Korea Social Welfare — Overview

Korea's welfare system is built on four social insurances: National Health Insurance, the National Pension, 고용보험 (Employment Insurance) and 산재보험 (Industrial Accident Insurance). On top of them sit public assistance such as 기초생활보장 (Basic Livelihood Security) and cash benefits such as 아동수당 (Child Allowance) and 기초연금 (Basic Pension). For foreign residents the key point is that the insurances follow work and residence, while most tax-funded benefits require Korean nationality.

Key points for foreign residents:

• Work-based insurances: if you work for an employer, health insurance and the pension usually start with the job, and your employer registers you. Employment Insurance depends on your status of stay: it is compulsory for F-2, F-5 and F-6 holders, for example, and voluntary for many work visas.
• Residence-based health insurance: registered foreigners without workplace cover are enrolled as locally insured after 6 months in Korea.
• Tax-funded benefits: Child Allowance, Basic Pension and most childcare subsidies are for Korean nationals. Basic Livelihood Security covers foreigners only in narrow cases, such as a foreign spouse of a Korean raising a Korean child.
• First registrations: get your 외국인등록증 (Residence Card, ARC) and report every change of address within 15 days, open a bank account, and check that your employer has enrolled you in the four insurances.

The areas at a glance

• Health — NHIS for everyone; premium 7.19% of pay, split 50/50 (2026); locally insured foreigners pay at least ₩158,630 a month in 2026 (including long-term care), unless they are F-5 or F-6 holders.
• Pension — contribution 9.5% (2026), rising 0.5 points a year to 13% in 2033; at least 10 years for a pension; pension age 63 to 65 depending on year of birth; lump-sum refund for some foreigners.
• Unemployment — 구직급여 (job-seeking benefit) of 60% of average wages, ₩66,048–68,100 a day (2026), for 120–270 days.
• Family — Child Allowance of ₩100,000 a month for children under 9 (2026); 부모급여 (Parent Benefit) of ₩1,000,000 at age 0 and ₩500,000 at age 1; mostly for Korean-national children.
• Tax — progressive income tax 6–45% plus 10% local income tax; optional flat 19% for foreign employees who start work in Korea by the end of 2026.
• Housing — 전세 (jeonse) and 월세 (monthly rent) contracts; 2-year leases with one renewal and a 5% cap on rent increases; permit needed to buy a home in the capital region.
• Education — 9 years of free compulsory schooling and free high school; foreign children can enrol in local public schools.
• Parental — 90 days of maternity leave, 20 days of paid leave for the other parent, up to 1 year (1.5 years in some cases) of parental leave with benefits from Employment Insurance.

Things to watch

• Rates and amounts change every year, usually on 1 January; the pension income ceiling changes each July. Figures here are for 2026.
• Unpaid health premiums or taxes are checked when you extend your stay: if they are unpaid, the extension is usually limited to 6 months.
• Social insurance is compulsory; if an employer does not enrol you, you can report it to NHIS, NPS or the Employment Center.

Official guidance: NHIS: Guidance for foreigners, NPS: Foreigners and lump-sum refund, Immigration: arrears check before extension, 복지로 (Bokjiro)

National Health Insurance (NHIS)

Korea has a single public health insurance system run by the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS). Citizens and registered foreign residents are covered by the same scheme, and almost every clinic, hospital and pharmacy works with it. Insured foreigners get the same benefits as Korean citizens. Many residents add 실손의료보험 (private indemnity insurance) to cover co-payments, but it is optional.

How you are enrolled

• Workplace insured (직장가입자): employees, including foreign employees, are covered from their first day of work. The premium is 7.19% of monthly pay (2026), half paid by the employer, so about 3.6% comes off your salary. Long-term care insurance adds 0.9448% of pay (2026), also shared.
• Locally insured (지역가입자): registered foreigners without workplace cover are enrolled automatically after 6 months in Korea (since July 2019). Premiums are based on household income and property. If the result is lower than the average premium, foreigners pay the average: ₩158,630 a month in 2026 including long-term care. F-5 (permanent residence) and F-6 (marriage migrant) holders are assessed like Koreans; D-2 students and D-4 trainees get a 50% reduction.
• Dependants (피부양자): a spouse, children, parents and some other relatives with low income and property can be covered by an employee's insurance without paying. Since 3 April 2024 foreign dependants must have lived in Korea for 6 months first, except spouses, children under 19 and some statuses such as F-5 and F-6.

Costs and how care works

• Co-payments (2026): clinic and pharmacy 30%, hospital 40%, general hospital 45–50%, tertiary (university) hospital 60% for outpatient care; 20% for inpatient care. Registered cancer patients pay 5% and rare-disease patients 10%.
• Annual ceiling (본인부담상한제): if your covered co-payments in a year exceed a ceiling based on your premium level (₩900,000 to ₩8,430,000 in 2026), NHIS refunds the excess.
• Referral rule: there is no GP registration, so you can see any clinic directly. A tertiary hospital needs a referral slip from a clinic or hospital doctor; without it you pay the full cost.
• Health check-ups: general check-ups are free; screening for six cancers is free or costs 10%.

Common pitfalls for newcomers

• Arrears: unpaid premiums are checked when you extend your stay. If they are unpaid, the extension is usually limited to 6 months. Pay by automatic transfer.
• Expecting a lower bill: many foreign locally insured people pay the average premium even with low income, unless they hold F-5 or F-6.
• Bringing family: parents and adult relatives cannot be added as dependants in their first 6 months in Korea.
• Going straight to a big hospital: without a referral the full cost is yours. If you have private insurance from home, check that it really matches NHIS cover before asking to be exempted from workplace coverage.

Official guidance: NHIS: Guidance for foreigners, NHIS: Contribution rate, NHIS: Insurance benefits, HIRA (Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service)

National Pension (NPS)

Korea's public pension is the National Pension (국민연금), run by the National Pension Service (NPS). Civil servants, the military and private-school teachers have separate schemes, so most residents, including foreign workers, are covered by the National Pension. A reform in force since 1 January 2026 raises contributions every year and writes a state guarantee of payment into law.

Who pays and how much

• Compulsory cover: residents aged 18 to under 60. Foreign residents are covered like Koreans, with exceptions: students, trainees and diplomats; nationals of countries whose own pension scheme does not cover Koreans; and people who show a certificate of coverage under a social security agreement.
• Workplace insured (사업장가입자): the contribution is 9.5% of standard monthly income (2026), split equally, so 4.75% comes from your pay. Income counts between ₩410,000 and ₩6,590,000 a month (July 2026 to June 2027).
• Individually insured (지역가입자): the self-employed pay the full 9.5% themselves.
• Rising rate: the rate goes up by 0.5 points a year until it reaches 13% in 2033.

Pensions

• Old-age pension: at least 10 years of contributions. The pension age is 63 for people born 1961–64, 64 for 1965–68 and 65 for 1969 or later. An early pension from 5 years earlier is possible with a reduction; deferring raises it by 7.2% a year, for up to 5 years.
• Amount: based on your own earnings, the average earnings of all insured people and how long you paid. For new contribution periods from 2026 the target replacement rate is 43% of average earnings after 40 years. Pensions rise with inflation each year.
• Credits: extra months for each child born from 2026 (12 months from the first child) and for military service.
• 기초연금 (Basic Pension): up to ₩349,700 a month (2026) for people aged 65 and over in the lower-income 70%. It requires Korean nationality, so foreign residents cannot get it.
• Workplace retirement pensions (DB, DC, IRP) come on top of the National Pension; check what your employer offers.

Agreements and leaving Korea

• Korea has social security agreements with about 40 countries, listed by NPS, including the USA, Canada, Germany, France, Australia, India, Vietnam and the Philippines. Some only stop double contributions (for example with the UK, Japan, China and the Netherlands); others also add periods together so that you can qualify for a pension.
• Lump-sum refund (반환일시금): when you leave Korea for good, you can get your contributions back with interest if your country's agreement allows it, if your country pays Koreans a similar refund, or if you worked on an E-8, E-9 or H-2 visa. Nationals of some agreement countries, such as Spain, Ireland, Sweden and New Zealand, cannot get a refund. Claim within 5 years; you can collect it at Incheon Airport on departure.

Common pitfalls for newcomers

• Assuming every foreigner can take the money home: check your nationality in the NPS refund list before you plan on it.
• Not confirming your status once a pension is paid abroad: NPS checks it every year and suspends payment if the documents do not arrive.
• Counting on the Basic Pension, which is only for Korean nationals.

Official guidance: NPS: Contributions, NPS: Benefits, NPS: Foreigners and lump-sum refund, NPS: Social security agreements in force, Basic Pension (MOHW)

Employment Insurance and Unemployment Benefits

Korea's unemployment safety net is the 구직급여 (job-seeking benefit, commonly called 실업급여) paid by 고용보험 (Employment Insurance). It is run by the Ministry of Employment and Labor through local 고용센터 (Employment Centers) and the 고용24 (Work24) portal. Foreign workers can receive it on the same terms as Koreans if their status of stay brings them into Employment Insurance.

Premiums and who is covered

• Premium: the unemployment part is 1.8% of pay, 0.9% from you and 0.9% from your employer (2026). Employers alone pay a further 0.25–0.85% for job-security and training programmes, depending on company size.
• Compulsory for some foreigners: employees with F-2, F-5 or F-6 status, and D-7, D-8 and D-9 holders whose country covers Koreans, are insured like Koreans.
• Voluntary for others: F-4 holders and most work visas (E-1 to E-7, E-10 and others) are covered only if they or their employer apply. For E-9 and H-2 workers, unemployment and parental-leave benefits also apply only on application.
• The self-employed can join voluntarily.

Who qualifies for 구직급여

• At least 180 insured days in the 18 months before you lost your job.
• Involuntary job loss: dismissal, end of contract, redundancy and similar. Quitting voluntarily does not count unless there is a recognised reason, such as unpaid wages, harassment or a workplace move that makes commuting impossible.
• You must be able and willing to work and actively look for work, reporting job-search activity on the dates the Employment Center sets. Register as a jobseeker on Work24 and apply at your local Employment Center.

Amount and duration

• 60% of your average daily wage, with a ceiling of ₩68,100 a day and a floor of ₩66,048 a day (2026; the floor is 80% of the minimum wage for 8 hours).
• Duration: 120 to 270 days, depending on age and how long you were insured: under 50, from 120 days (less than 1 year) to 240 days (10 years or more); aged 50 or over or disabled, from 120 to 270 days.
• An early re-employment allowance is paid if you find a stable job quickly.

After Employment Insurance

• 국민취업지원제도 (National Employment Support Program): job-search help for low-income jobseekers, with a job-seeking allowance of ₩600,000 a month for 6 months (2026, Type I). Among foreigners, only marriage migrants with F-2, F-5 or F-6 status can take part.
• 국민내일배움카드 (Tomorrow Learning Card): ₩3–5 million of training support over 5 years; foreigners need certain statuses (such as F-2, F-5 or F-6) and an insurance record.
• 기초생활보장 (Basic Livelihood Security): the last safety net. Foreigners qualify only in narrow cases, such as being married to a Korean and raising a Korean child.

Common pitfalls for newcomers

• Assuming you are insured: check your Employment Insurance status on Work24 when you start a job. If your employer did not report you, you can ask for coverage to be confirmed retroactively, normally up to 3 years back.
• Leaving Korea or letting your visa lapse: benefits stop if you cannot keep looking for work in Korea.
• Working or earning while claiming without reporting it: benefits are reclaimed with an extra penalty and the case can be prosecuted.

Official guidance: 고용24 (Work24), Ministry of Employment and Labor, Employment Insurance Act (law.go.kr)

Family and Child Allowances

Korea has expanded cash support for families quickly because of its very low birth rate. The main national benefits, however, are paid to children with Korean nationality and a Korean resident registration number. A child with one Korean parent is usually a Korean national and qualifies in full; a child of two foreign parents usually does not, unless recognised as a refugee.

Core cash benefits (2026; adjusted by law)

• 아동수당 (Child Allowance): ₩100,000 a month per child, with no means test. The age limit is being raised by one year each year: under 9 in 2026, under 10 in 2027, up to under 13 from 2030. Children in areas outside the capital region get ₩5,000–20,000 extra, depending on the area.
• 부모급여 (Parent Benefit): ₩1,000,000 a month in the first year and ₩500,000 in the second year. If the child attends a subsidised daycare centre, the childcare fee is deducted and you receive the rest.
• 첫만남이용권 (First Meeting Voucher): ₩2 million for a first child and ₩3 million for each further child, loaded onto a 국민행복카드 (National Happiness Card) and usable until the child turns 2. You must apply for it.
• Single-parent families: ₩230,000 a month per child under 18 for households with income up to 65% of the median income (2026). A foreign parent raising a Korean-national child can qualify.
• Local birth grants: many cities and provinces add their own payments; amounts and rules vary widely.

Childcare

• Daycare (어린이집) and kindergarten (유치원): the standard fees for ages 0–5 are paid by the state, and parents who do not use daycare get a home-care allowance instead. Childcare policy is now handled by the Ministry of Education.
• 아이돌봄서비스 (Child Care Service): government-trained carers who come to your home, with fees subsidised according to income.
• Primary school: free after-school care and programmes for grades 1–2; see the education module.
• National childcare subsidies follow the same nationality rule as the cash benefits. Some provinces and cities pay their own childcare support for registered foreign children, so ask your district office.

How to apply

• Apply at your 주민센터 (community service centre), on 복지로 (bokjiro.go.kr) or on 정부24 (gov.kr). Child Allowance, Parent Benefit and the voucher can be requested together with the birth registration.
• Apply for Child Allowance within 60 days of birth to be paid from the month of birth.

Common pitfalls for newcomers

• Expecting the allowances for a child who holds only a foreign nationality: check the child's nationality and registration first.
• Long trips abroad: Child Allowance and the home-care allowance stop if the child stays outside Korea for 90 days or more.
• Benefits from two countries: if your home country also pays child benefits, check its rules on receiving support from abroad.
• Missing local extras: many birth grants are only paid if you apply to the city or district yourself.

Official guidance: 복지로 (Bokjiro), 정부24: Child Allowance, Child Allowance Act (law.go.kr), 아이사랑 (i-Sarang)

Taxes in Korea

For a foreign resident working in Korea, the main taxes are income tax (소득세) with its local income tax (지방소득세), plus social insurance contributions taken from pay. Prices include 10% VAT (부가가치세). The National Tax Service (NTS) runs the online system 홈택스 (Hometax), where you can file with your alien registration number. Korea has tax treaties with about 95 countries and territories to avoid double taxation.

Resident or non-resident

• Resident: a person with a domicile (주소) in Korea or a residence (거소) of 183 days or more. Residents are taxed on their worldwide income.
• Non-resident: taxed only on income from Korea.
• Foreign residents with 5 years or less of domicile or residence in Korea in the past 10 years are taxed on foreign income only if it is paid in Korea or sent to Korea.

Income tax rates (2026; unchanged since 2023)

| Tax base | Rate | |---|---| | Up to ₩14M | 6% | | Up to ₩50M | 15% | | Up to ₩88M | 24% | | Up to ₩150M | 35% | | Up to ₩300M | 38% | | Up to ₩500M | 40% | | Up to ₩1B | 42% | | Over ₩1B | 45% |

• Local income tax adds 10% of the income tax, so the top combined rate is 49.5%.
• Flat rate for foreign employees: a foreigner who starts work in Korea by 31 December 2026 can choose to pay a flat 19% on wages for up to 20 years from the first day of work, with no deductions or credits. It mainly helps higher earners; compare both methods each year.

Filing and deductions

• Employees: tax is withheld monthly, and the employer settles the year in early spring through 연말정산 (year-end tax settlement), where you claim deductions for dependants, medical and education costs, card spending, pension savings, monthly rent and more.
• Basic deduction: ₩1.5 million for yourself, a low-income spouse and each qualifying dependant.
• Other income: if you have business, rental or several kinds of income, file a global income tax return (종합소득세) from 1 to 31 May of the following year.
• Property: buying property brings 취득세 (acquisition tax); owning it brings yearly 재산세 (property tax) and, for high values, 종합부동산세 (comprehensive real estate tax). Inheritance and gift tax is 10–50%.

Common pitfalls for newcomers

• Foreign bank accounts: residents whose foreign accounts total more than ₩500 million on any month-end must report them in June of the next year. Foreigners in their first 5 years of residence (as above) are exempt.
• Tax treaty and social security agreement are different: a tax treaty does not stop pension or health contributions, and vice versa.
• Unpaid taxes: they are checked when you extend your stay and can limit the extension to 6 months.
• Home-country rules: some countries, such as the USA, tax their citizens wherever they live, so you may also have to file there.

Official guidance: NTS English, NTS: Tax treaties, NTS: Filing deadlines, 홈택스 (Hometax)

Housing Support

Housing in Korea, especially in the capital region, is expensive, and the rental system works differently from most countries. Foreign residents can rent on the same legal terms as Koreans and get the same tenant protection, provided they complete their registrations. Government housing support (public rental housing and subsidised loans) is aimed mainly at Korean households, so most foreign residents rent on the private market.

How renting works

• 전세 (jeonse): you pay a large lump-sum deposit and no monthly rent; the full deposit is returned at the end of the lease.
• 월세 (wolse): a smaller deposit plus monthly rent. 반전세 (banjeonse) mixes the two.
• Housing Lease Protection Act (주택임대차보호법): a lease runs for at least 2 years, the tenant can renew once for another 2 years, and a rent or deposit increase is capped at 5%.
• Lease reporting: in cities, leases with a deposit over ₩60 million or rent over ₩300,000 a month must be reported within 30 days of signing; the report also gives you the 확정일자 (fixed date).

Protecting your deposit

• Registration: your lease is protected against third parties from the day after you move in and register your address. For foreigners, the alien registration and the report of a change of address (체류지 변경신고) count as the move-in report (전입신고); report a new address within 15 days.
• 확정일자 (fixed date): get it at the community centre or online, ideally on the same day as the address report, so your deposit ranks ahead of later creditors.
• Before signing: use a licensed real-estate agent, read the property register (등기부등본) and check the landlord's mortgages and unpaid taxes.
• HUG deposit guarantee (전세보증금반환보증): the Korea Housing & Urban Guarantee Corporation guarantees the return of your deposit, and foreigners can apply. The deposit plus prior debts must fit within 90% of the home's value.

Public housing and buying

• Public rental housing from LH and city corporations such as SH (for example 국민임대, national rental housing, for up to 30 years at 60–80% of market rent) is for households that do not own a home within income and asset limits. A registered foreign spouse counts as a member of a Korean applicant's household.
• Housing loans from the Housing and Urban Fund, such as 버팀목 (deposit loans) and 디딤돌 (purchase loans), have income limits and are designed for Korean households; ask the fund or a partner bank whether your status qualifies.
• Buying a home: foreigners must report a purchase within 60 days. In all of Seoul, 7 districts of Incheon and 23 cities and counties of Gyeonggi, foreigners need a permit, must move in within 4 months and live there for 2 years; this rule was extended in August 2026 for another year.

Common pitfalls for newcomers

• Not reporting a change of address after a move, which can cost you your priority for the deposit.
• Signing a jeonse lease where the deposit plus the mortgage is close to the home's value; deposit fraud (전세사기) has been a serious problem.
• Paying a deposit to someone other than the registered owner.
• Expecting public rental housing quickly: waiting lists are long.

Official guidance: HUG: Jeonse deposit guarantee, 마이홈 (MyHome housing portal), LH 청약플러스, Housing and Urban Fund, Housing Lease Protection Act (law.go.kr)

Education System and Tuition Support

Korean schooling follows a 6-3-3-4 structure: 6 years of primary school, 3 of middle school, 3 of high school and usually 4 of university. The school year starts in March. Primary and middle school (9 years) are compulsory and free, and public high school has been free since 2021. Foreign children can enrol in their local public school, even when the family cannot show an alien registration.

School and early childhood

• Compulsory education: from about age 6 to 15, with no tuition, admission or textbook fees in public schools.
• Free high school: since the 2021 school year, admission fees, tuition, school support fees and textbooks are free in all grades. Some private high schools may still charge fees.
• Early childhood (ages 3–5): the standard 누리과정 (Nuri curriculum) is publicly funded in kindergartens and daycare centres for eligible children; see the family module.
• After-school care: in 2026 the former 늘봄학교 became 온동네 초등돌봄·교육 (community primary care and education). Grades 1–2 get free programmes of about 2 hours a day, and grade 3 pupils can get a ₩500,000-a-year after-school voucher.

Enrolling a foreign child

• For primary school, a parent applies directly to the principal of the local school. The school checks your alien registration or immigration records; if these are not available, a lease contract or another proof of address is accepted.
• Multicultural and newly arrived pupils can get Korean-language (KSL) classes, special classes for multicultural pupils (다문화학생 특별학급) in some schools and help from multicultural education centres.
• Foreign schools (외국인학교) are private, mainly for foreign children and Koreans who lived abroad for several years; their fees are high.
• Bring school records and certificates from your home country, translated if possible: the school decides grade placement.

University and student aid

• 국가장학금 (National Scholarship) Type I: for students with Korean nationality at Korean universities, by household income bracket. In 2026 brackets 1–3 receive up to ₩6.0 million a year, brackets 4–6 ₩4.4 million, 7–8 ₩3.6 million and bracket 9 ₩1.0 million; low-income households can get full tuition. From 2027 the ten brackets become five, with the same amounts.
• Foreign students apply for university scholarships or the government's Global Korea Scholarship (GKS). After naturalisation you can apply for national aid like any Korean student.

Adult learning

• 국민내일배움카드 (Tomorrow Learning Card): ₩3–5 million of training support over 5 years; foreign residents need certain statuses (such as F-2, F-5 or F-6) and an Employment Insurance record.
• Korea National Open University and online courses (K-MOOC) offer low-cost study.

Common pitfalls for newcomers

• Arriving mid-year without school records: placement can take time, so contact the school or the local education office early.
• Underestimating private costs: 학원 (private academies) and tutoring are widespread and not subsidised.
• Missing the 국가장학금 application window each semester if your child is a Korean national.

Official guidance: Ministry of Education, Multicultural Education Support Center, Korea Student Aid Foundation, Study in Korea (GKS)

Maternity Leave and Parental Leave

Korean leave rights come from the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법) and the Equal Employment Opportunity and Work-Family Balance Assistance Act (남녀고용평등법); the benefits are paid by 고용보험 (Employment Insurance). Foreign employees have the same leave rights as Korean colleagues. To receive the benefits, you need at least 180 insured days before the leave. Many rules improved in February 2025.

Maternity leave (출산전후휴가)

• 90 days in total (100 days for a premature baby, 120 days for twins or more), with at least 45 days (60 for multiples) after the birth.
• Pay: the first 60 days (75 for multiples) are paid at your full ordinary wage. Employment Insurance pays the benefit, capped at ₩2.2 million per 30 days (2026): for the whole leave at smaller "priority support" companies, and only after day 60 at large companies, where the employer pays the first 60 days.
• Miscarriage or stillbirth leave: from 10 to 90 days depending on the length of the pregnancy.
• Pregnant workers can ask for 2 fewer hours a day in the first 12 weeks and from week 32, with no pay cut.

Leave for the other parent (배우자 출산휴가)

• 20 paid days, to be used from 50 days before the due date until 120 days after the birth, in up to 3 parts. Employment Insurance pays for the leave at priority-support companies.

Parental leave (육아휴직)

• Each parent can take up to 1 year per child aged 8 or under (or in 2nd grade or below). It extends to 1.5 years if both parents each take at least 3 months, and for single parents or parents of a disabled child. It can be split into up to 3 parts, and once a year you can take 1 or 2 weeks of it for a school holiday, closure or a child's illness.
• Benefit (2026): months 1–3 at 100% of ordinary wages (maximum ₩2.5 million a month), months 4–6 at 100% (maximum ₩2.0 million), then 80% (maximum ₩1.6 million); minimum ₩700,000. The whole benefit is now paid during the leave.
• Both parents within 18 months of birth: for the first 6 months, each parent gets 100% of wages with a rising cap of ₩2.5 million up to ₩4.5 million in the sixth month.
• Your employer cannot dismiss you during the leave and must give you the same or an equivalent job afterwards.

Reduced working hours (육아기 근로시간 단축)

• For a child aged 12 or under (or in 6th grade or below), you can work 15–35 hours a week for up to 1 year, plus twice any unused parental leave. Employment Insurance replaces the first 10 lost hours a week at 100% (wages counted up to ₩2.5 million a month, 2026) and the rest at 80% (up to ₩1.6 million).

Common pitfalls for newcomers

• Not insured: many foreign workers on work visas are only covered by Employment Insurance if they or their employer apply, and E-9 and H-2 workers need to apply for parental-leave benefits.
• Visa dates: make sure your stay does not expire during the leave.
• Deadlines: ask your employer in writing (normally 30 days ahead for parental leave) and claim benefits on Work24 within 12 months after the leave ends.

Official guidance: 고용24 (Work24), 정부24: Maternity leave benefit, Ministry of Employment and Labor, Equal Employment Opportunity Act (law.go.kr)