at 67 | Don’t apply | Self-employed after 65 |
“Apply” only means the chapter applies; claiming still needs the insured-days and leaving-reason conditions. Chapter 3 (employment stability and training) isn’t excluded by this paragraph (our reading).
Benefit amounts and days are in unemployment benefit calculator; retirement support in re-employment support checker.
Checklist
- ☐ How old were you when this job started?
- ☐ Insured continuously there since before 65?
- ☐ Leaving for a non-restricted reason
- ☐ From 2027, coverage depends on earnings
Questions that remain
Hired at 64, leaving after 65?
That reads as insured before 65 and kept on, so not excluded (our reading). Check the claim conditions separately.
Moving jobs after 65?
The new job is “hired after 65”, so Chapter 4 wouldn’t apply to it (our reading).
Sources
- Korean law database (law.go.kr) — Employment Insurance Act Art. 10 (current and from 1 January 2027) — source (current text, effective 18 September 2026, Act No. 21473; amended Art. 10 marked effective 1 January 2027; checked 20 October 2026). Exclusions, Chapters 4–5 not applying after 65 and the exception, the 2027 earnings test and move to para. 3.
- Not read. Claim conditions; Decree thresholds.
- What we added. The “worth noting” column and the Korean everyday gloss.
Where to check further
- Employment centre or EI portal — your insured history.
Written on 20 October 2026. The content is from the source; the glosses are ours.
